Munich is a popular destination, especially in summer. For the really hot days, we have collected places where you can cool off - from air-conditioned museums to the ice-cold Isar Canal, from shady beer gardens to excursions into the mountains.
As soon as it gets hot in Munich, everyone is drawn to the water - and luckily the city has plenty of it. So everyone can still find a quiet spot, even on the Isar, which is the favourite meeting place in summer. But both the northern and southern sections of the river are much less busy, for example at the Großhesseloher Bridge or the Oberföhring weir. As flowing water, the Isar reaches a maximum temperature of 22 degrees, otherwise it is around 18 degrees in summer. Those who like to go to the Maria Einsiedel natural swimming pool also know this, because in addition to the natural pools there is also an Isar canal, which is perfect for cooling off on hot days. The other outdoor pools in Munich also promise plenty of refreshment with water temperatures of 22 to 24 degrees. If you prefer to go out, look for one of the cooler mountain lakes - such as Walchensee, Königssee or Eibsee. But the popular bathing lakes in the foothills of the Alps, such as Lake Starnberger, Lake Tegernsee or Lake Chiemsee, also reach maximum water temperatures of 24 degrees in summer.
While we're on the subject of water, the city's fountains are of course a must: Munich has almost 700 fountains - and all of them have drinking water unless otherwise stated. At some fountains you can only refresh yourself briefly, at others you can even walk through them - for example at the large Stachus fountain, the Rindermarkt fountain or the fountain at Jakobsplatz. You can also dip your feet in the Wittelsbach fountain on Lenbachplatz or the Water Bell fountain on Frauenplatz if you are out and about in the city centre and need a break. The digital map of cool places in the city of Munich also shows all the drinking water fountains. If you are travelling with children, there are also water playgrounds: The best-known ones include the water playground in Ostpark, Hirschgarten and Westpark.
Natural shade is known to be the best. Sitting under trees makes it a few degrees cooler! The best way to combine the shade is with a cool drink - such as an ice-cold beer in the beer garden (some beer gardens offer ice-cold mugs from the freezer), an iced coffee in a café or a drink on ice in a bar. Munich's beer gardens are all quite shady, as the large chestnut trees were once used to cool the beer cellar. But there are still a few particularly shady addresses such as the Hirschgarten with its 8,200 seats, the beer garden on Wiener Platz with its many chestnut trees or the spacious Augustiner Keller on Hackerbrücke. Shady cafés and bars for hot days include the Crönlein, the Gans Woanders and the new garden café at the Alpine Museum. The most delicious refreshment is certainly to be found in one of the many ice cream parlours in Munich!
It's cool in churches all year round! On the one hand, this is due to the thick walls and high ceilings - the heat collects above, while the temperature below remains pleasant. On the other hand, the low temperatures are also important so that the historic wooden furnishings and instruments do not suffer. Organs in particular are very sensitive when it comes to fluctuating temperatures and differences in humidity. Popular cool churches are the Frauenkirche and the Michaelskirche, but the Alte Peter and the Heilig-Geist-Kirche are also popular in the city centre. The digital map of cool places lists a total of almost 80 churches in Munich that can be a good refuge on hot days.
Thanks to air conditioning, museums never get too warm either, which of course serves primarily to preserve the works of art, but is a nice side effect for visitors on hot summer days. Some exhibition spaces are also located underground, such as the State Museum of Egyptian Art, which is completely underground in the Kunstareal, or the MUCA Art Bunker right next to the main building of the Street Art Museum in Hotterstraße. Other museums with a pleasantly cool temperature include the Lenbachhaus, the Brandhorst Museum, the Haus der Kunst and all the Pinakothek museums. In the basement of the Alter Hof there is a permanent multimedia exhibition on the historic Kaiserburg. And the Einstein Cultural Centre with its premises in the former beer cellar also offers various concerts and exhibitions. Munich's libraries, such as the State Library or the University Library of the Technical University of Munich, are also air-conditioned and a good place to work and read in summer.
