The Starkbierfest at Nockherberg, the Turkish Film Days and Dirty Dancing in the Deutsches Theater: March in Munich has all kinds of events. And then there is the official start of spring – and with it the time for the first visit to a beer garden of the year!
Traditionally, strong beer is drunk in Bavaria during Lent between Ash Wednesday (14 February 2024) and Easter (Easter Sunday, 31 March 2024). So every year March gets off to a very cheerful, sociable and Munich start, as the Paulaner brewery hosts its legendary Starkbierfest, which expresses the local attitude to life and is as much a part of the city as the Oktoberfest. Together, people drink strong beer to brass music, talk a lot and have fun, simply enjoying life. Since time immemorial, the people of Munich have made a pilgrimage to the "mountain" during Lent, more precisely to the Nockherberg in Giesing. There are several festivals in and around the city – but this one is cult and the original. Because the strong beer was invented on the Nockherberg and is called "Salvator", by the way. The highlight of the Starkbier festival is the Salvator rehearsal with the so-called politician derblecken in the form of a Lenten sermon and a musical comedy.
Strong beer festival on the Nockherberg, 1 to 24 March 2024, Nockherberg
From 22 February to 23 March 2024 the strong beer can be tasted in the Augustiner-Keller storage cellar, where beer was once stored and is drunk today. The vaults made of rough red bricks, the rustic wooden benches and, last but not least, the huge old lager barrels create a unique atmosphere. At strong beer time, the old lager cellar becomes a place of pilgrimage for all friends of the "Augustiner Maximator", who are already eagerly awaiting the quaffable dark doppelbock from the Augustiner brewery after the winter.
Strong beer festival in the Augustiner Keller, 22 February to 23 March 2024, Augustiner Keller
The Munich Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day on 17 March 2024 with a parade and an open-air festival in the city centre. Flag bearers, sports clubs, traditional costume clubs and folklore societies will march the 2.5 km route along Leopoldstrasse and Ludwigstrasse. The parade starts at 12:00 at Münchner Freiheit and ends at Odeonsplatz at around 13:30. Afterwards there will be an open-air festival with live music and dancing around Odeonsplatz.
St. Patrick's Day, 17 March 2024, Leopold- and Ludwigstrasse, Odeonsplatz
Free concerts in public spaces are offered by the Kulturlieferdienst in various neighbourhoods of Munich. Car traffic is diverted and temporary open-air concert halls are created. There is no entrance fee, but the artists and sound technicians depend on donations.
Concerts Kulturlieferdienst, Dates to be announced, Untergiesing-Harlaching
The 35th Turkish Film Days Munich will take place in March/April 2024. The audience can look forward to the best Turkish films of the year, which will be shown in the two Munich cinemas Rio Filmpalast and Neues Rottmann Kino.
Turkish Film Days Munich, March/April 2024, Rio Filmpalast and Neues Rottmann Kino
What's in store for the little ones at the children's crime festival, which has its "crime scenes" in the beautiful, winding Seidl Villa in Schwabing, in several city libraries and even in the Munich puppet theatre. What happened? Forensics, an investigation file and a detective's identity card put all crime thrillers on the right track.
Kinder-Krimifest, Dates for 2024 to be announced, Seidl-Villa
The "Kuckuck – Theaterfestival für Anfänge(r)", which takes place in the Schauburg in Schwabing district, in the Münchner Stadtmuseum on Jakobsplatz and in the Elly Heuss-Knapp Protestant Family Educational Institution between Karlsplatz-Stachus and Sendlinger Tor, should be similarly exciting. Children up to five years of age experience the fascinating world of theatre with all their senses.
Kuckuck, Dates for 2024 to be announced, Schauburg, Munich City Museum, Elly Heuss-Knapp Evangelical Family Educational Centre
At "Garten München", southern Germany's largest indoor garden fair, spring is in full bloom. You'll find lots of highlights to look at and take home and get tips on garden design, garden equipment and design, travel and literature as well as competent advice and information. It makes you want to get started right away and make your garden, balcony or terrace even more beautiful.
Garten München, 28 February to 03 March 2024, Trade Fair Center Messe München
At the International Crafts Fair, the meeting place for trade visitors and end consumers, everything revolves around building, modernising and renovating. The topics of living and lifestyle, kitchens and food, crafts and design also take up a lot of space. If you want to be inspired or are looking for concrete tips and information, this is the place to be.
Internationale Handwerksmesse together with Handwerk & Design, 28 February to 03 March 2024, Trade Fair Center Messe München
The Isar is not only there for swimming: in fact, the city river is home to many fish such as trout, perch, pike, carp and eel. No wonder that March of all months is Munich's Fish Month. Firstly, this is when the closed season for most species ends, including brown trout and char. Secondly, the weeks before Easter are considered to be Lent, during which one renounces meat according to Catholic custom. Especially on Good Friday, the climax and conclusion of Lent, fish should therefore be put on the plate. Every reputable inn with Bavarian cuisine then has fish on the menu: for example the Bachmair Hofbräu in Leopoldstraße or the Wirtshaus zum Isartal in Brudermühlstraße. If you are looking for traditional fish dishes from Franconia, you will find them at Gasthaus Siebenbrunn at the Tierpark Hellabrunn (Hellabrun zoo): There you can get baked carp. A real speciality.
Just as you sit in street cafés in Paris in spring, you meet the people of Munich in the beer garden. The first cool measure in which the first rays of sunshine break, should not only be photographed, but also heralds a new attitude to life in the city. From now on summer is within reach. Since with so many beautiful beer gardens it is usually hard to decide where to start, our typology will help you find out which one is the right one. Beer garden beginners are well advised with our tips – you can usually bring your own food, but you should not necessarily order a "beer".
You can find a detailed calendar of events here.
Curious? On a beer and brewery tour you will learn everything you need to know about the famous barley juice. From a tour of the brewery at the Thomasbräu to a joint visit to the beer garden, visitors will learn all the different facets of the beer.
