Hostelworld Guide for Munich

The Essentials

Nobody likes to harp on about the stereotypes attached to a city when describing it, but it's hard not to
when talking about Munich. The Bavarian capital is birthplace of the beer hall where men and women
decked in lederhosen line larger than life beers in front of thirsty tourists to the sound of traditional
oompah bands. But there is a lot more to the city than that. Munich gets increasingly cosmopolitan every
year and it has one of the best selections of museums in Germany. This is why it now rivals Berlin as the
most popular city in Germany with travellers.

Getting There
By plane: Munich International Airport is just under
30km northeast of the city centre. It is connected to
the city centre via the S1 and S8 train. The journey
takes 40 minutes approximately.
By train: Hauptbahnhof in the city centre is the
city's main train hub and where all international
trains terminate.
By bus: The majority of long-distance buses
terminate at Hauptbahnhof also.

In this Guide...
Useful Information
After Dark
Places to Eat
Top Attractions
Budget Tips
Where to Shop

Getting Around
On foot: Using Marienplatz as your focal point,
covering Munich's city centre on foot is easily
achievable.
By U-Bahn/S-Bahn: Thanks to this integrated
underground/suburban rail network, getting around
Munich couldn't be easier. A single journey costs
2.20 (same as on all modes of transport).
By bus/tram: As efficient as the U-bahn service is,
trains don't cover all parts of the city. Conveniently,
trams/buses serve most places that trains don't.
Trams in particular are also a good way of seeing
the city.

Useful phrases
Hello: Hallo
Goodbye: Tschss
Please: Bitte
Thank you: Vielen Dank
You're welcome: Gern geschehen
Yes: Ja
No: Nein
Of course: Natrlich
Excuse me: Entschuldigung
How are you?: Wie geht es dir?
Open: Geffnet
Closed: Geschlossen
What is your name?: Wie heisst du?
My name is...: Ich heisse...
How much?: Wie teuer ist es?
May I have the bill?: MKann ich die rechnung
haben?
Hostelworld Guide for Munich

Climate
Due to Munich's inland location, it experiences a
continental climate with warm summers and cold
winters. If your visit happens to be in winter make
sure to pack your winter woollies as it can get very
cold in the Bavarian capital between November and
January. February is still quite cold with the average
temperature being below OC. Between April and
October are the best months to visit as this is when
Munich is at its warmest. Just as in any city, the
busier months are between June and August, and
then again in October due to Oktoberfest. Due to a
phenomenon known as Fhn , it can be extremely
warm in this month.

Useful Information
Language: German
Electricity: 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz
Area Code: +49 (Germany) 089 (Munich)
Emergency Codes: Ambulance 112 / Fire 112 /
Police 110
Time Zone: Central European Time (GMT +1)
Central Post Office: Bahnhofplatz 1 (opposite
Hauptbahnhof Station)
Main Tourist Office: There are two Bahnhofsplatz 2 (at the train station) and
Marienplatz in the New Town Hall

Embassies / Consulates
USA: +49 (0)89 28 880
UK: +49 (0)89 211 090
Canada: +49 (0)89 2199 5700
Australia: +49 (0)30 880 0880 (Embassy in Berlin)
South Africa: +49 (0)89 231 1630
Ireland: +49 (0)89 2080 5990
Spain: +49 (0)89 998 4790
Italy: +49 (0)89 418 0030
New Zealand: +49 (0)30 206 210 (Embassy in
Berlin)
France: +49 (0)89 419 4110

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Cheap Eats
Tizian, Maxburgstrasse 4 Tizian is a quaint Italian
caf/restaurant which deals in good pasta and
better pizzas. During the summer there is a terrace
out back where you can sit near a fountain, while on
Friday and Saturday nights there is a good
atmosphere as a DJ spins tunes. Open Mon-Fri
9am-1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 10am-6pm.
Friesiche Teestube, Pndterplatz 2 Friesiche
Teestube is the perfect pit-stop for a quick lunch in
the afternoon in Munich. Choose a dish from the
varied lunch menu or, if you simply need a break
from the sightseeing, enjoy a cake with a cup of tea
- there are over 150 different flavours to choose
from. Open daily from 10am-11pm.
Il Soprano, Kochelseestrasse 8 While it can get
very busy in this small Italian restaurant, the food is
top notch and the reasonable prices lure people in
all day. Along with all the pasta on offer, this
restaurant is also renowned for it's fish dishes.
Open daily from 10am-10pm.

