Things to Do in Munich

Herreninsel is the larger of two inhabited islands in Chiemsee, a Bavarian lake near the Austrian border. While it features a monastery which dates back to the 8th century, the site of the post-war conference which drafted West Germany’s constitution, the island’s main attraction is undoubtedly Herrenchiemsee. This was one of the three palaces built by the profligate 19th century Bavarian king, Ludwig II. But unlike Linderhof or the world-famous Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee is not a pastiche of previous styles, rather it’s a copy of one particular building: the Palace of Versailles.

Ludwig’s palace is a salute to an era when monarchs were both the pinnacles of power and arbiters of style. But funds ran out before he could complete Herrenchiemsee, and only the central section was completed. As well as lavishly decorated rooms – boasting the world’s largest porcelain chandelier and a replica of the Hall of Mirrors – there are also eerie bare-walled loft-like spaces. The building’s façade makes an impressive centerpiece to the extensive landscaped gardens.

Home to the city’s two leading football teams, FC Bayern and TSV 1860, Munich’s Allianz Arena is one of Germany’s largest and most iconic sports stadiums. The award winning building, designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, was created as a vision of the future and its unique appearance has been likened to a giant inflatable boat or a huge white car tire. Most spectacular is its extraordinary façade, crafted from illuminated air cushions that change color to reflect the team in residence and create a striking visual in the night sky.

The 66,000-seat stadium opened in 2005 and quickly earned itself acclaim within the international football community, hosting events like the 2006 World Cup Opening Ceremony, the 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finals and the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final. As well as attending home games and international matches at the stadium, fans can also tour the arena, gaining access to the dressing rooms and Players’ tunnel, as well as shopping for merchandise in the Allianz and FC Bayern shops.

The exterior of the Gasteig hardly reveals the cultural center's dedication to the arts, but inside, the halls host some of the most outstanding performers that come to Munich. Home to the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Richard Strauss Conservatory, the Volkshochschule (education), and the municipal library, the Gasteig is a place to delight the senses and enrich the mind.

Gasteig is also the primary site for the Filmfest Munchen with concert halls that can accommodate over 2,000 people like the Philarmonie, or a more intimate setting with the 120 seats in the Black Box hall. The smaller theaters most often host renowned theater and dance troupes. The wide variety of cultural entertainment and performance at the Gasteig truly make it Munich's "Kulturzentrum".

The former court garden of the Residenz Palace, Munich’s Hofgarten was originally laid out in 1613, characterized by its mulberry tree-lined walkways, ornamental fountains and fruit orchard. A large portion of the formal gardens were restored or redesigned post-WWII, but the central pavilion survived, a domed temple designed by Heinrich Schön the Elder in 1615 and topped with a bronze figure of Tellus Bavarica, the symbol of Bavaria.

Today, the Hofgarten remains one of the city’s most tranquil spots, providing welcome respite from the sightseeing trail and making a popular picnic spot for both locals and tourists. Flanked by 19th century arched arcades, the garden retains much of its Italian Renaissance style, with colorful flowerbeds, manicured lawns and painstakingly restored water features. The gardens also benefit from their strategic location, with the lively Odeonplatz square to the west, the Royal palace to the east and the German Theatre Museum to the north, as well as featuring a café, beer garden and boules pitch.

In 1934, a jeweler by the name of Leonard Dahlen rented his shop to the National Socialist Party, better known as the Nazis. Officially, the building was repurposed as the Nazi Documentation Center, but the Nazis soon set up the shop as the headquarters of the Gestapo, the party’s secret police. Its basement made room for cells and torture stations, where a parade of the regime’s victims - Jews, Roma, homosexuals and other political enemies -  were imprisoned and treated savagely for the better part of a decade. Miraculously, when most of Cologne was destroyed during the Allies’ bombardment, the EL-DE Haus remained completely intact.
Today, the building is a memorial to the victims of the Nazi’s fascist regime.

In 1981, the government opened the basement to the public and in 1987, the Nazi Documentation Center was also opened, permanently featuring an exhibit detailing life in Cologne under the National Socialist government. Part of the exhibit features the testimony of a Communist sympathizer and resistance fighter named Martha Mense, who was held for five months and interrogated there for the crime of printing anti-Hitler literature.

While the subject matter is certainly grim, the museum is one of two German museums to  have won the European Heritage Association’s prestigious Best in Heritage award, a prize given only to select museums.

Germans' love of beer is unrivaled worldwide, and Munich is home to Bavaria's most celebrated beer hall: Hofbrauhaus. Formerly the royal brewery for the Kingdom, Hofbrauhaus is now owned by the state government and also has the second largest tent at Oktoberfest - "Hofbrau-Festzelt".

Grab a stein of their finest brew and drink with friends in the restaurant, die Schwemme (beer hall), or Biergarten (beer garden) often accompanied by live music . In case there was any doubt about how much Germans value their beer, regulars to Hofbrauhaus keep their valuable steins in a series of safes in the beer hall.

Munich’s gigantic Deutsches Museum is the kind of museum that begs for multiple visits and as one of the world’s largest science and technology museums, you could easily spend an entire weekend taking in its vast permanent collection. Opening its doors in 1925, the museum sits on a specially constructed river island, reached by bridge from the mainland.

Famous for its interactive exhibitions, inventive displays and impressive collection of artifacts, the Deutsches Museum succeeds in its quest to make science fun and accessible to all ages and interests. Exhibitions cover topics like transport, communication, energy and natural science, with interactive elements including a series of giant musical instruments to play, model coal and salt mines, glass-blowing and paper-making demonstrations and an authentic space laboratory. There’s even a Kid’s Kingdom, where a child-sized mouse wheel and a real fire engine will keep the kids entertained.

The collection is so big it even spills over into 2 additional buildings – the nearby Verkehrszentrum houses the Transport Museum, where highlights include a series of historic tram and train wagons, and the Flugwerft Schleißheim, located at Oberschleissheim Airfield, displays the museum’s sizable collection of aircraft.