A short history of Munich
Every day at 11:00, mechanical figures start turning in the tower of the New Town Hall on Marienplatz. On the upper level a joust from a royal wedding in 1568 comes to life, and below it the coopers perform the dance they are said to have danced in the streets after a plague. The whole square looks up at the tower.
The city's name first appears in records in 1158. The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918, and the Residenz and Nymphenburg palaces are theirs. In October 1810 a horse race was held for the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Therese. The Theresienwiese, where Oktoberfest is held, is named after the bride.
Munich is also the city where the Nazi party grew. Hitler attempted a coup here in 1923. The NS-Dokumentationszentrum, on the site of the party's former headquarters, covers this period, and entry is free. At Dachau, northwest of the city, the concentration camp opened in 1933 is now a memorial site. The old town, heavily bombed in the war, was later rebuilt largely in its earlier form.
Munich neighbourhoods
Au sits on the east bank of the Isar. At the Auer Dult market, held three times a year on Mariahilfplatz, old kitchenware, crafts and a carousel share the square.
Westend lies just behind the Theresienwiese. Outside Oktoberfest it's a quiet, multicultural neighbourhood of small restaurants and cafés, and walking among its old factory buildings is a pleasure.
Follow the canal from Neuhausen and you reach Nymphenburg Palace. Its park is where Munich locals walk at weekends. If the canal freezes in winter, people play Eisstockschießen on it, a Bavarian kind of ice curling.
Giesing doesn't hide its working-class past. TSV 1860 play their home games at the Grünwalder Stadion here, and on match days the streets fill with light blue scarves and the corner pubs turn into fan bars.
Where to stay
- Old Town / Marienplatz: The town hall, Viktualienmarkt and beer halls are all within walking distance.
- Maxvorstadt: The museum and university district, with plenty of cafés and a student feel.
- Glockenbachviertel: Trendy area near the Isar with bars and boutiques.
- Schwabing: A calm area with broad avenues next to the English Garden.
- Haidhausen: A local area east of the Isar with French-style squares.
- Main Station: Airport and intercity trains stop here, and hotels are cheaper.
When to visit Munich
The easiest time for Munich is June and the first half of September. Days reach 20-25 °C, the beer gardens are open and hotel prices are reasonable compared with the Oktoberfest weeks. May is lovely too, but it rains often.
Oktoberfest starts in the second half of September and ends on the first Sunday of October or on 3 October. For those two weeks hotel prices multiply, and tables in the tents need booking months ahead. If you're not going for the festival, check the dates and skip those weeks. In April a smaller spring festival, the Frühlingsfest, sets up on the same ground.
From late November until Christmas, Christmas markets open across the city, Marienplatz first among them. January and February are cold, with nights below freezing. The Alps are an hour or two away by train, so a day of skiing is possible. On some days the Föhn wind clears the air and the mountains appear from the city.
Food culture in Munich
Weißwurst is eaten before the noon bells ring, that's the tradition. The white sausage arrives in hot water, you peel off the skin, and it goes with sweet mustard, a pretzel and wheat beer. Nobody here is surprised by beer in the morning.
Lunch is often the main meal of the day, dinner is between 18:00 and 20:00, and kitchens can close early. Menus always have Schweinsbraten (roast pork), slices of Leberkäse and Obatzda, made with cheese, butter and paprika. If you don't eat pork, look for cheesy Käsespätzle or the fish dishes.
In traditional beer gardens you can bring your own food to the tables without tablecloths and buy your drinks there. Beer comes in one-litre Maß glasses. When you pay, naming a slightly higher total to the server is enough.
Munich trip budget
Yes, Munich ranks near the top of Germany's priciest cities, and you feel it most in the hotel bill. In 2026 a daily budget per person is 80-120 € if you stay in a hostel and eat in beer gardens. A mid-range hotel, beer hall meals and a museum or two come to 170-260 €. A good hotel in the centre with dinners out starts at 400 €. During Oktoberfest, set these figures aside, as room prices easily double or triple.
A single ticket for the central zone (M) is about 4 € and a day ticket 9-10 €. The Pinakothek museums cost 1 € on Sundays. The Residenz palace is around 10-15 €. A litre of beer in the Oktoberfest tents is 15-16 €.
The Englischer Garten, the river surfers on the Eisbach, a wander round the Viktualienmarkt, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum and the Dachau Memorial Site are all free.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Build your route on the Munich map
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