Viktualienmarkt
Founded by the first King of Bavaria back in
1807, Viktualienmarkt is one of Munich's
number one attractions. It is also a great place
for lunch on the run. All around this colourful
market are outlets dealing in fruit and
vegetables, but most sell traditional Bavarian
fare. A 'leberkassemmel' (bread roll with with
liver sausage) washed down with a cool beer in
the beer garden will keep you going for hours.
Open Mon-Fri from 10am-6pm, Saturday from
10am-3pm.
Zum Drnbru, Durnbrugasse 2 Munich is
awash with restaurants dealing in typical Bavarian
specialities, although all too many are quite
commercialised. This one in the city centre is still a
favourite among locals and you'll definitely find
something on the menu for less than 10. Worth
checking out. Open daily from 9am-midnight.

After Dark
New Munich Pub Crawl If you want to see some of
Munich's best known bars and clubs, and want to
party well into the night at the same time, embark
on this pub crawl. The 'New Munich Pub Crawl'
goes every night at 8pm and can booked at
www.hostelworld.com/tours.
Augustiner Brustuben, Landsbergerstrasse 19
The German beer hall is a wonderful thing. The only
problem is that every tourist who goes to Munich
agrees with me on this. This beer hall just four tram
stops from Hauptbahnhof is an authentic beer hall
and well worth the three-minute journey. Open daily
from 10am-midnight.

Gay / Lesbian Munich

While the gay scene in Munich isn't as evident
as in other German cities such as, let's say,
Berlin, there are still more than a handful of gay
clubs and nights in the Bavarian capital.
Carmen's Lounge (Theklastrasse 1) is one of
the city's most popular gay bars, attracting
people from all walks of life. New York
(Sonnenstrasse 25) is another popular
disco-bar, while Ochsengarten (Mllerstrasse
47) is where the leather-fetish hounds go.
Kunstpark OST Ever imagined what it would be
like if all the main nightclubs in your town were in
the same place? Some Bavarians did, and then
made their thoughts a reality and created Kunstpark
OST! Some of the venues here are a bit cheesy,
but with so many bars and clubs on offer, it's a good
place to head for after dark.
Kilian's Irish Pub, Frauenplatz 11 Every city has
its token Irish bar and Munich is no different.
Located just minutes from Marienplatz, here you'll
be treated to live music on most nights while it's
also a good place for food. Open daily from
11am-late.
Hofbruhaus, Platzl 9 The Hofbruhaus is
somewhere you can't avoid. It is just as much a
tourist attraction as it is a beer hall. You won't meet
any Bavarians here, and there isn't anything
extremely authentic about it, but the beer is good
and the oompah bands that play there create a
jovial atmosphere. Open daily from 9am-midnight.
The Twisted Bavarian, Tengstrasse 20 This pub,
owned by a Bavarian and a Texan, is one of the
newest in Munich and is quickly becoming one of
the most popular. Open daily from 5pm-1am, Fri &
Sat 5pm-3am and Sun 11am-1am.

Hostelworld Guide for Munich

Don't Miss
Frauenkirche, Frauenplatz 1 Dating back to the
15th century, the Frauenkirche is the Bavarian
capital's most instantly recognisable building thanks
to its onion-domed towers. While much of the
church was destroyed during World War II,
thankfully its towers remained unscathed. Open
7am-6pm/7pm/8.30pm; admission to towers 3.
Marienplatz The focal point for any traveller who
visits Munich, Marienplatz is the city's main square.
Dominated by the New Town Hall, this
pedestrianised square dates back to the 12th
century and was originally known as
Schrannenmarkt. Today it is where the
'Glockenspiel' takes place daily (see 'Budget Tips').
Munich Residence, Residenzstrasse 1 This
building is one of the most ornate in the whole of
Germany as it was the political and cultural centre
of first the Dukes, then the Electors, and finally the
Kings of Bavaria. Over the centuries the various
rulers furnished the rooms to their personal tastes
and today they can be viewed by the public. Open
daily from 9am-6pm (summer), 10am-5pm (winter) ;
admission 6 (residence or treasury).

Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum, Museumsinsel 1
Science freaks will love this huge museum
which is one of the largest science and
technology museums in the world. Exhibits here
explain everything from how glass is recycled to
how paper is made to how we use water. Visit
this museum and you will undoubtedly leave a
more knowledgeable human being. Open daily
from 9am-5pm; admission 8.50.
Englischer Garten During the summer months
there is nowhere better to chill out for a few hours in
Munich than in the English Gardens, the largest
urban park in Germany. Covering 3.73 kilometres, it
has its own beer garden, and even its own waterfall.

Mark Your Calendar

January - FIS Snowboarding World Cup Thanks
to the help of some artificial snow, a mountain
perfect for snowboarding is created out in Munich's
Olympic Park for this annual competition.
February/March - Strong Beer Season As the rest
of the world gives up things every Lent, Bavarians
go to various breweries around the city to enjoy
Starkbier, the strongest beer there is!
April - Frhlingsfest Munich's annual Spring
Festival sees a fairground and numerous beer tents
take over Theresienwiese.
May - Theatron Pentecost Festival Music fans will
love this 3-day event which is held in the Olympic
Park. Also a free event, it showcases the best up
and coming bands in the area.
June/July - Summer Tollwood Festival Since it
began back in 1987, this annual event is now one of
the most popular summer festivals in Munich. Rock,
jazz, and pop artists entertain thousands, while
plays staged attract theatre buffs.
July - Christopher Street Day This annual event is
Munich's annual Gay Pride Festival and is one of
the biggest in Germany. Over 50,000 pour on to the
streets and the highlight is an outlandish parade.
August - Isarlust Summer Festival Staged
towards the end of August each year, the free
Isarlust Summer Festival sees an extravaganza of
music and entertainment attract thousands.
September/October - Oktoberfest Beginning in
the second last week in September and ending on
the first Sunday in October, Oktoberfest is the
biggest public festival in the world. Each year 6
million people consume over 5 million litres of beer!
October - Long Night of Museums For one night
only every October over 70 museums in the
Bavarian capital stay open until 2am. Visitors can
buy one ticket costing 15 which gives them access
to all participating museums for the day.
November/December - Winter Tollowood
Festival Once again Theresienwiese is the location
for Tollwood's winter festival, and once again beer
tents attract thousands.
December - Christkindlmarkt Germany is famous
for its Christmas markets and Marienplatz is where
Munich's main market is every Christmas.

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Get Connected
easyInternetcaf, Bahnhofplatz 1 Located across
the road from Hauptbahnhof, this was
easyInternetcaf's 1st store to open in Germany.
With over 430 PCs to choose from you'll never have
trouble finding a free terminal. Open 24 hours daily;
2 per hour, minimum purchase 80c.

Munich Internet Service Center, Tal 31 MISC

offers 100 workstations with speedy internet access
in the city centre. Along with the facility to log on to
the web, this cybercaf is also a call centre offering
cheap phone calls overseas. Open 24 hours; 1 for
30 minutes, 2 per hour.
Times Square, Bayerstrasse 10a This internet
caf not far from the train station has a nice
atmosphere as it is doubles up as a bar/restaurant.
There's usually nice tunes in the background so
even if it's empty you'll enjoy checking your mail.
Open daily from 7.30am-1am; 6 per hour.
Internet Caf, Altheimer Eck 12 There are around
a dozen terminals to choose from in this internet
caf which doubles up as an Italian restaurant
making it a good place for lunch also. Open daily
from 11am-1am; 6 per hour.
Cyberice-C@f, Feilitzschstrasse 15 In this
internet caf in Munich's Schwabing district you can
enjoy soups, sandwiches and salads as you surf
the internet or send mails home. They also do a
good selection of coffees. Open daily from
10am-1am; 5 per hour.

www.
www.muenchen.de
www.toytownmunich.com
www.oktoberfest.de
www.deutsches-museum

Hostelworld Guide for Munich

Retail Therapy
Kaufingerstrasse This wide, pedestrianised
boulevard between Karlsplatz and Marienplatz is
one of Europe's premier shopping streets and has
been since the 1970s. Each side of this 'golden
mile' has shops dealing in clothes, music and more.
Galeria Kaufhof, Kaufingerstrasse 1-5 Galeria
Kaufhof have four department stores in various
locations around the Bavarian capital, but this one
just minutes from Marienplatz is the most central.
Inside you can find pretty much anything you want
with departments for food, jewellery, homeware,
clothes and more. Open Mon-Sat 9am-8pm.

