The story of Munich
Munich is "the place by the monks", München, founded in 1158 when Henry the Lion burned a bishop's toll bridge and built his own next to a monastery. The monk still appears on the city's coat of arms, usually looking more cherubic than the city's beer halls would suggest.
For over 700 years the Wittelsbach dynasty ruled from here, collecting the art that fills the Pinakotheks and building Nymphenburg's endless baroque wings. The 1516 Reinheitsgebot, the beer purity law allowing only barley, hops, and water, was proclaimed in Bavaria, and the 1810 royal wedding party that never stopped became Oktoberfest.
Curiosities: the Englischer Garten is larger than Central Park and hosts river surfers riding a standing wave year-round; the Frauenkirche's domed towers set the city's height limit; and FC Bayern's trophy room and BMW's museum are both pilgrimage sites in their own faiths.
What it does best
The three Pinakothek art museums.
Beer halls, weisswurst breakfasts and the Viktualienmarkt.
Marienplatz's glockenspiel and nearby Neuschwanstein castle.
Surfers on the Eisbach and the English Garden.
Weather, month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 3 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 4 |
| Low °C | -4 | -3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | -2 |
| Rain mm | 50 | 45 | 55 | 65 | 95 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 75 | 60 | 55 | 55 |
Highlighted months hit the sweet spot: comfortable highs and manageable rain. Approximate long-term normals, pack for surprises anyway.
What's on
Six million visitors, seventeen days, one giant cheer: the world's biggest folk festival.
Recurring annually; exact dates move around, check locally before planning a trip around one. More on the events calendar.
Budget
hostels, markets, free sights
3★ hotels, restaurants, museums
4–5★, tasting menus, taxis
Rough per-person estimates including lodging, food, sights, and local transport. Compare with other cities.
Day-trip wonders
Mad King Ludwig's fairy-tale castle in the Bavarian Alps, the one Disney borrowed. Turrets, alpine gorges, and a bridge with the best view in Germany.
~2h from Munich by train to Füssen + bus. Book the timed castle tour online well ahead; the Marienbrücke bridge view is free.
Pair it with
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons · all credits
