What to See in Munich, the City of Oktoberfest

Quando pensiamo a Munich, il primo pensiero va sicuramente all’Oktoberfest. La festa della birra più famosa al mondo nasce più di 200 anni fa e rappresenta la principale fonte di attrazione per un gran numero di turisti, che visitano la città proprio in occasione di questa grande manifestazione.

Munich è una città dalle mille sfaccettature che, tra storia, cultura e divertimento vi conquisterà. Munich è una delle mete più gettonate nel sud della Germania. Segni particolari: l’atmosfera vivace, il centro storico e i suoi importanti musei. Attraverso la nostra guida vogliamo guidarvi nella visita e consigliarvi su cosa vedere a Monaco di Baviera durante il vostro soggiorno.

Munich, la capitale della Baviera (Germania), una città estroversa e accogliente in tutte le stagioni. Il suo centro storico è interamente visitabile a piedi ed è tutto un susseguirsi di palazzi, monumenti e chiese, che spaziano dal medioevo al rococò. Molto piacevole è sostare in una delle storiche birrerie con giardino (es. Augustiner, HB, Paulaner…, tutte con ristorantino), accompagnando gustose brezen, le tipiche ciambelle salate, a un boccale di nettare biondo, o stare naso all’insù sotto la bella torre del municipio nuovo, per non perdere lo spettacolo del Glockenspiel, l’orologio con il carillon a campane, le cui statuine si muovono in girotondo e su se stesse, rappresentando spezzoni di storia cittadina.

Altri luoghi da non perdere con i ragazzi sono il Deutches Museum, uno dei musei della scienza e della tecnica più grandi del mondo, con percorsi specifici per piccoli toccatutto.

L’avveniristico Museo BMW, in cui la nota casa automobilistica, che ha sede proprio a Monaco, mette in mostra il proprio mondo e i prestigiosi modelli; lo zoo, gli sterminati giardini, l’Orto Botanico e la Reggia di Nymphenburg, con il parco e i laghetti. Comodi e strategici, gli hotel attorno alla stazione ferroviaria, a un tiro di schioppo dal centro storico, come il Conrad Hotel de Ville, www.conrad-hotel.de , dove la camera con prima colazione costa a partire da 98 euro a notte.

The History of Munich

Chronicles tell that, in 1158, Henry XII called the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, destroyed the original bridge on the ancient salt road, ordering the construction of a new one further south, on his possessions, near the monastic settlement of Munichen, thus securing the right to collect tolls on such a flourishing trade.

To officially seal what we would today call a piracy act, there was a document signed by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who, on June 14 of the same year, confirmed the city of Munich the right to hold markets and mint coins. From that moment, the fortunes of the city began, a protagonist, over the centuries, of a dizzying economic, social, and cultural growth that has brought it to its current levels.

Things to do in Munich: places of interest

Walking through the main streets of Munich and scouring its neighborhoods, one almost immediately senses its ability to harmoniously cultivate a kind of dual soul: capital of progress and a city scaled to humans; cradle of avant-garde and stronghold of traditions. Melting pot of global flavors and the steadfast home of beer and pretzels. Munich is a city with many bridges that connect the banks of the turbulent Isar River and have played a crucial role in the city’s birth.

Visiting Munich will prove to be an extraordinary experience: old and new blend in everything, making this city truly unique. If your available time is short, we want to suggest what to see in Munich in one day, so you don’t miss any of the most beautiful things this city offers.

1 Marienplatz

The Old and New Town Halls of Munich are among the two most important buildings in the city and are located in Marienplatz, which is surrounded by buildings of various eras and has at its center the Mariensäule, the column with the gilded bronze statue of the Madonna.

2 Old Town Hall of Munich

The Gothic lines and beautiful tower of the Old Town Hall prelude the imposing silhouette bristling with pinnacles of the new one, on the north side of the square, built between the 19th and 20th centuries, under whose clock tower everyone looks up to admire the picturesque Glockenspiel, the bell carillon, whose figurines, at certain hours of the day (at 11 and 12 every day, also at 5 pm during summer months), move in a round dance and rotate, depicting scenes from the city’s history. It is definitely among the main items on the list “Munich, what to visit.”

