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Munich Hotels

What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Munich is Germany's second most popular destination behind Berlin with over 6 million visitors attracted here each year. As such, hotels in Munich can often be busy and you should really book your hotel room in advance of your visit.

Marienplatz , Munich's central square is an ideal starting point for shopping or exploring the city. Hotels near the Marienplatz are probably among the most expensive hotels in Munich but are usually of very good quality. Just off the Marienplatz you'll find the ever popular Hofbrauhaus. Here you can enjoy traditional German food and 'steins' of Beer served by maids in traditional Bavarian dress.

Further away from the centre of Munich towards the north lies the 'Englischer Garten' (English Garden) a very large and beautiful open green area. If the weather is fine then you could easily spend a whole day here, enjoying a walk round the gardens, cycling on rented bicycles or rowing on the pond. 

If you are interested in taking in a bit of culture then a visit to the Nationaltheater Munchen should be high on your list as it is home to the Bavarian State opera and Bavarian State ballet. Performances are held here regularly but to be certain of your seat booking in advance is recommended.

If you are in Munich in late September - early October then Oktoberfest is a must do. This 18 day long festival celebrates the traditional food and drink of Bavaria and takes place in Theresienwiese to the west of the city. Needless to say, due to the immense popularity of Oktoberfest, Munich hotels will be extremely busy and rooms should be secured well in advance. Later in the year Munich holds a Christmas market in the Marienplatz which is also very popular with tourists.

To find great deals on hundreds of Munich hotels, simply complete the short form on the left, telling us when you plan to visit, how many guests will be staying and your preferred start rating and hit search.

Overview

Overview

Munich is much more than beer, BMWs and oompah bands. The capital of Bavaria thrills visitors with medieval buildings, 18th-century parks and cutting-edge design. Behind Munich’s affluent, conservative vibe lurks a wilder, decadent side. Find it for yourself!

See

The giant, neo-gothic town hall, Neues Rathaus, on central square Marienplatz shares the Old Town skyline with the twin-domed medieval cathedral, the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Blessed Lady). Around the corner, the beer keeps flowing at the Hofbräuhaus, while the city’s three Pinakothek art galleries house works by artists including Botticelli, Matisse and Bacon. Munich is all about grand designs and simple pleasures.

Spend

Fashionistas will love the glut of designer stores on Munich’s elegant Maximilianstrasse and über-modern shopping arcade, Fünf Höfe. For boutique and vintage threads, head to the fashion-conscious districts of Schwabing and Gärtnerplatz – or hunt for bargains at the flea markets around Riem.

Get Out

You're never far from a park in Munich. The city's largest and most famous is the decorative English Garden, where many locals let it all hang out. To really get back to nature, take a short drive down to the snow-capped Bavarian Alps, home to Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitze.

Culture

Munich is home to the Bavarian State Opera, which regularly draws many of the world’s finest performers to the National Theatre. Besides the annual summer Opera Festival, Gärtnerplatztheater and Prinzregententheater also stage operetta performances. The city boasts three large orchestras: the Munich Philharmonic (at the Philharmonie Gasteig), the Bavarian Radio Symphony (at the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz) and the Bavarian State Orchestra (at the National Theatre), conducted by supremo Kent Nagano.

Eat & Drink

For haute cuisine, head to Tantris or Ederer. Try local speciality Weisswurst (veal sausage) with sweet mustard, washed down with a house-brewed beer at any of the city's beer gardens. For a meat-free alternative, head to top-drawer veggie restaurant, Prinz Myshkin , near the Sendlinger Tor town gates.

New Perspective

The Hofbräuhaus, near the Marienplatz central square, is the most famous brewery in Munich. But older and just as popular with the locals is the cavernous Augustiner Bräu on Landsbergerstrasse, overlooking the city centre. Try the spicy Dunkel (dark) beer, along with a generous portion of Landbrot (farmhouse bread) and cheese.

Prepare

Prepare

Bring comfy trainers, a German phrase book, a sense of adventure, and some aspirin for the morning after.

