How to visit Munich in a day!

March 14, 2020

Yes, it’s possible… I wouldn’t have believed it either, but with a little research before we went and a cut-throat attitude to narrowing down our top things to see and do (thank you Trip Advisor) we did it.

So below is my guide on how to do a whistle-stop tour of Munich in a day!

1. Marienplatz

We started the day in the heart of Munich, at the Marienplatz. This historic square is surrounded by the impressive architecture of St. Peter’s Church and the Town Hall. However, I use this term loosely as it’s like no town hall I have ever come across before. If you arrive for 11 am you will be greeted by a wonderful performance in the clock tower where the figurines re-enact historic events from Munich City. If this is not your thing then you cannot fail to be impressed by the building itself, the incredible neo-gothic building is like something out of a fairytale.

2. 360-degree view of Munich from the bell tower of St. Peter’s Church

Just around the corner from the square is the st. Peter’s Church. The church bell tower reaches 91m high and for just 2 Euros you can climb to the top. Such a fantastic panoramic view of the city and well worth the 299 step climb to the top. Plus a very good opportunity to work off one of the many Pretzels I had eaten by this point! Definitely not for those who fear heights as there’s a lot of squeezing past other tourists around the narrow balcony of the clock tower.

3. The slide at Technische Universität München (TUM)

Now, this was my kind of university! From the outside, the university is just like any other, and even when you walk in there are students sitting around in their study groups working. Except its not, right in the middle are 2 huge crisscrossing, 4 story high slides. When we got to the top we were surprised quite how steep it was. After a few obligatory ‘before’ photos, we took the leap of faith and went down! I had to hold my nose to stop myself from screaming, as I didn’t want to be the typical ‘idiot abroad’ screaming down the slide, however, I needn’t have bothered as you go so fast you jet out the bottom of the slide and right across the floor.. but completely worth losing every inch of your self-respect for!

4. Nymphenburg Palace

This place really is the dream! Actually, I’m pretty sure if you looked up the word ‘dream’ in the dictionary this is what you would see. It’s the kind of palace every little girl dreams about. We took a little walk around the stunning snow-dusted grounds and followed the river that runs back through the town. The magic literally followed this river. Once we got out of the palace grounds and back to the town we found the river that was completely frozen over and filled with local families ice skating. The whole experience was like walking into a postcard.

5. Brenner’s Grill

I LOVE love pretzels, so visiting a city where you find one around every corner is my food heaven. But one cannot live on bread alone, so with the recommendation of our lovely hotel receptionist, we visited Brenner’s Grill for dinner. At the heart of the restaurant is a lovely big open grill where the chefs prepare your food from and all the tables surround this. When we arrived the waitress brought over a basket filled with freshly baked tomato and pesto flavored bread rolls, still warm from the oven. For my mains, I went for a fillet of sea bream, which was beautifully cooked on their open grill with a side of roasted vegetables. and then finished with a beautiful creme brulee (my absolute favorite!!) If you visit Munich this restaurant is a must for any foodie, but make sure you make a reservation as it was very busy.

6. Hofbrauhaus

Finally, no trip to Germany is complete without tasting their famous beer, and what better place to do it than in the Hofbrauhaus! I am not a beer fan but was completely consumed with the atmosphere of the beer hall. You are seated by a lovely lady dressed in the traditional lederhosen on long wooden tables and benches. In the center of the hall are the live band, playing traditional Bavarian folk music. We didn’t have food there although I couldn’t resist the lady walking around with a basket of extra-large pretzels, it was the perfect addition to my first stein of beer!

Top tip:

Rent a car – Although public transport is supposed to be brilliant in Munich if you’ve got time restraints as we did then rent. The petrol was very cheap and most places were free to park!