Sights

Munich offers a number of diverse sights that will please any taste: Whether you love the sumptuous architecture of venerable churches and palaces, enjoy relaxing in vast parks or a pavement cafe, or are interested in traditional celebrations full of atmosphere – you will find something that will make you happy.

Let’s start with the heart of Munich, Marienplatz (St. Mary’s Square). Thousands of visitors flock to it, whether it’s summer or winter. Many are lured to the Hofbräuhaus, which is only a stone’s throw away, or to Viktualienmarkt (the Victuals’ Market), which includes the historic Schrannenhalle mall with its gourmet booths. However, most visitors prefer to stay put and look up to admire the neo-Gothic city hall and its carillon which tolls at 11 a.m. and 12 noon (plus, in summer, at 5 p.m.) and boasts figurines dancing in a circle 279 feet above the ground in the city hall’s tower. You will find Old City Hall a little to the side, yet it merits your attention just as much, representing an illustrative example of the bourgeois Bavarian Gothic style. It is also just a few steps to Old St. Peter’s Church (Alter Peter), the city’s oldest parish church. If you scale its spire on foot, you will enjoy a glorious view of Munich. The imposing Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), whose 325-foot onion-top belfries have come to epitomize Munich all over the world, is just a few minutes away on foot.

You will have a great time relaxing in one of the many pavement cafes on Ludwigstrasse and Leopoldstrasse, where the locals love going for a stroll, or in the 922-acre English Garden (Englischer Garten) that includes a 200-year-old Chinese Tower, or in the greenery adjacent to the River Isar, which flows through Munich along an 8-mile course. When temperatures are balmy, head for the Olympic Grounds created for the 1972 Summer Olympics, which are ideal for a walk. The 951-foot Olympic Tower will impress you with a fascinating view that extends all the way to the Alps in fair weather

Naturally, Munich’s Octoberfest is a very particular attraction, being the world’s largest and most famous fair. It is held at Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow), with a statue of Bavaria enthroned high above the ground, right in front of the Hall of Glory (Ruhmeshalle). Things are much quieter during Advent, when a large number of Christmas markets beckon with arts and crafts and all kinds of goodies. The more athletically inclined may wish to skate on the seasonal rink at Karlsplatz (Stachus). No matter whether it’s spring, summer, autumn, or winter – Munich offers something worth seeing all year round.