10 ESSENTIAL PLACES TO VISIT IN MUNICH

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There are many places to visit in Munich, the capital of the beautiful area of Bavaria and one of the cities you have to see in Germany. Its most prominent place is the historic center, which revolves around the Marienplatz and its emblematic New Town Hall, places that you cannot miss, although you can not stop relaxing in its parks, entering its churches, visiting its museums, or having a great mug of beer in one of its many breweries.
Although Munich is a city that can be visited on a weekend, if you have more time you can rent a car and make a route through the Bavarian area. Another good option is to make day trips from Munich, such as the impressive Neuschwanstein Castle or the breathtaking Dachau concentration camp, two of the best excursions in Munich.
Based on the time we spent in the city on our trip to Bavaria in 4 days, we have made a list of what we consider to be the 10 essential places to visit in Munich. We start!

1. Marienplatz and New Town Hall

Marienplatz is the heart of Munich and its historic center, where you can see some of the city's most important historical buildings. The Neues Rathaus or New Town Hall, in a neo-gothic style, is the most emblematic building of Marienplatz and stands out for its high tower from which you get magnificent views of the city. Here you must keep in mind that every day at 11, 12 and 17, it is interesting to see the carillon, on the clock of the New Town Hall, in the mechanical figures that recreate scenes from the history of Munich.
Also in the center of the square is the great Column of Santa Maria of 1638 and aside the Fountain of Fischbrunnen, which you can not miss.
A good time to visit the city and Marienplatz is at Christmas time when a spectacular Christmas market with hundreds of wooden shops with food and Christmas items is set up.
A great option if it is your first visit to the city is to book a guided tour in Spanish for the main attractions of the city or this Free tour of Munich Free!
Visiting hours of the New Town Hall: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Visiting hours of the Old Town Hall: Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturdays closed.

New Town Hall on the Marienplatz

2. Viktualienmarkt

Near Marienplatz and inside the old town you will find Viktualienmarkt, the most famous market and one of the places to see in Munich. In this great outdoor food market, with more than 100 stalls, you can find everything from flowers, meat, dairy products, honey, fish, fruits, cheeses, vegetables, among other products.
A good option is to buy some food at one of its stalls and take it to Biergarten, a typical terrace in this area, where you can have a large jug of fresh beer. And if you are still hungry you can always approach Schrannenhalle, a beautiful market covered with about 30 gourmet stalls.
Market hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday closed. The posts close about two hours before.

Viktualienmarkt

3. Hofbräuhaus Brewery

With almost five centuries of history since its origins as a brewery, the Hofbräuhaus brewery has become one of the most essential places to visit in Munich. Located in the historic center, it has its black stage when Hitler began to give his speeches there to form the Nazi party.
In World War II it was destroyed and later rebuilt, becoming a place with a great atmosphere to eat some typical Bavarian dish with a beer mug.
The brewery is huge although in the days of Oktoberfest, between the end of September and the beginning of October, it is very difficult to get a seat, so we recommend that if you are here on these dates, come well in advance if you want to enter.
If you are interested in the time of Nazism, a good option to understand the history and origins of this tragic stage for humanity is with this guided tour of the Munich of the Third Reich with a guide in Spanish.
Visiting hours: every day from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Hofbrauhaus Brewery

Recommended travel cards
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

4. Englischer Garten

The Englischer Garten or English garden, located just under 1 kilometer from the old town, is our favorite park in Munich. In this huge urban park that owes its name to what was designed as the typical English gardens, you can find, as a curiosity, people surfing in a part of the Eisbach river.
Walking through the park, in autumn and spring it is beautiful, in addition to enjoying the lakes, forests and sculptures, you can see a Japanese Tea House or a Chinese Tower. It is also a perfect place to take your food and have a picnic in one of its two biergartens.
Other worthwhile Munich parks are Italian-style Hofgarten and Olympiapark, in the area where the Olympic Games were held.

