Where to stay in Munich: your essential guide to the best areas

Altstadt: place where history, culture and commerce collide. Any trip to the Old Town, with its impressive buildings and grand squares, will reveal Munich’s grand past. One highlight is Marienplatz, a central square shadowed by the towering neo-Gothic town hall, while another is Odeonsplatz, which is flanked by the immaculately landscaped Hofgarten and the 19th-century revival architecture of the Bayerische Staatskanzlei (Bavarian state government office). Another marvel worth noting is the brilliantly ornate Residenz, which once housed the Bavarian royal family and hosted performances from Mozart. Not to mention all the shops, restaurants, bars and other attractions on offer.

STAY

For a spacious, modern and effortlessly stylish stay, head to Hotel Louis, which also has an in-house Japanese restaurant. To save your pennies for sightseeing, try Mercure’s simple, clean and affordable central Altstadt outpost.

EAT

Kick off the day at Munich’s most famous food market, Viktualienmarkt. Take a steady stroll around the stalls selling fresh and local produce, with specialities including bread, speck, Schweinshaxe (ham hock) and mushrooms foraged nearby. You’ll also find Tian, a high-quality vegetarian restaurant. And if you want to feel like a royal, head to Brenner in the former stables of a royal palace.

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If our teaser about the Altstadt’s miraculous architecture wasn’t enough to whet your appetite earlier, let us elaborate. The buildings in the Old Town take in a wide range of periods and styles, from the Gothic, domed Frauenkirche to the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps (Michaelkirche). There’s also history in bounds, so venture down to Marienplatz, where you can see sites that played a key role in the failed attempt of the Munich Putsch of 1923 – Hitler’s attempted coup. Plus, on the northern end of Marienplatz is the Glockenspiel in the town hall, a cuckoo clock dating to 1908. With two or three shows daily (depending on the season), this clock depicts the city’s history in 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures.

If you only do one thing...

Clamber to the top of St Peter’s for breathtaking views across Altstadt. But be warned: there are 299 steps to conquer.

With a string of characterful bistros, bars and clubs, Glockenbach is Munich’s nightlife hub, as well as the heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ scene, centred along the Müllerstraße. Still close to the city centre but set apart from the tourist traps, it’s a great choice for those looking to drink, dance and get a top-notch coffee the next morning. The Glockenbach Werkstatt is an exemplary community centre with a lively programme of jazz, music, poetry slams and more, plus a friendly beer garden.

STAY

Design charmer Flushing Meadows promises spacious, well-lit rooms with classy mid-century furnishings, bright textiles and contemporary artworks. Its rooftop bar is particularly popular for aperitifs and sunset views.

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The excellent Wirtshaus Maximilian puts a fresh spin on the classic Bavarian bistro with bright, pared-down décor and innovative twists on regional and Alpine dishes. Neighbourhood favourite Cooperativa combines no-nonsense Mediterranean flavours with beer hall-style cheer, while upscale Colette is a stylish contemporary brasserie by top German chef Tim Raue, offering a first-class take on classic French dishes and well-priced lunch menus.

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Explore Glockenbach’s nightlife in style with a tour of some of its finest cocktail joints. Try magical concoctions at the acclaimed Zephyr Bar, highballs and hip hop at The High, or Southern flavours at rhythm, blues and whiskey joint Zum Wolf.

If you only do one thing...

Get yourself a coffee or ice cream at Del Fiore, kick back in the brightly-flowered Gärtnerplatz and watch the Glockenbach world go by.

Sometimes called the ‘French quarter’, tranquil Haidhausen is one of Munich’s prettiest neighbourhoods. Flanking the east bank of the Isar, it’s home to some lovely local cafés and, at the Gasteig, a rich programme of classical music and culture. Haidhausen’s real boon, however, is its proximity to the river, with lovely walks out to the Flaucher on your doorstep. Quieter than other districts, it’s ideal for those who appreciate R&R as much as they do sightseeing. 

STAY

Hotel Prinz München offers chic, comfortable rooms, an ample breakfast buffet and in-house bike rental.

EAT

In a 19th-century building on a quiet street, the cosy, convivial Preysinggarten serves tip-top Mediterranean dishes with decent vegetarian options. Its courtyard terrace is particularly lovely for a sunny Sunday brunch, but do book in advance. For coffee and cake, try Café Bla.

