MUSEUMS
Glyptothek
One of the impressive neo-classical buildings of Königsplatz is the Glyptothek. This beautiful building claims to be the only museum in the world dedicated solely to ancient sculpture. Rather than hiding its exhibits away behind glass, you’re free to wander amongst them, and get up close with the past. Far from being a stuffy traditional museum, it feels like an art gallery and prides itself on interesting modern twists – they currently have modern replicas of key statues carved from wood with a chainsaw.
Museum Brandhorst
Museum Brandhorst only opened its doors in 2009, but has already become an established part of the Munich art museum trail. Rather than packing the hyper-modern building full of exhibits, the museum has wide open galleries and vast white walls. Its permanent exhibitions include works by modern art icons such as Damien Hirst, Joseph Beuys, and Andy Warhol, including his “Marilyn” portrait.
Deutsches Museum
Munich’s most famous museum also claims the title of the largest science and technology museum in the world. Each year, 1.5 million people come to discover its 28,000 exhibited objects on everything from amateur radio to nanotechnology. Though you can’t always count on English translations for many of the displays and captions, most exhibitions have strong visual elements, and there’s a host of interactive presentations such as the lightening show and stereotypical wacky scientists with foaming test tubes. Accept that you’ll only be able to cover a fraction of it, and decide which of the 35 sections you’d like to see before you visit.
The Museum of Five Continents
This grand museum on Maximilianstraße was Germany’s first ethnology museum. Its collection of over 200,000 objects is spread over a daunting 4,500 square meters (48,438 square feet), and includes the world’s oldest kayak and a great collection of Buddhist statues. To make it a bit easier to navigate, it’s divided by geography and even plays the music of that region softly in the background. The Asia sections are particularly popular with visitors.
State Collection of Egyptian Art
Despite covering over 5,000 years with its collection, this museum prides itself on presenting its ancient relics in an easily digestible way – quality over quantity. The building is worth seeing in itself; set below ground with bare concrete walls, large halls, and even custom neon lights, it manages to be modern and interesting, yet match its contents perfectly. If your German is good, you can go along to one of their regular lecture on ancient Egyptian culture. If not, do not fret, the museum also provides tours in English on their multimedia guide.
Kartoffel museum
Must-see might be a strong statement for this shrine to an everyday carbohydrate, but the potato museum definitely takes the prize for Munich’s most random museum! Spread over eight rooms, it includes strange potato statues, a specialist potato library for scientists, and an Andy-Warhol-esque visual tribute to this humble vegetable. In 2006, the museum expanded to cover Pfanni who had a monopoly on Munich’s potato production in the 60s.
NS-Dokumentationszentrum
This museum is a reminder of a past that Munich all too often tries to sweep under the carpet. More than a collection of Nazi documents, it focuses on the history of anti-semitism, racism, and other forms of racial prejudice. Its blank white walls and hushed library-like atmosphere mirror the seriousness of its content. It’s almost entirely text-based exhibits to the extent that reading stools are provided to save your legs – make sure you take one, you’re bound to spend longer here than you intended.
Pinakothek
Not technically one museum, the Pinakothek family of art museums includes three sites divided by the type and time of the artwork. At 127 m (147 ft) long, the “Alte” Pinakothek was the largest gallery in Europe when it was built in the 19th century; it contains work from the fourteenth century, including Rembrandt’s self-portrait. The “Neue” Pinakothek has the slogan “from Goya to Picasso” and is a 450-strong collection of 19th-century artwork. Finally, the “Modern” Pinakothek brings together four collections of art, architecture, and design all under one roof. Whether you prefer the classics or something more abstract, there’s a Pinakothek for you.
PARKS
Englischer Garten
For over 225 years the Englische Garten has been providing the people of Munich with an oasis of tranquillity. For a relaxing afternoon in Munich, head to the Englische Garten (English Garden), one of the world’s largest urban public parks. Whether you prefer cycling, jogging, roller-blading or walking, the park has over 78 kilometres of paths that make the Englische Garten ideal for sporting activities of all kinds. Covering a total of 3.7 km2 the Englische Garten is larger even than Central Park in New York.
Olympic Park
After having been built for the 1972 Olympic Games, the park now boasts an indoor pool, ice skating center and the Olympiahalle concert hall for visitors to enjoy. Additionally, the park is also home to the soaring, mighty Olympic Tower – one of Munich’s most impressive landmarks, offering majestic panoramic views of Munich and its surroundings. The park also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including music concerts and exhibitions, so there’s sure to be something to catch your eye. The park is just a short drive away from the hotel, and you can even arrange a guided tour.
Westpark
Westpark, located in Sendling, is one of the not so widely known but still highly recommendable parks that provides a lot of attractions. It was built in 1983 for the International Garden Exhibition and has been a local refuge for Munich’s citizens living in the south-western part of the Bavarian capital ever since.
The hilly landscape with various lakes and ponds as well as tree-lined promenades are ideal for a calm stroll or a brisk walk. There are also a variety of gardens including an enchanting rose garden, a nice collection of alpine plants and trees, and finally a typical Japanese garden.
Hofgarten
Only a short stroll away from the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski is the picturesque Hofgarten. Surrounded by Munich’s Residence, the Bavarian State Chancellery, and the Odeonsplatz, the baroque square designed in an Italian style is one of the most beautiful gardens within the city’s boundaries. Munich’s citizens love to spend their lunch breaks here and, in the evenings, it is a popular spot for tourists to relax after a long day of sightseeing – an idyllic oasis in the heart of Munich.
MARKETS
Kripperlmarkt am Rindermarkt
We couldn’t avoid starting an article on Munich’s markets with a Christmas market, for obvious reasons. Kripperlmarkt is not the largest or the most-crowded Christmas market in the city, and perhaps that’s the reason why we mention it. This gorgeous little market is located in the city’s center. Here you’ll find various food and drinks stalls serving a wide range of delicacies and interesting drinks, like ‘Feuerzangenbowle’ and ‘Gluhbier‘. Authentic Bavarian Christmas atmosphere, sensational smells and tastes.
Flohmarkt Daglfing
This flea and antique market is located on Rennbahnstrasse, next to the horse racing track. Open on a regular basis (check out the market’s website for further details), Flohmarkt Daglfing is the place where you will find clothes, pieces of classic furniture, rare pickups and other collectibles. After buying various treasures in the flea market, the nearby panoramic restaurant will provide you with the necessary rest and relaxation, as well as a great view of the horse racing track.
Viktualienmarkt
The famous Viktualienmarkt, with a history that is centuries old, is an endless daily food market in the heart of the city. Open during official opening times, the market’s benches are full of flowers, fruits, fish, juices, spices, meats, wines, tea collections and more.
Flohmarkt Olympiapark
This flea market is open every Friday and Saturday from 9am until 4pm, and it is located in the Spiridon-Louis-Ring. It hosts about 500 stalls, and even though it is not the largest flea market in the city it is considered among the best. You can combine your visit here with a visit to the nearby Olympia-Shopping Center. The whole concept is organized by the Bavarian Red Cross, which means that you have an extra reason to come by, as the proceeds from the rent paid by the sellers are used for charity reasons.
Riesen-Flohmarkt Theresienwiese
The biggest flea market in Munich is organized once every year, on the first Saturday of the Spring Festival, and is located on Theresienwiese, as you can tell by its name. Within the framework of this gigantic event, more than 2,000 retailers and 80,000 visitors are given the opportunity to meet with each other. Clothing, furniture, gadgets, antiques, militaria and so much more are here to please every taste and every budget.