3 Munich, Residenz

Inspired by the Pitti Palace in Florence, the Residenz is one of the most spectacular royal palaces in Europe. For centuries it housed dukes, princes, and kings of Bavaria, and today is the seat of the Residenz Museum.

4 Munich, Kunstareal

This is the art district and it is precisely there that the three most important Pinakothek (Art Galleries) of Munich are located, where very important works from the Renaissance to modern art can be seen. The Old Pinakothek, the New Pinakothek, and the Pinakothek of Modern Art are among the main places of interest in Munich.

5 English Garden

The English Garden is the city’s public park that extends for 4 km, the ideal place for a relaxing break. Appreciated by both tourists and Bavarian residents.

6 Nymphenburg Palace

The Nymphenburg Palace (Schloss Nymphenburg) is a Baroque-style palace surrounded by an enchanted atmosphere. It was once the summer residence of the Bavarian kings.

7 Museums of Munich

Those who love art, in all its forms, will find in Munich a true mecca of museums, galleries, and art collections. Just the complex of the three Pinakothek, the Old (its Rubens can rival even the great museums of Vienna and Madrid), the New, and the Modern, alone make the trip worthwhile.

8 Museum Brandhorst

The Museum Brandhorst on Theresienstrasse, besides hosting exhibitions and a large collection of works by Andy Warhol, focuses on ecological management. A few steps from the Old and the New Pinakothek, the Museum Brandhorst was initially conceived to house the collections of modern and contemporary art of collectors Udo and Annette Brandhorst. The structure itself is quite unique: designed by the Berlin architects Sauerbruch Hutton, it is a work of art in its own right thanks to the facade covered with 36,000 colored ceramic rods, a sound-absorbing device but visually striking. Inside the museum are sophisticated technological features for ecological management of lighting and temperature in the rooms. The exhibition is dedicated to the 20th and 21st centuries and features a large collection of works by Andy Warhol; also present are works by Joseph Beuys, Jannis Kounellis, Georg Baselitz, Mario Merz, Damien Hirst, Cy Twombly, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Inside the Museum Brandhorst, one can also visit a collection of books illustrated by Picasso and Mirò.

9 Oktoberfest

Who doesn’t know the Oktoberfest, the October Beer Festival, which gathers huge crowds of joyful and noisy people from all over the planet at the lively Beer Gardens? Munich, as is well known, is also this and is a very popular destination among Italians.

If you have more time available, we want to recommend other things to do in Munich.

10 What to do in Munich

• Visit the Deutsches Museum: it is the largest museum in the world dedicated to science and technology. It is one of Munich’s main attractions and should definitely be included in the list of “what to visit in Munich”.
• Spend an evening at Kultfabrik: an entertainment area of 60,000 sqm where you will find every kind of fun, from food, to art exhibitions, to erotic shows, to fully experience Bavarian life. Munich’s nightlife is concentrated right there.
• Visit the Münchner Stadtmuseum: Munich’s city museum, often hosting temporary exhibitions of great artists. Among its different sections, the most unique and fascinating are definitely those dedicated to the Puppet Museum and the Musical Instruments Museum.
• Go shopping in the city center: you will be amazed by the number of shops. Shopping in Munich is a real pleasure.

Quick info: where to stay in Munich, how to get there, how to get around, and where to eat.

11 How to get to Munich

The best way to reach Munich is definitely by plane. From the airport, you can easily get to the city center in 40 minutes, thanks to two very efficient subway lines.

12 How to get around Munich

To get around Munich, our advice is always to explore the city as much as possible on foot, to catch every detail and savor every glimpse. However, you can also move from one part of the city to another using the subway, buses, and trams. The City Tour Card will allow you to use all transportation with a single ticket.

13 Where to eat in Munich

To eat in Munich, we recommend searching for traditional restaurants where you can taste Bavarian dishes. Don’t miss the Weisswurst, the typical Bavarian sausage, the bretzel, the characteristic twisted salty bread, and the Steckerfisch, the salted mackerel. And of course, don’t forget to drink a good mug of beer, a true symbol of this city!

14 Where to Stay in Munich

For choosing your hotel in Munich, we recommend a fairly central area so you can fully enjoy Bavarian life without having to travel too much.