Similar to parks, cemeteries are always a little cooler - this is due to the abundance of greenery and shady trees. In contrast to asphalt, meadows don't heat up as quickly because they allow moisture to evaporate and reflect more sunlight. If you are looking for a cooler place to walk in Munich, you will find what you are looking for at the Old South Cemetery or the East Cemetery, for example. At over 161 hectares, the Waldfriedhof in Hadern is the largest cemetery in the city, where visitors will also find plenty of shade and cooler areas with benches. The Old North Cemetery is also popular with joggers and walking enthusiasts because it is very centrally located in Maxvorstadt. If you are looking for celebrities, the cemetery in Bogenhausen is the right place for you. Although there is no cemetery in the city centre, there is the Wittelsbachergruft in St. Michael's - and the Frauenkirche also has a bishop's crypt underground.
When not even the wind cools you down while cycling, there's only one thing to do: get down to the cool underground stations! On hot days, it's a real relief to dive into the cold underground of the city. Some stations are particularly deep, such as Odeonsplatz at a depth of 36 metres. Although the older underground trains in Munich don't have air conditioning, they do have windows that can be tilted to let in the breeze. The newer trains are equipped with ventilation systems that allow air exchange even without opening the doors. In addition, most trams and all MVG buses are air-conditioned!
It's nice and cool underground, even on hot days. So how about a guided tour underground? On the ‘Underground and extravagant’ tour, for example, you can discover a medieval castle vault, an underground crypt and a 19th century waterworks. The Spatenbrauerei brewery tour is also historical: visitors can admire special barrels, bottles, beer mugs and equipment from the brewery's history in its own small museum in the vaulted cellar.
Munich has a lot of nature: over 20 per cent of the city consists of green spaces or water areas. The most famous park is certainly the English Garden, which at 375 hectares is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world. On hot days, it is very popular around the Monopteros, the Chinese Tower and Kleinhesseloher See. If you prefer something a little quieter, look for a shady spot in the northern part. There are also a number of forests around Munich that are a good place for shady walks on hot days - such as Perlacher Forst, Forstenrieder Park or Grünwalder Forst. In the city centre, smaller parks such as the Rosengarten, the Kabinettsgarten or the Luitpoldpark promise a little break from the heat.
It's always nice and cool in the cinema too, especially the new addresses are all equipped with air conditioning - such as the Mathäser Filmpalast, the Cinemaxx or the Astor Film Lounge in the Arri in Munich. But smaller independent cinemas such as the City Kinos am Stachus or the Monopol in Schwabing are also air-conditioned, as is the luxury cinema Astor Film Lounge in the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. The Munich Film Festival also takes place between the end of June and the beginning of July, making it Germany's largest summer film festival. For nine days every year, there are plenty of celebrities and premieres - and cool cinema rooms!
Too hot for a shopping spree in the pedestrian zone? Then head for Munich's air-conditioned shopping centres, cooler passages and covered arcades. In the city centre, for example, you can choose from the Fünf Höfe, Hofstatt and Brienner Quartier. The Stachus arcades in the basement are also a good place to stroll. If you are looking for a shopping centre, you should head to the outskirts of the city - the Riem Arcaden, the Pasing Arcaden, the PEP Einkaufszentrum Neuperlach and the Olympia-Einkaufszentrum (OEZ) are all located in different directions. The websites of the respective shopping centres provide information on the selection of shops.
We've saved the best for last: If you want to enjoy fresh air and cool nights even in hot temperatures, you have to go to the mountains! Even around Garmisch, just an hour south of Munich, it is significantly cooler in summer. The higher you go, the colder it gets - as a rule of thumb: half a degree to a whole degree for every 100 metres of altitude. If nothing else helps, head up to the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, which is often covered in snow even in summer. The gorges in Bavaria are also great in the heat if you don't mind getting a bit wet! The most famous are certainly the Partnachklamm, Breitachklamm and Höllentalklamm gorges.
