Clued In Munich – The Concise and Opinionated Guide to the City 2026
HONEST, DEPENDABLE TRAVEL GUIDES
This is the year. Munich is waiting.
Let us take you there.
Grab the new 2026 edition here, in print or ebook.
NEXT ARTICLE:
The truth about Christmas Day in Munich– December 2025
If you had the good taste to choose Munich for your Christmas holiday, then you might be wondering how to spend your time on Thurssday, December 25 when all of the city’s sights and most restaurants will be closed in observance of Christmas Day. These folks are really into Christmas and will be with their loved ones on the big day. The few dining rooms that will be open (mostly inside various upscale hotels) could actually be booked up already. That means you’ll need to plan ahead…
1) If you’re staying in a hotel, buy some lovely sandwiches from Rischart Bakery Cafe the day before, along with some sweet treats and beverages because there’s a good chance that it will be your meal. 2) If you’re staying in an apartment, go to the Viktualienmarkt in the days before the holiday and get ready to prepare an at-home feast featuring sausages, sauerkraut, assorted cheeses, dark brown bread and some good local beer. 3) In the historic center, the beautiful Frauenkirche cathedral will have a morning service starting around 10am with some music followed by a proper Catholic Mass… but go early to get a seat; everyone is welcome. There is also a midnight Mass the night before (on Christmas Eve) beginning around 10pm. 4) If you have a rental car, go for a drive to the nearby mountains and revel in having the road all to yourself. 5) If no vehicle is at your disposal, then go for a leisurely stroll through a part of town you have not yet explored. 6) Be out and about after the sunset too; slowly but surely, other folks will begin to fill the streets. Merry Christmas!
NEXT ARTICLE:
Autumn in Munich – November 2025
If you’ll be one of the clever travelers coming to Munich before the onslaught of visitors who descend upon it for Christmas and New Year’s, then good for you… you’ll get a taste of what this incredible place is like for its local residents. Why not snag a table at the fabulous Pfistermuehle Restaurant, or enjoy creative mixology at The Jaded Monkey? See fabulous art without all the crowds at the famous Alte Pinakothek Museum. All of these will make for fantastic memories, and before you go we hope you’ll grab a copy of Clued In Munich... it has info not found in other guides which is exactly why it stands apart from the rest!
NEXT ARTICLE:
NEXT ARTICLE:
Halloween in Munich– October 2025
Munich doesn’t really do spooky, though trick-or-treating has been catching on with the local children in recent years. If you want to add a Halloween touch to your October visit to this charming city, why not take a stroll (or a guided tour) through their gloomiest, scariest cemetery in the city center? Tearful angels, crumbling tombstones, strange mausoleums, and secrets galore await you at the Alter Südfriedhof cemetery. There are regular reports of people seeing ghosts within the grounds. Visit their website for details.
NEXT ARTICLE:
Get ready to celebrate Oktoberfest! August / September 2025
The time is almost here! Bavarians simply love Oktoberfest and you will too. But those travelers who plan ahead will have a better time that those who don’t. That’s why we encourage you to check out the official Oktoberfest website and buy tickets ahead of your visit. Remember, there are many different tents (some seating as many as 10,000 revelers inside) and each has their own personality.
NEXT ARTICLE:
Munich’s many sausages – July 2025
Germans love their sausages (Wurst) and eat a lot of it. Admittedly, these delicious bites go great with beer and a freshly baked pretzel (Brezel.) If you want to try any or all of them, simply head over to the Ratskeller, the Hofbräuhaus, or any Bavarian restaurant here. Afraid to try those strange-looking white sausages? Don’t be. They are incredibly delicious (and we usually hate weird things.) One tip, however…you do need to peel the white sausages first because the outer skin on them is not meant to be eaten! The sausages listed below are in no particular order:
Weisswurst (white, pork sausages from Munich)/ Currywurst (sausages flavored with curry) / Bratwurstherzl (pan-fried pork or veal sausages) / Schweinswurst (savory, skinny pork sausages) / Blutwurst (don’t ask) / Lyoner Wurst (light pink sausages of smoked pork) / Wiener Würstel (Vienna-style sausages) / Frankfurter Würstchen (like an American hotdog) / Leberwurst (tasty ‘liver’ sausages with no liver in them.)
NEXT ARTICLE:
Have a picnic in the Englischer Garten park – June 2025
Regular visitors to Munich know that as soon as the weather turns warm, everyone heads to the amazing Englischer Garten park. If you’ll be in Munich this summer, grab some tasty vittles at the centrally-located Viktualienmarkt (we like the Wurstimbiss Teltschik grilled sausage stand) but the 200-year-old outdoor marketplace has everything you need for a perfect picnic in the Englischer.
