The Olympiapark (Olympic Park) in Munich is a shining international example of how to create a successful legacy for Olympic facilities.
Olympic organisation committees, most recently teams from Brazil and Tokyo, visit Munich time and again on the hunt for the recipe for success used in 1972. The large park, inspired by the hilly landscape of the Alpine foothills, can be explored on foot or by bike.
- Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower)
- Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium)
- Olympiaberg (Olympic Mountain)
- Munich Olympia Walk of Stars
- Sporty and cultural attractions
- Sports facilities: Indoor and outdoor
Munich from a bird's eye view: at a speed of 7m/s, you get closer to the sky and are rewarded with a wonderful view over the city to the peaks of the Alps from the approximately 190-metre-high platform of the Olympic Tower. The unique architecture of the Olympic tent roof is also best seen from here. But one of the highest towers in Europe has even more to offer: the covered platform provides an exhibition area for various exhibitions. Afterwards, you can enjoy a snack in the BlueSkyCoffee coffee bar. A special highlight for a nice evening is the Sunset Dinner or the Dinner Experience in Restaurant 181.
If you want a more relaxing way to see the park, take a trip on the miniature railway which runs around the grounds. Depending on how adventurous you are, you may be brave enough to tackle a roof climb across the Olympic Stadium's canopy top, before rounding off the experience with the zip line over the arena or an abseil down the 40-metre drop into the stadium.
The 1972 Summer Olympics were opened in the Olympiastadion. After the big event, the stadium was mainly used as a venue for FC Bayern München and partly also by TSV 1860 München. Since 1982, the Olympiastadion has been Munich's largest stage and is used for open-air concerts as well as numerous other events. The stadium can be visited on your own.
Towering over the Olympiasee (Olympic Lake) is the Olympiaberg (Olympic Mountain), which was built out of the wreckage and ruins of the Second World War. The Olympia-Alm is the city's highest beer garden, the perfect place to lift your spirits all year round. You may even be lucky enough to eavesdrop a concert by an international star playing in the Olympiastadion.
More than 100 national and international stars thrilled the fans in the Olympic Park with their concerts and immortalised themselves with hands, signatures or personal messages in concrete on the Munich Olympia Walk of Stars on the shore of the Olympic Lake.
As has always been the case, events are still held the whole year round in the Olympiastadion and Olympiahalle, the settings for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. Major cultural and sporting events attract tens of thousands of visitors each year. A special highlight is the Midsummer Night's Dream, an open-air event with fireworks, live acts and festival food from all over the world, as well as the Summer Festival in July/August with rides and many delicacies. The well-known Tollwood Summer Festival also takes place in the Olympiapark Süd with numerous concerts, organic gastronomy and all kinds of arts and crafts. With the Sea Life adventure aquarium, the park has another attraction.
The Olympia-Eissportzentrum (Olympic Ice Sport Centre) is open for ice skating all year round. If you fancy a spontaneous swim in the Olympia-Schwimmhalle, there is no need to worry – you aren't expected to be a world record breaker like Marc Spitz. Like many other Olympic icons of his generation, the seven-time gold medal winner of the 1972 Summer Olympics remains true to the site of his victories to this day. In the SoccArena it's “kick-off for football fans“: on the match courts, five against five play and kick for the title. There is also a public tennis facility with a total of 14 clay courts, a mini-golf course and an exercise island with fitness equipment on a 70sqm green area in the Olympiapark.
Good to know: Munich Card holders are entitled to a reduced fee for the ascent to the Olympic Tower and the Park Railway. If one owns the Munich City Pass, both are free of charge. No matter which card you choose, the public transport is included.
