Things to do in Munich

Whenever Munich has something to celebrate - from Christmas markets to Christopher Street Day - the focus of the festivities is Marienplatz, the small piazza at the heart of the Altstadt. Marienplatz’s monumentality comes courtesy of the immense Neues Rathaus, a sooty pile in Flemish Gothic style that has dominated the square since the late nineteenth century. Its Glockenspiel clock draws crowds for the mechanical figures that perform to a rather discordant musical accompaniment: jerky musicians and jousting knights illustrating the city’s history, including the end of the plague in 1517.

Reason enough for a visit to Munich is provided by the royal flush of Pinakothek art galleries, the Alte Pinakothek being one of the world’s greatest. Here you’ll find more old masterpieces than you can shake a stick at - by world-renowned artists such as Dürer, Reubens, Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Velázquez… the list goes on. There’s even Leonardo da Vinci’s small Madonna with Child painted when he was only 21. And if you’re looking for cheap holidays to Munich, bear in mind the Pinakothek galleries are free for those under 18.

Had enough of city sightseeing? One of the best things to do in Munich is simply taking a stroll through one of Europe’s largest city parks. Refuel at the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) beer garden and admire the city’s skyline from the Monopteros (Love temple). And when in Rome...er, do like the Germans and get your kit off for a spot of nude sunbathing.

Art lovers make a beeline for the Pinakothek der Moderne, the largest museum of art and design in Europe. Bringing together art, design and architecture under one roof in a sleek, cutting edge building, the collection covers the last century’s key artistic movements - from Cubism to Surrealism and beyond, as well as contemporary art and design.

You’ll need your sightseeing legs for this one. Slap bang in the centre of Munich is Germany’s largest city palace, the Residenz, the former royal home covering a trio of attractions - the Residenzmuseum, the Schatzkammer and the Cuvilliés-Theater. Allow a few hours to take it all in.

Lederhosen, beer and bonhomie characterize the world’s most alcoholic folk festival. Oktoberfest is quite a celebrity magnet, with the unlikeliest B-listers donning traditional attire to make their appearance before the cameras - Paris Hilton in a dirndl being one memorable example. The single most important thing to know about Oktoberfest is that it’s all over after the first Sunday in the month it’s named after. The Oktoberfest website has information on the individual tents and you can reserve your spot by contacting the one that takes your fancy. Without a reservation, you might still squeeze into one of the smaller, more intimate tents. Apart from Oktoberfest, the grounds of Theresienwiese are home to other events too, such as weddings and a winter festival ‘Winter Tollwood’.

This might be one of the most tiring things to do in Munich. However, the thigh burn from climbing the 306 steps of Munich’s oldest church is more than compensated by the great views from the observation tower at the top. Look across the patchwork of rooftops of the Aldstadt to the Alps in the distance.

Surfing...really? You don’t expect to see surfers riding waves in the middle of a city, so far from the ocean, yet there’s a section on the Eisbach stream where they’re doing just that. The wave is created as the water hits a bank of concrete which the surfers have to catch the moment they get in - otherwise it’s game over. You might be tempted to give it a go but it’s best left to those with appropriate gear and the know-how.

Want to part with some cash? Hit the smart boutiques and designer shops at Maximilianstrasse in the northern Altstadt for some retail therapy. In between all those shops, there are numerous cafés to sit in and take a pitstop.

A day’s sightseeing is done, you’re finishing up your evening meal - time for some music. If you’re wondering what to do in Munich once the sun goes down, make your way to one of the city’s excellent jazz joints. Unterfahrt and Mister B’s are our foot tapping venues of choice. If jazz is not your bag, then head for the more eclectic night scene near the Ostbahnhof in the shape of Kultfabrik and Optimolwerke and in the bars of the Gärtnerplatzviertel.