As for the park itself, it is located just north of the city center, a convenient five-minute taxi ride away. There are many species of birds that call the park home, even some geese… along with squirrels, foxes, deer, rabbits, hedgehogs, and beavers. And there’s tons of things going on in the summer, like carriage rides, traditional costume events, soccer practice, hiking, swimming, running, bird-watching, dog-walking, live music, restaurant dining, legal nude sunbathing, and yes, river surfing. Even its 7,500-seat Chinesischen Turm beer garden allows visitors to bring and eat their own food.
NEXT ARTICLE:
In Focus: The Munich Ballet – May 2025
Visitors to the Munich Opera House have only a month or so remaining to see one of the most talented dancers of the 21st century, namely Antonio Casalinho (a principal dancer with the Bavarian State Ballet company.) This is because he will soon depart for Vienna with his regular partner, fellow Portuguese dancer Margarite Fernandes, who have both accepted new positions with the Vienna State Ballet in Austria. These two will quite literally take your breath away. Book tickets online. ADENDUM 10/02/2025: Both of these amazing dancers have now been hired away by the Vienna State Ballet.
NEXT ARTICLE
Announcement – April 2025
The fee and visa-waiver permission (ETIAS) for Americans and Canadians to travel to the European Union has been officially postponed until late-2026 or early-2027… yet another reason to travel this year! We are currently updating the information in our travel books to reflect this change. Visit the link below for more info:
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en
NEXT ARTICLE
Plan a springtime visit to glorious Schloss Nymphenburg – March 2025
A half-day visit to the royal palace of Nymphenburg should be on everyone’s Munich itinerary. This elegant and impressive birthplace of “mad” King Ludwig II, and residence of a long-line of Bavarian rulers, has much to offer travelers. It is located just twenty-minutes by Uber car from the historic old town and its basic pass allows you to experience sitting rooms, bedrooms, painting galleries, and the forested park. Highlights are the “beauties” of King Ludwig I: portraits of all the women he admired (and had relations with?) which are all hung together on one large wall… as well as an unforgettable grand entrance hall, swans happily floating on the pond out front, vast gardens which contain several other mini-mansions you can enter during the warmer months, two different on-site restaurants, and the incredible Marstallmuseum -a former carriage house and stables exhibiting the royal carriages and sleighs (!) of the royal Wittelsbach family. Schloss Nymphenburg is definitely a site-on-steroids that you must not miss. Click on the link above to learn more.
NEXT ARTICLE
In Focus: Zum Alten Markt Restaurant – February 2025
The dishes that are being served in this little restaurant near the Viktualienmarkt are absolutely delectable and should not be missed. The chef-owners are two women and they have designed one of the most creative menus we’ve seen in a long time. It’s our new favorite restaurant in Munich. The menu changes seasonally of course, but we hope you’ll get to enjoy the polenta with squash blossoms (better than any we’ve had in Italy) and their mouth-watering pork filet tips with mushrooms and wild garlic (below.) This restaurant even offers garden-seating in the rear when the weather is warm. Reservations necessary for both lunch and dinner.
Ambience: Antique hunting lodge / Noise level: Medium / Lighting: Dim / Credit Cards: Yes / Accessible: Yes / Clothing Clue: Smart casual / Located at 3 Dreifaltigkeitsplatz. Munich / Intl. calling: (011) 49-89-299-995 / Closed Sundays and holidays.
NEXT ARTICLE
Where to shop the sales – January 2025
Like many cities across the U.S., Munich puts its best designer items on sale after the holidays and begins presenting its spring collections. If you’re visiting in January and have the urge to do some shopping (or just want to come home with one really special item) this is the time. The most famous shopping street in Munich is Maximillian-Strasse, a boutique-lined boulevard just east of the old town. For those who are unfamiliar with Munich, this may be helpful to know even if you don’t plan on hitting the boutiques… being aware of it tells you precisely where the city’s most desirable area is located. It’s also where you’ll also find some of the best hotels, and some top-notch restaurants too.
NEXT ARTICLE
The truth about Christmas Day in Munich– December 2024
If you had the good taste to choose Munich for your Christmas holiday then you might be wondering how to spend your time on Wednesday, December 25 when all of the city’s sights and restaurants will be closed in observance of Christmas Day. These folks are really into Christmas and will be with their loved ones on the big day. The few dining rooms that will be open (mostly inside various upscale hotels) could be booked up by now. That means you’ll need to plan ahead…
1) If you’re staying in a hotel, buy some lovely sandwiches from Rischart Bakery Cafe the day before, along with some sweet treats and beverages because there’s a good chance that it will be your meal. 2) If you’re staying in an apartment rental, go to the Viktualienmarkt in the days before the holiday and get ready to prepare an at-home feast featuring sausages, sauerkraut, assorted cheeses, dark brown bread and some good local beer. 3) In the historic center, the beautiful Frauenkirche cathedral will have a morning service starting at 10am with music followed by a proper Catholic Mass, but go early to get a seat; everyone is welcome. There is also a midnight Mass the night before on Christmas Eve beginning at 10pm. 4) If you have a rental car, go for a drive to the nearby mountains and revel in having the road all to yourself. 5) If no vehicle is at your disposal, then go for a leisurely stroll through a part of town you have not yet explored. 6) Be out and about after the sunset too; slowly but surely other folks will begin to fill the streets. Merry Christmas!