Englischer Garten

5. Residenz, one of the places to visit in Munich

Residenz or Royal Palace, was the official residence of the Bavarian monarchy from the 16th to the 20th century. Today, this huge palace turned into a museum, impresses with its architecture and the rooms decorated with beautiful tapestries. Among the rooms that you can not miss include the Cuvilliés Theater, the Antiquarium and the Treasury.
A good option to learn more about the history of the palace and not miss anything is to book this guided tour in Spanish.
Visiting hours: it depends on the time of the year, you can check it on their official website.

Residenz, one of the places to visit in Munich

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Munich in Spanish
- Guided tour of Munich
- Walk through the Munich of the Third Reich
- Excursion to Neuschwanstein Castle
- Excursion to the Dachau Concentration Camp
- Excursion to Salzburg
- Many more excursions and tours in / from Munich here

6. St. Peter's Church

The Church of San Pedro is another one of the important places to visit in Munich, especially for its incredible views of Marienplatz with Munich in the background from its tower. The Renaissance-style church and known by the name of Old Pedro, is the oldest building in the city. We recommend you not to miss its interior in which is the figure of St. Peter on the main altar and the relic in the form of a skeleton covered with gold and precious stones of Santa Munditia.
Another of the churches that you can not miss is the Cathedral of Our Lady, built in red brick and one of the largest Gothic buildings in Germany.
Visiting hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays open at 10:00.

Views from the Church of San Pedro

7. Wall doors

Three of the four access doors of the wall surrounding Munich in medieval times are still standing: the door of Isartor, that of Karlstor and that of Sendlinger Tor. Isar's door, located in the Isartorplatz, is the most important since although it was restored it is the only one that retains its main tower and original frescoes. The Karlstor gate, located on the Karlsplatz, changed its former name of Neuhauser Tor to honor Prince Charles Theodore who was in charge of tearing down the wall to expand Munich in the 18th century. Finally there is the Sendlinger Tor, the oldest in Munich.

Karlstor Gate

8. Odeonsplatz

In the north of the old quarter is Odeonsplatz, the most beautiful square, next to Marienplatz, and one of the essential places to visit in Munich. The square is surrounded by large Italian-style buildings and Hofgarten, a beautiful garden to relax and disconnect from the city.
In the southern part of the square is Feldherrnhalle, a monument in honor of the Bavarian army, inspired by the magnificent Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. To the west you can see the Teatinos Church that stands out for its imposing Rococo-style facade and copper dome.

Odeonsplatz

Our recommended hotel in Munich
The Hotel Eder, located 5 minutes from the historic center and the train station, has spacious, clean rooms with all amenities. The breakfast is very complete and of quality. It also has free Wi-Fi throughout the establishment and 24-hour reception.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods you can consult this post of where to stay in Munich.

9. BMW Museum

In our trip to Munich we took the opportunity to visit the BMW Museum, and although we are not big motor enthusiasts, we have to say that we loved it. The museum shows the evolution of one of the most prestigious brands in the world, from its beginnings to the latest prototypes, which at least is interesting.
In the tire-shaped building you will find motorcycles, race cars, vintage cars, engines and all kinds of items related to the brand.
In addition to the museum, it is worth visiting the BMW Welt, a huge dealership and the BMW Factory, where you can see the process of building their vehicles.
You should keep in mind that the BMW complex is a bit far from the center, so the best option to get there is metro stopping at the Olympiazentrum station.
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

BMW Museum

10. Nymphenburg Palace

Nymphenburg Palace is a huge complex of Baroque-style buildings that were the former summer residence of the Bavarian royal family. The interior of this huge palace is splendidly preserved from its period of greatest splendor and you can see from frescoes to rooms with all its antique furniture and even a ballroom. The palace also has an English garden with several interesting pavilions to see such as Pagodenburg, Badenburg, Magdalenenklause, Amalienburg and the Neoplassic Monopteros temple.