Munich parks are amazing with lots of playgrounds, which is good news for an active boy. I’m checking out quite a few with Andrew while we’re here. The largest is the Englischer Garten (English Garden), which even includes surfers!
Englischer Garden
It all started in 1789 when Elector Carl Theodor ordered that a public park be established along the Isar River. The park was given the name Englische Garten because it was laid out in the style of an English country park. The park is 910 acres and has a 78-kilometer-long (48.5 miles) network of paths.
Probably the best view is from the Monopteros: The temple-like rotunda was added to the southern parkland in 1836, including a hill.
At the south end of the park, the Japanese teahouse stands on an artificial island in the Schwabinger brook.
Perhaps the most famous building in the English Garden is the Chinese Tower. The pagoda construction in imperial-Chinese style rises 25 meters in height and goes back to a design from 1789.
Right next door there is a children’s carousel in the Biedermeier style for the little ones with carriages and 20 carved wooden animals.
Behind the Chinese tower is the Rumfordschlössl, a classicist building from 1791. It is now used as a natural and cultural meeting place for young people.
Kleinhesseloher See is a lake on the northernmost corner of the park and here you can take a rowboat out or pedalo or drink a beer at the beer garden.
Check out two monuments—Rumford Monument erected in honor of Rumford and constructed by Bavarian sculptor Franz Jakob Schwanthaler. The Freidrich-Ludwig Sckell Monument was built in memory of the designer.
Surfing in Munich!
You can see surfers on the Eisbach River on the Eisbach Rapids on the southernmost end of the park. If you feel this area is too crowded go north from this viewing area then cross the bridge and take the path to your right and follow it up until you see more surfers. This one is not in the tour books!
Address: (Huge park, surfer address) Prinzregentenstraße, 80538 München
Botanischer Garten
The garden has redwood forests, Siberian steppes, and lush tropical rainforests. It is home to exotic flora from around the world. There are over 95 acres full of diverse plant species, including palms, cacti, orchids, and even carnivorous plants.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 9 am – 8 pm.
Admission: Adult €6, Reduced €3, and children under 7 are free
Address: Menzinger Str. 65, 80638 München
Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Palace)
The lavish palace grounds include unique water features, sculptures, and unusual pavilions. The park stretches west from the palace and is 2 kilometers or 1 mile long and is a nature reserve with its 300-year-old trees.
Hours: Jan. – March, Nov., Dec. 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.; April-Oct. 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.; May – Sept. 6 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Fountains usually run from Easter to mid-Oct. from 10 am to noon and from 2 pm to 4 pm.
Admission: Grounds are free
Address: Schloß Nymphenburg 1, 80638 München, Germany
Westpark
A long thin park in southwest Munich was created in 1983 for the International Garden Show. A green bridge carries the park over Garmischer Strasse. There are a number of Asian gardens, artificial hills, lakes, and ponds.
Address: Sendling-Westpark, 81373 München
Alter Botanischer Garten
A small park centrally located between the main train station and Stachus and this the Old Botanical Garden. The facility has been around since 1812. Whether walking, relaxing at the Neptune Fountain, or looking at innovative art projects – there is a lot to discover in the rather inconspicuous city park.
Address: Sophienstraße 7, 80333 München
Bavariapark
It is a 21-acre park behind the 18-meter (59 feet) statue of Bavaria built between 1826 and 1831. The park includes statues, a playground, woods, and a beer garden.
Address: 80339 Munich
Hofgarten
It is north of the Residenz and is the court gardens of the Royal residence. This park was created in the style of the Italian Renaissance. It has long arcades with rows of linden, chestnut, and maple trees. Look for the Temple of Diana, a 12-sided pavilion topped with a shallow dome in the center of the park.
Address: Hofgartenstraße 1, 80538 München
Luitpoldpark
The creation of the park goes back to a birthday present to the Bavarian Prince Regent Luitpold. In 1911, he was 90 years old, and planted 90 linden trees in his honor. Around this grove, they put on the 33-acre public park. After the Second World War, a 37-meter-high pile of rubble from the bombed-out remains of the city was piled up in the northern part of the park. A bronze cross on the summit of the so-called Luitpold hill recalls the victims of the bombing raids since 1958. The park also has a hedgerow labyrinth.
Address: Brunnerstraße 2, 80804 München
Hirschgarten
This park is known for its wild deer and had once been a hunting park. It has several playgrounds, a skateboard park, and an ice cream park. It borders a huge beer garden on its north side.
Address: Hirschgarten 1, 80639 München
Rosengarten
The rose garden blooms in June and July. The complex also includes an aromatic garden, poison plant garden, and a touch garden.
Hours: Daily — Summer 8 am – 8 pm and Winter 9 am – 4 pm
Address: Sachsenstraße 2, 81543 München, Germany
MORE MUNICH SITES
Munich: Beer Gardens and Oktoberfest
Munich is well known for beer so I’ve decided that I would approach this subject on its own with insights into beer gardens and beer halls. I will discuss, Oktoberfest, which we will not make, but if you do please comment, let me know how it was and what you enjoyed. Until then have a beer on me, Prost!
What to Do In Munich’s Center
The Alstadt, Munich’s medieval old town area is filled with must-see sights including museums, historic churches, and palaces along with the famous Hofbräuhaus beer hall and the Viktualienmarkt, an old-world vegetable and fruit market.
Museums to Checkout Near Munich’s Center
The Museum Quarter is filled with museums with amazing art pieces, natural history, and Egyptian relics just north of central Munich. I’ve listed some museums to check out while you’re here along with a few further afield including the expansive Deutsches Museum, which has 100,000 items in the fields of science and technology.