NEXT ARTICLE
In Focus: New Year’s Eve Bavarian-style
If you plan on being in Munich over the New Year, then you should start making plans and hotel reservations right now. New Year’s Eve celebrations in this famous German city are quaint yet festive. From special offerings at the city’s top restaurants to crazy club scenes, you’ll be in for a treat. If you want to catch a midnight fireworks display, head over to the Angel of Peace monument where a grand view of the city can be had.
The city’s Tollwood Winter Festival is great fun and definitely offers the biggest New Year’s Eve party in Munich. It boasts a countdown that starts before midnight with live music, circus acts, and DJ’s. This festival takes place on the same grounds as the Octoberfest, a pleasant twenty-minute walk from the historic center.
Feel free to sleep in the next day; most shops and all of the museums will be closed on January 1st anyway. If you have difficulty finding a decent meal on that day, just remember that all the larger hotels will be open and serving food to the public.
NEXT ARTICLE
Museums Festival Night – October 2024
In mid-October, a special event called The Long Night of the Munich Museums will once again be held. More than a hundred galleries, churches, museums, and architectural sights will welcome the public to take a truly wonderful nighttime stroll between the hours of 6pm to 1am. During it, visitors will get to experience regular exhibitions, live performances, tours, films, and discussions all for one low price that covers everything. The city even utilizes special buses to ensure that all of the participating venues can be reached quickly. If you’ll be in Munich on October 19, 2024 you simply must take part in this incredible event.
NEXT ARTICLE
Munich’s Oktoberfest is this month! – September 2024
Beginning on the morning of September 21 and running through October 6, this is the grandaddy of all beer festivals! If you don’t have plans to be in Munich, make them now before it’s too late. Airfares to Europe have been more affordable in recent days and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime. Grab a copy of Clued In Munich: The Concise and Opinionated Guide to the City so that you’ll have all the details of how to do the Oktoberfest right, including the special Bavarian etiquette involved. So fun!
NEXT ARTICLE
Escape the heat inside a cool museum – August 2024
As Munich reaches its peak summer temps, why not head over to one of the city’s air conditioned museums? For the best in classic paintings by European masters, you can’t beat the Alte Pinakothek. Comparable to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, its collections are vast; you’ll definitely find your new favorite painting here. If your interests and taste tend to lean on the more modern, contemporary side of things, don’t miss a visit to the nearby Pinakothek der Moderne… you can’t miss it; there’s a UFO parked out front of the main entrance.
NEXT ARTICLE
A beer garden that’s perfect on a summer’s day – July 2024
Munich boasts one of the largest urban parks in the world. The Englischer Garten, as it is called, runs from the historic town center north along the Isar River. There are many things to see and do there, especially this time of year, but none so perfectly “Bavarian” as the park’s Chineser Turm Biergarten named for the Chinese Tower next to it. Now, you might be thinking that one beer garden is probably a lot like the next one. Au contraire mon frère! This one is set in a glen among forest trees, has live music, lots of Bavarian food, lagers and dark beers, fresh pretzels, and seating for a mere 7,000 people. Let’s just say it puts the old town’s Hofbräuhaus to shame. Don’t miss it! Summer hours are from 11am to 10pm daily when the weather is fine.
NEXT ARTICLE
In Focus: Liebighof Restaurant – June 2024
Whether you’re checking out the incredible surfers at the Eisbach Wave, experiencing weird art at the Haus der Kunst gallery, or taking a journey through time at the Bavarian National Museum of Decorative Arts, you’re just a hop, skip, and a jump from a lip-smacking restaurant that has something for everyone. Liebighof is traditional Bavarian that’s housed inside a crazy, rustic farmhouse, but they serve up more than you’d imagine. From beautiful, fresh salads to tender veal with brussel sprouts or a really big burger with fries, the menu here has variety. And the chef makes some of the best Kaiserschmarrn dessert we’ve ever had. Win win.
Reservations recommended / Medium-priced / Credit cards accepted / Casual attire / Accessible / Located at 14 Liebigstrasse, in the northeast section of the old town / Open daily for lunch and dinner / Saturdays specifically from 3pm to midnight / Intl. calling: (011) 49-89-295-405 / Local calling: 089-295-405
NEXT ARTICLE
Announcing our newest book – May 2024
Our newest travel book is here! Clued In Munich, The Concise and Opinionated Guide to the City contains everything you need to know for a magical stay in Munich’s historic city center, along with two fantastic side trips. It also includes a special section on Bavaria’s famous fairytale castle and precisely what you’ll need to do in order to visit it.
Clued In Travel Books 2026 