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Head south-west along the river toward the Flaucher, a leafy bathing area just a half-hour walk out of town. Remarkably clean considering how close it is to the city, it’s particularly enchanting in summer, with hordes of happy Münchner sunbathing, swimming, playing the guitar, kicking back with a beer or ‘grilling’.

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Swing by the quirky Villa Stuck, once home to Franz von Stuck, one of Germany’s avant-garde pioneers and a prominent member of the Munich Secession collective. The villa features a number of his works on the wall, as well as an impressive Art Nouveau collection.

Home to two universities and many of Munich’s world-class museums, the Maxvorstadt is a lively cultural hotspot just north of the Altstadt. It’s here you’ll find Munich’s outstanding Pinakothek trio – the Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek (temporarily closed) and Pinakothek der Moderne – as well as the modern and contemporary Museum Brandhorst, the historic Haus der Kunst and Munich’s belated, but excellent, Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism. Further down the Leopoldstraße, you’ll find the elegiac Siegestor, before the streets give way to trees and rolling meadows in the vast, gorgeous Englischer Garten.

STAY

Superbly placed for Königsplatz and the Pinakothek trio, Ruby Lilly promises a pristine night’s sleep in its minimalist, soundproofed rooms with box-spring mattresses, luxurious bed linens and blackout curtains. The Ruby bar and café serves light Italian dishes and drinks round the clock, including an organic breakfast of fresh fruit, wholegrain cereal and bread from local bakery Mauerer.

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For a low-key brunch or lunch with panoramic city views, make your way to the café in the Vorhölzer Forum at Munich’s Technical University. No longer the insider tip it once was, it still offers great vibes and, on a clear day, views out to the Alps. For a more sophisticated, old-school atmosphere, Halali is Munich’s restaurant of choice if you fancy traditional, typically game-based dishes.

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Get yourself a day pass to the Pinakothek art museums and dip in and out of one of the best collections of European art history in the world. Star turns include Albrecht Dürer’s Self-Portrait with Fur-Trimmed Robe (Alte Pinakothek) and Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers (Neue Pinakothek). Across the square, the Brandhorst Museum brings bold contemporary architecture to a largely classical district, as well as major works by Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter and Damien Hirst.

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Get a beer at the Augustiner-Keller, flagship beer hall of one of Munich’s oldest breweries. Its beer garden, with seating for 5,000 beneath shady chestnut trees, is arguably the best in town.

Once a bohemian enclave and former stomping ground of Lenin, Hitler and Kandinsky, the northern neighbourhood of Schwabing has become the apogee of urban affluence and one of Munich’s most desirable districts. Great for those seeking a laid-back spot away from the well-trodden city centre, it boasts several great cafés, restaurants, bars and boutiques along its main boulevards, Leopoldstraße and Hohenzollernstraße, as well as proximity to the Englischer Garten. Bigger than New York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, this is Munich’s green pride and joy, a vast, informally landscaped space of undulating lawns, bike trails and rippling tributaries of the Isar.

STAY

In a converted water mill, the Gästehaus Englischer Garten is an old-fashioned and tranquil Munich enclave, with simple, comfortable rooms and a garden where breakfast is served in summer. It’s an easy walk to both the Englischer Garten and Schwabing’s bars, shops and restaurants. Book in advance and ask for a room in the main house.

EAT

Top of the Schwabing charts – and price range – is Tantris, Munich’s most famous restaurant which has proudly held onto its Michelin stars since 1974. Soak up the cult 1970s décor, choose from a five-course ‘dégustation’ menu or eight-course ‘gourmet’ version, and savour the likes of king prawns with ravioli and star anise cream, or venison medallions with wild mushrooms and sweet chestnut puree. It’s all delicious, but expect a bill well into three figures. For much more wallet-friendly cuisine, enjoy laid-back pizza on a leafy terrace at Passaparola or fine Afghan food at Lemar.

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The Englischer Garten is one of Munich’s greatest pleasures. Go for a run, a leisurely stroll, a skate, sunbathe or even a swim in one of the remarkably clean streams running off the Isar. In the evening, make your way to the vast and jovial beer garden at pagoda-style Chinesischer Turm, or buy your own bottle and take it up to the Monopteros for a gorgeous sunset view.

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Stroll through the garden down to the Eisbachwelle, Munich’s incongruous (but must-visit) surfing hotspot.