The Kleinhesseloher Lake in the Englischer Garten taken from above with a drone

Parks and gardens

Endless Shades of Green

Munich is big. Munich is alive. And Munich is green. Parks, gardens and the Isar River offer the perfect balance to city bustle, sightseeing and shopping. The city can look back on a long tradition of historical gardens. The park of Nymphenburg Palace was established already in the 17th century and the English Garden in the 18th century. Today the locals and their guests can enjoy their time out in public parks extending over roughly 5,680 acres.

Nymphenburg Palace: Munich's Royal Park

You can feel like a princess or a prince while strolling through the park of Nymphenburg Castle. Small splendid buildings such as the Amalienburg, Badenburg or Pagodenburg are waiting to be discovered in the gardens of the 18th century. Basins, fountains, lakes and ponds, bridges, small saletta, cabinet and ornamental gardens are ideal for sparking the imagination of walkers. You want another baroque garden? Schleißheim's Park Palace with its historic canals, fountains and boskets takes visitors back in time to the courtly past.

 

English Garden: Munich's largest park

The English Garden with its four square kilometres of green space is said to be even larger than Central Park in New York. In any case, it offers enough space for sports and relaxation. Quietly and idyllically, the northern part invites those seeking relaxation to relax on the spacious meadows. The true connoisseurs stretch their hammock between two trees and let legs and soul dangle. In the southern part of the city there is a lively atmosphere, for example at the Eisbach, where the river surfers ride on a standing wave, at the meadow below the Monopteros, where slackliners, ice cream vendors and bongo players romp about or in the beer garden at the Chinese Tower, where you can enjoy a snack, beer and limo.

Hofgarten: Munich's most central park

Right next to the Residenz, the city palace of the Wittelsbach family, the Hofgarten invites you to let the sun shine on your nose. The crunching of the pebbles on the paths, the soft clack of boules and the tango sounds, to which couples dance in the Hofgarten Pavilion, also contribute to the carefree atmosphere. There is no better place to relax in the city centre than in this courtly Renaissance garden.

 

Botanical Garden: Munich's most diverse park

The renowned historic botanical garden with its 14,000 plant species is located to the north of Nymphenburg Castle Park. Especially in winter the greenhouses with tropical temperatures, exotic plants and tropical butterflies let you forget rain, cold and slush.

Video: Botanical garden

Hirschgarten: Munich's wildest park

Nearby, the Hirschgarten with real deer, water playgrounds and Munich's largest beer garden invites you to linger. The Hirschgarten can look back on a long history: In the summer of 1780, Elector Karl Theodor had a fenced-off "zoo" built on the grounds and occupied by over a hundred fallow deer and noble deer. Only a few years later it was made accessible to the public. There was also a predecessor of today's inn and beer garden "Royal Deer Garden", the hunter's lodge. The Magdalenenfest, which takes place annually at the end of July in the Hirschgarten, is a real insider's tip among the Munich folk festivals.

In the summer of 1780, Elector Karl Theodor had a fenced-off "zoo" built on the grounds and occupied by over a hundred fallow deer and noble deer.

Olympic Park: Munich's sportiest Park

Cycling, tobogganing, skateboarding - the Olympic backdrop of 1972 with its impressive tent roof structures is particularly inspiring for recreational athletes. It is a special experience for competitive athletes to compete in the Olympic stadiums. Fireworks, concerts, open-air cinema and the well-established Tollwood Culture Festival attract even more than forty years after the Summer Olympics, even the less sports-loving crowds of visitors to the Olympic Park in the northwest of the city.

Westpark: Munich's most international park

The Munich-based company owes its Westpark to the 1983 International Garden Exhibition IGA. Rose and farmer's garden, Greek garden and the Asian ensemble with the Nepal Pagoda and the Thai Sala are reminiscent of its origins: at the first warm temperatures, large families from a wide variety of countries gather around the barbecue sites. The film nights "Kino, Mond und Sterne" in the amphitheatre of the park belong to the Munich summer like the sleigh ride on one of the hills in winter.

 

Isarauen: Munich's most natural park

Coming from the mountains, the Isar flows through the whole city from Hinterbrühl in the south to Unterföhring in the north. Spacious gravel banks, meadows and wooded uplands accompany the river, which, thanks to the renaturation completed in 2011, is once again seeking its own bed. Birds nest on the islands and a beaver pair is also at home not far from the Deutsches Museum. Already on sunny January days you can see sun worshippers on the gravel banks.

Video: Sports & Leisure

Petuelpark: Munich's artistic park

The Petuelpark in Munich is located directly above the Mittlerer Ring, between Schwabing-West and Milbertshofen. The park above the tunnel was opened in 2004 and now serves as a recreational area for the surrounding residents. On the 900-meter-long and 60-meter-wide terrain, water games, playgrounds and many art objects provide variety. The centrally located white cube by architect Uwe Kiessler houses exhibition areas and a café.

