A Weekend in Munich: What to Do and Where to Go

Suppose you found yourself in Munich for a couple of days. Consider yourself lucky, because this is quite enough to leave the city with a strong desire to return. In this article, we’ll tell you where to go to make the most of these two days.

Fairs

To visit beautiful fairs with delicious food, you don’t necessarily have to come to the city specifically for Christmas. During Easter and in autumn (check dates in advance), there are also stalls with hot drinks, tasty sausages, and sweet pretzels. Fairs are a great place for a delicious snack, and it will be cheaper than in a restaurant.

That very castle

People often go to Munich for Neuschwanstein Castle. The bright, enormous structure in the mountains attracts tourists more than any fairs or free museums. If you plan to go to the castle, set aside the whole day — the journey will take a little over two hours one way.

First, take a train to Füssen (about two hours travel time), and from there, a bus to the castle itself (about 10 minutes ride). Plus, time to walk around and look inside. It’s not much faster by car either, as there are 130 km between the sausage mecca and the castle.

Old Town

You can easily spend half a day exploring the Old Town. The New Town Hall building is a neo-Gothic extravaganza. And it’s even more interesting to see it from above. For this, climb to the observation deck of St. Peter’s Church. It only costs 3 euros, but you’ll have a long climb up the stairs. However, the view is worth all the effort, and physical activity has never harmed anyone.

In general, when walking through the Old Town, look around — it’s beautiful everywhere! If you climb to the observation deck, you’ll definitely notice two towers — these are the Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady (popularly known as Frauenkirche). Get closer to it too, it’s a very beautiful building.

Museums

If you adore art galleries, be sure to visit the Alte Pinakothek. It’s almost the largest art gallery in Europe. There are several exhibitions inside, so prices vary. Find one you like right on the website (the site is available in several languages).

Love cars? Then head straight to the BMW Museum. There you can get acquainted with all the exhibits of Bavarian automotive industry. Admission costs 10 euros, but the multifunctional exhibition center “BMW Welt” will welcome you for free. However, this is a regular showroom where cars are displayed and various lectures are held. Find details on the website.

Since Munich is the capital of beer festivals, it makes sense to visit the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum. Here you will learn where beer originated and who invented it, as well as the history of Oktoberfest (spoiler: it was originally a grand celebration in honor of King Ludwig’s wedding).

Want to know what kings brought to Bavaria from other continents? The exhibitions of the Museum of Five Continents will tell you. Indigenous clothing items, a huge Buddha statue, ancient scrolls, household items, and original artifacts from peoples no longer in history — it’s all here.

Place for walks

In Munich, there’s a place to escape the concrete jungle. The city is home to the huge English Garden. It seems the whole city could fit in here — that’s how big it is. People ride bikes and scooters, have picnics, play sports, and exercise outdoors. In short, you can find entertainment.

The garden has a small waterfall, a memorial, a hill with a view of the city towers, horse riding, and you can even surf in the local waterways!

Football

If you crave adrenaline or love good football, then go to the Allianz Arena. The stadium’s “cushion” changes color depending on who is playing on the field. If it’s red, then in the coming days (or on that day) the local Bayern team is playing; if it’s blue, then “Munich 1860” is on the field; and if it’s white, then it’s serious — the German national team is at the stadium!