Munich Year

Dig out your fancy dress for Fasching Carnival in February or March. Take a rollercoaster ride at the Maidult celebrations in May. Drink beer, dance and think you can speak fluent German at the Oktoberfest in autumn. Go culture mad at the Long Night of Museums in October. Wrap up warm and buy cinnamon treats at the Christmas Market in November and December.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan), Epiphany (6 Jan), Good Friday (Mar/Apr), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), May Day (1 May), Ascension Day (May), Whit Monday (May/Jun), Corpus Christi (May/Jun), Assumption Day (15 Aug), German Unity Day (3 Oct), All Saints’ Day (1 Nov), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec).
Weather

July and August can be hot and humid (16°C-33°C), with locals escaping to shaded beer gardens to avoid the heat. The spring and autumn months are generally mild, with temperatures in the teens. Between December and February, the thermometer can drop well below zero (normally -7°C-+3°C), so this is the time to enjoy the snow in the Bavarian Alps.
Electricity

220V AC, 50 Hz, two-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+49 (national), (0) 89 + eight-figure number (Munich).
Money

Euro (€) is the currency.
GMT

GMT +1 (+2 in summertime).
Munich Tourist Info

Munich Tourism website

Fit In

Munich locals love their fashions and aren't afraid to show it. Expect plenty of bling and designer labels, as well as more outré designs in the streets around Gärtnerplatzviertel. Don't be alarmed to see the odd Münchner sporting a feathered hunting hat, long socks and Lederhosen. This is Bavaria after all.

Get Around

Get Around

Sandwiched between the winding River Isar and the green expanse of the English Garden, Munich is the perfect size to explore on foot or two wheels. Its different quarters boast many unexpected architectural delights and unusual boutiques, so don't be afraid to venture off the beaten track.

Manageably sized with very reliable transport links, Munich is an exceptionally easy city to explore.

Waltz off to many attractions on foot from the central square, Marienplatz. Take the tram, suburban train (S-Bahn) or underground (U-Bahn) north to reach the arty hub of Schwabing. Head west for the stylish Nymphenburg district, with its palace and botanical gardens. Travel south over the River Isar for Sendling, home of the Oktoberfest, and east for the smart neighbourhoods of Haidhausen and Bogenhausen.

Foot

The centre of Munich is compact and easily manageable on foot.
Bike

Munich is a very cycle-friendly city. Look out for the red-and-white "DB" bikes for hire. Simply call the number on the bike to release the bike lock. When you’re done cycling, you can leave it at any of the bike racks around the city. Signposted bike routes start from the central Marienplatz square.
U-Bahn (underground) / S-Bahn (suburban railway)

Munich’s underground network – comprising six U-Bahn and ten S-Bahn lines – is fast, convenient and inexpensive. Zones 1 covers Munich, while all-zone tickets will take you all the way to the airport. Stamp your ticket in one of the blue Entwerter machines before going down to the platform, unless you have a Tageskarte (day travelcard) or City TourCard.

Tram

Munich's eleven Strassenbahn (tram) routes go straight to many of the city’s main attractions.

Bus

Munich's bendy buses are quick and easy to navigate.
Taxi

Unless you are out after midnight, public transport is the best way to travel around Munich. The city's licensed taxis (typically beige Mercedes) are easy to spot, but generally quite expensive.
Transport Tips

The Munich City TourCard, valid for one or three days, is a convenient way to use all forms of public transport within the city limits. The ticket also entitles you to reductions on many city attractions. Buy your ticket at vending machines in suburban railway (S-Bahn), underground (U-Bahn), tram and bus stations and, as with the U-Bahn and S-Bahn, get it stamped in one of the Entwerter machines on board. Driving in the home of BMW is stress-free, but parking can be a challenge.

Time Travel

Travel back to 14th-century Bavaria beneath the red-roofed medieval town gates of the Isartor. Discover Hitler's favourite marching ground at the Greco-Roman-style Königsplatz – today used as a venue for pop concerts. Wander through the Olympic Park, the site of the infamous 1972 Olympic Games massacre, documented in the movie Munich .

Munich Transport Link

MVV (Munich Transport Association) website

Highlights

Highlights

Munich’s central square boasts Gothic spires, a glockenspiel and giant beer halls – but there are plenty more treasures just around the corner.

Head to main square Marienplatz in the city centre to see the imposing towers of the Neues Rathaus town hall and Frauenkirche cathedral. For more architectural inspiration, take a short stroll to the nearby Peterskirche church, before checking out the Kunstareal museum quarter, home to the classical and modern collections of the three Pinakothek art galleries.

Take the U-Bahn (underground) to trendy Schwabing to find Munich's largest park. Twice the size of NYC's Central Park, the English Garden has four separate beer gardens, numerous bike trails, a naturist area and a giant Chinese pagoda.

Sightseeing Tips

Hit the museums on Sundays, when many of the large galleries are free or nearly free. All three Pinakothek art galleries charge only a minimal amount on the day of rest. In October, prepare for the Lange Nacht der Museen (the long night of museums) when around 90 museums in the city open their doors to the public from about 7pm until 2am.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.