 

Riemer Park: Munich's youngest park

Riemer Park with its lake was created in 2005 as an artificial landscape within the framework of the Federal Horticultural Show (BUGA) in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition grounds. It is characterized by long, linear axes and strict geometric surfaces. A special attraction in Riemer Park is the large swimming lake with its varied shores and two 20-metre-high toboggan hills. There is a large playground for children of all ages, an all-terrain playground, a skate park and two beach volleyball courts.

 

Text: München Tourismus; Photos: Redline Enterprises, istock/aprott, Frank Stolle
Young woman stands between two trees and looks at a sun-drenched meadow in Munich.

Nymphenburger Schlosspark

A local safari

Beavers, tawny owls, kingfishers: with a bit of luck, you can see many wild animals in Nymphenburg Castle Park. A visit.

Deer, beavers, adders, kingfishers, tawny owls, Canada geese: with a little luck, you can see all sorts of wildlife in Nymphenburger Schlosspark – in the heart of the city!

Two women on wheels cycle in the green into the evening sun in Munich.

Interview

A touch of wildnerness

A talk about the great outdoors, the magic of the woods and the love of the Northern English Garden.

A talk about the great outdoors, the magic of the woods and the love of the Northern English Garden.

Three tourists on the Olympia Mountain viewing platform overlooking the park.

City Walks

The north-south passage: hiking across Munich

A hiking tour through Munich – always towards the sun.

A hiking tour through Munich – always towards the sun: from BMW Welt in the north to the lake at Hinterbrühl in the south. In just one day!

Monopteros in the Englischer Garten in Munich.

City Walks

The east-west passage: hiking across Munich

Munich is a village. Right?

Munich is a village, you can do everything by foot here. That is what they say. But is that true? We gave it a try - and went on a hike!

A man on a bicycle in the evening sun in the Maxvorstadt in Munich

Cycling tours: grand city tour

Grand city tour

Discover the beauty of Munich outside of the city center at the grand city tour by bike.

From the centre of the old town to the Kunstareal art district, and on to the former summer residence of the Wittelsbach family, to the Olympic Park and back across Leopoldstraße. 

Two women with a bicycle on a pier by a lake in Bavaria.

Wasser-Radlwege Oberbayern

Bathe, banter, bike

Whether „Hopfen and Bier-Schleife“, „Salz-Schleife“ or „Kunst- and Kulturschleife“, Munich is the hub for all routes of the water cycle paths.

Whether „Hopfen and Bier-Schleife“, „Salz-Schleife“ or „Kunst- and Kulturschleife“, Munich is the hub for all routes of the water cycle paths.

Munich Card & City Pass

Discover Munich in a relaxed and uncomplicated way: discounts for the diverse range of art, culture and leisure activities with our guest cards.

Public transport is included

Many discounts with the Card, many things for free with the Pass.

Online or at the tourist information offices

Munich's Palace of Justice

Justizpalast Tour

During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

Book now for only 20€ !

During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

Small meeting room of the Neues Rathaus in Munich

New Town Hall Tour

Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official City of Munich tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

Book now from 20 €

Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

Magistrates, Monachia and magnificent celebrations: explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official City of Munich tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

Exterior view of the Hofbräuhaus Munich at dusk.

Hofbräuhaus Tour

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Book for 28€, Mass beer included!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Towers at Marienplatz in Munich

Old Town Tour

The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

Book now for 18 €!

The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

Wort kettle at the Spaten brewery in Munich.

Spaten Brewery Tour

Experience a brewery tour at Spaten with a look behind the scenes, interesting facts about the company history and beer tasting in the brewery tower.

Book now for only 22 €!

Experience a brewery tour at Spaten with a look behind the scenes, interesting facts about the company history and beer tasting in the brewery tower.

A woman with varnished fingernails holds a gift with the inscription "simply Munich".

Vouchers

Buy now vouchers for your visit in Munich. The ideal gift! Guided tours, guest cards and more...

Buy vouchers from 6,50 €

Buy now vouchers for your visit in Munich. The ideal gift! Guided tours, guest cards and more...

A stone jug with the inscription Oktoberfest Munich.

Order now!

Oktoberfest Shop

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

A woman in the exhibition "Der Blaue Reiter" in the Lenbachhaus in Munich

Discovery trip incl. City Pass

2 nights in your selected hotel and - thanks to the City Pass - free admission to 45 museums, sights and attractions: our travel package for explorers.

3 days from 313 € for 2 Pers.

2 nights in your selected hotel and - thanks to the City Pass - free admission to 45 museums, sights and attractions: our travel package for explorers.

Bag on green background

Vouchers

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.

Buy vouchers from 6,50 €

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.