Bavarian royal palaces, Gothic cathedrals, art galleries, Oktoberfest, and the BMW Museum—what to see and do in Munich for first-time visitors. The name “Munich” comes from the German word Mönch (“monk”), as the city’s first settlers were monks who arrived in the 9th century from Lake Tegernsee and founded a monastery. This is why a monk became one of Munich’s symbols, and you’ll see his image on gates, towers, and building facades. Another symbol of the city is the “Munich Kindle,” often depicted as a small, playful figure with a little beer belly.
Today, the former monastery site is home to St. Peter’s Church (Kirche St. Peter), which has been rebuilt many times. Modest on the outside, it features a large apse and a Baroque interior. Services in several European languages are held here on weekends. Nearby is the city’s main square, Marienplatz. Old Munich was built in a ring, and Marienplatz became the city’s historic center. In medieval times, grain and fish were sold here, commemorated by the Fish Fountain, a popular meeting spot for locals. The column with the Virgin Mary was erected later, in the early 17th century, as it was believed that St. Mary had saved the city from war and plague. At the base of the column, four chubby putti battle a snake, basilisk, dragon, and lion, symbolizing the four evils of humanity—heresy, disease, famine, and war.
In Marienplatz, be sure to notice the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), a late 19th–early 20th century building adorned with sculptures of local princes and emperors. At 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM, the clock on the central tower chimes, and a puppet show begins on the balcony below, reenacting the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V and a knightly tournament. In the basement of the town hall is the famous Ratskeller München restaurant. Another highlight on Marienplatz is the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), a Gothic-style building with a wooden hall and tower housing a toy museum. The square also lies at the crossroads of routes used by monks 10 centuries ago to transport Alpine salt from Bad Reichenhall near Salzburg.
Of the ancient 11th-century city, nothing remains except for a lone tower near St. Peter’s Church. However, three 14th-century gates have survived—Sendlinger Gate (south of the square), Karlstor (west), and Isartor (toward the river in the east). Near Sendlinger Gate is the stunning Asam Church, built by two architect brothers originally for their private use. The church is Baroque and reminiscent of similar structures in southern Italy. If you walk from Marienplatz toward Tal Street (Tal), heading to Isartor, past All Saints Church and the picturesque Viktualienmarkt, you’ll find the legendary Hofbräuhaus (or simply HB). While some associate this place with Hitler, who founded the Nazi party here in the early 1920s, the brewery was actually established in the 16th century to produce dark beer (Dunkel Bier) for the Bavarian court. At that time, local monasteries only brewed unfiltered wheat beer (Weißbier).
From Marienplatz, lively Kaufingerstraße heads toward Karlstor, lined with affordable international brands. If you turn right onto Liebfrauenstraße, you’ll arrive at Frauenkirche, Munich’s main cathedral, with Gothic vaults and a mystical footprint said to have been left by the devil, who failed to destroy yet another of Munich’s holy sites. Continuing along Kaufingerstraße, you’ll find the Museum of Hunting and Fishing (Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum), formerly an Augustinian monastery known for brewing one of Munich’s most famous beers, Augustiner. Across the street is the brewery itself, now a well-known restaurant.
Just 50 meters from the Hunting Museum is St. Michael’s Church (Kirche St. Michael), whose interior resembles the famous Il Gesù Church in Rome. Inside are the graves of the “Fairy-tale King” Ludwig II and Eugene de Beauharnais, the son of Napoleon’s first wife Josephine. Behind the New Town Hall lies the secular heart of Munich, home to the old and new royal residences of the Bavarian kings (Alter Hof and Münchner Residenz), the National Theater(Nationaltheater München), and Odeonsplatz with its luxury boutiques on Maximilianstraße and Theatinerstraße.
Only the facade and the “Monkey Tower” of Alter Hof remain today. Legend has it that a monkey once climbed this tower, kidnapping the young heir to the throne. The building is decorated with medieval flags of the Wittelsbach dynasty and Heinrich the Lionheart, who founded the city in 1158 and gave Bavaria its second symbol—the lion.
The Münchner Residenz is now a vast museum with banquet halls, courtyards, and galleries. Highlights include the beautifully designed Cuvilliés Theatre by French architect François Cuvilliés, the Antiquarium hall where Bavarian princes kept their collection of antique sculptures, and the royal banquet hall overlooking the Cabinet Garden.
Odeonsplatz is sometimes called “Little Italy” not only because of the café Tambosi, named after an Italian servant of the emperor, or the Feldherrnhalle, modeled after the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, but also because of the Theatiner Church, built by Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria as a gift for his Italian wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy. Another gift from Ferdinand to his wife was the Nymphenburg Palace, a summer residence located just a 10-minute taxi ride from Odeonsplatz. In the 17th century, the journey would take an entire day, making it a popular destination for multi-day retreats and hunting trips. The palace’s park, with its pavilion-like mini-palaces, is particularly remarkable. The most famous pavilion is Amalienburg. On the way to the palace, you can stop by the Kunstareal museum district, home to Munich’s renowned Pinakothek galleries: the Old Pinakothek, featuring works by Rubens, Tintoretto, and Bruegel; the New Pinakothek, showcasing 18th and 19th-century art, including French Impressionists; and the Pinakothek der Moderne, which houses four museums in one: modern art, architecture, design, and graphic art.
Also worth visiting are the Egyptian Museum (Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst), the Brandhorst Museum with its collection of modern (mainly American) art, and the Lenbachhaus Villa Museum with works from the Blue Ridergroup and Vasily Kandinsky. A 15-minute walk from Odeonsplatz lies Königsplatz, built in the 1830s in honor of Greek King Otto I, son of Bavarian Emperor Ludwig I, the founder of the two Pinakotheks and Munich University. On either side of the square stand the Glyptothek, the Museum of Ancient Art (Staatliche Antikensammlungen), and two buildings constructed by Hitler: the Music Institute (formerly the Führer’s House) and the Haus der Kunst (formerly the Party House).
Behind the Haus der Kunst begins the expansive English Garden (Englischer Garten), the “lungs of the city,” with charming pavilions and famous beer gardens. The most popular is at the foot of the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm).
Things to Do in Munich
- Taste beer at Oktoberfest, originally held in honor of King Ludwig I’s wedding, though beer was not part of the original festivities, which featured horse races.
- Dine at Michelin-starred restaurants like Tantris (two stars), or lunch at Andechser am Dom.
- Visit the famous Deutsches Museum to see its collection of planes and ships.
- Attend an opera at Nationaltheater München, one of Europe’s top five opera houses, alongside Paris, Vienna, London, and Milan.
- Admire the city from the bell tower of St. Peter’s Church or Frauenkirche.
- Wander through Viktualienmarkt on a Saturday, grab a leberkässemmel (meatloaf sandwich), drink fresh juice or beer, and lose yourself in the crowd.
- Shop in Schwabing, behind the Triumphal Arch and the Academy of Fine Arts.
- Explore Ludwig II’s castles in Upper Bavaria, which are a major draw for many visitors to the Bavarian capital.
- Watch a Bayern Munich football match at the Allianz Arena, or visit the club’s museum.
- See cars at the BMW Museum and even sit in them at BMW Welt across from the museum.
