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The Frauenkirche and New Town Hall above Munich’s rooftops

Munich.

Insider tips, reviews & day trips.

Your guide to what’s worth seeing, where to eat and how to explore Munich and Bavaria.

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Munich’s old town, from St Peter’s Church

Find your Munich

Find your Munich.

Visiting for a few days, settling in or looking for somewhere new? Absolute Munich is your English-language guide to Munich and Bavaria, with practical advice on places to explore, food to try and everyday life in the city.

The Frauenkirche and New Town Hall above Munich’s rooftops
Munich’s old town, from St Peter’s Church

Start exploring.

Find your bearings, choose a few sights and make time for a day beyond the city.

St Maximilian’s Church beside the river and stony banks of the Isar in Munich
The Isar and St Maximilian’s ChurchPhoto: Rufus46 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Make Munich feel like home.

Get to know the city, work through the practical questions and find people who have made the move too.

The circular glass roof of the Pinakothek der Moderne’s rotunda in Munich
The rotunda, Pinakothek der ModernePhoto: Schlaier · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

There’s more around the corner.

Find a different place to eat, spend an afternoon outdoors or explore what’s on through the year.

Did you
know?

A little strange. Very Munich.
Take a guess and find a story worth telling.

Munich’s name refers to which group?

Reveal the answer
Monks. Munich’s name grew from a description meaning “near the monks”. The early settlement was known by that phrase, giving modern München its monastic connection.
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According to legend, who left a footprint in the Frauenkirche?

Reveal the answer
The devil. The Teufelstritt is a footprint at the cathedral entrance. In local legend it belongs to the devil; Munich’s tourism office records several versions of the tale.
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Which tea house is tucked into the English Garden?

Reveal the answer
A Japanese tea house. The Japanese tea house was given for Munich’s 1972 Olympics. It was first built in Japan, then dismantled, shipped over and reassembled in the English Garden.
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Where was the Deutsches Museum’s main building built?

Reveal the answer
On an island in the Isar. The museum’s foundation stone was laid on an island in the Isar in 1906. The building opened in 1925, on founder Oskar von Miller’s 70th birthday.
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What does the famous roof over Munich’s Olympic venues resemble?

Reveal the answer
A sweeping tent. A transparent tent roof spans the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Hall and Swimming Hall. Built for the 1972 Games, its flowing form became a signature of the park.
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Who wins the joust in Marienplatz’s Glockenspiel?

Reveal the answer
The Bavarian knight. The Bavarian knight knocks his Lorraine rival from the horse. The scene recalls the tournament held on Marienplatz during Wilhelm and Renata’s wedding celebrations in 1568.
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Where is the Bavaria statue’s viewing platform?

Reveal the answer
Inside her head. The bronze Bavaria statue is hollow. A steep spiral staircase runs through it to a viewing platform inside her head, where two benches provide room for six people.
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What does BMW’s Munich headquarters resemble?

Reveal the answer
Four engine cylinders. BMW’s headquarters has four cylindrical sections, symbolising a four-cylinder engine. The 99.5-metre tower was designed by Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer and has 22 floors.
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The Isar flowing past St Maximilian’s Church in Munich
The Isar and St Maximilian’s Church
Photo: Rufus46 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
Christmas market in Munich

Munich Christmas Markets 2026

Compare 18 markets, check closures and follow a walk through the old town.

Read the market guide

Plan ahead

Oktoberfest 2027

Munich’s Oktoberfest runs from to at Theresienwiese. Festival grounds are free to enter. Check the official opening hours and individual tent reservation information before you book.

Read our Oktoberfest guide Official opening hours

More to explore

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Munich essentials

Mark Minehan
Fred Ting

Who writes Absolute Munich?

We write about places and experiences we know, and check practical details with official sources. Our own impressions are marked as such.

About Mark and Fred