Munich's markets
Most of Munich's markets are held on
weekends. Fussgngerflohmarkt (Leonrodstr.
19) is held on the second Saturday of every
month, Optimolwerke flea market (Friedenstr.
10) is on more regularly, open every Thurs-Sun,
while Elisabethmarkt in Schwabinger is the
district's answer to Viktualienmarkt.
Schwabing District While tourists and people with
a lot of money to burn inflict damage to their credit
cards on Kaufingerstrasse, students go shopping
for cooler gear in this district just north of the city
centre. This is where you will find second-hand
shops, quirky jewellery stores and more.
Sendlingerstrasse If you want to try some
family-run shops in hope of finding cheaper prices,
you should try this street which stems from
Marienplatz. This is also where you will discover the
more unusual type of gift shop.
OEZ, Hanauerstrasse 68 Located on the outskirts
of the city, the Olympia Einkaufszentrum (the
Olympic Shopping Centre) covers an area of
47,000 square meters, has 110 shops and two
department stores. Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm.

Budget Tips
Visit a museum for free Most museums in Munich
impose an admssion fee, but those owned by the
city of Munich are free every Sunday. This includes
the Glyptothek with its collections of Greek and
Roman Antiquities and the Mnchner Stadtmuseum
(Municipal Museum) which offers an insight into the
city's history and the daily lives of its people.

A Day in Munich...
Start the day the same way typical Bavarians do
with a Weisswurst, a white veal sausage served in
a roll with mustard.
Make Marienplatz your first port of call for the day.
Damaged badly in WW2, it has been restored to its
former glory and is the jewel in Munich's old town.

Little amuses the innocent

Catch the 'Glockenspiel' at the Rathaus (New Town

Hall) in Marienplatz. Afterwards spend the rest of
the morning checking out the Old Town's churches.

Every day at 11am and 12 noon hundreds

gather in Munich's illustrious Marienplatz and
gaze at the New Town Hall to catch the
'Glockenspiel', a 15 minute show where 32
life-sized figures perform the traditional
'Cooper's Dance'. After five minutes you'll
wonder what all the fuss is about, but it's nice to
catch it if you're in the vicinity at the time.

Go to Viktualienmarkt. Get yourself a

Leberkssemme, a spicey meatloaf served in thick
slabs.

Save money on transport If you're travelling in a

group of 5, don't pay for single journeys separately.
Instead buy a 'partnerticket'. Costing 8, they are
valid for the day and by using them you'll save a lot
of money.
Visit the Old Town's churches Some of Munich
city centre's most beautiful buildings are its
churches. This includes Peterskirche, the oldest
parish church in Munich and with an interior
dripping with gold, Michaelskirche where you'll find
the world's second largest barrel-vaulted roof, and
Theatinerkirche, one of the city's Baroque churches.
Check out the Olympic Village In 1996 the
International Olympic Committee decided that
Munich was to hold the 1972 Olympic Games. As a
result, Olympic Park was built. It costs money to
visit the main stadium and other attractions, but to
walk around the grounds is totally free.

After lunch, visit the Residence Museum, a building

inseparable from that of Bavaria's ruling dynasty.
Just ten minutes walk from the Residence are the
English Gardens. This is the largest urban park in
Germany and a great place to chill out for a few
hours.

Making your way back towards Marienplatz, visit

Hofbrahaus, Bavaria's most famous beer hall.
There's nothing particularly authentic about it, but
it's still worth a visit.
Get tram #18 or 19 from Hauptbahnhof and get off
at the 4th stop. Go to Augustiner Brustuben, a
proper beer hall located on Landsbergerstrasse. It
does great food also.
Get a train from nearby Hackerbrcke train station
to Ostbahnhof, just five minutes from Kunstpark
OST. Finish off the night in one of the complex's
bars or clubs!

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