CityBuddy
Englischer Garten (English Garden) & Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower)
Best time to visit
Early morning on weekdays to avoid crowds; late afternoon on warm days for lively beer garden atmosphere and good light for photos.
Budget tips
Park access is free; food and drink at the Chinese Tower beer garden are paid, many stalls accept cards but bringing some cash helps; save money by packing a picnic or buying snacks at a nearby supermarket before arriving.
Recommended for
Families, Beer garden lovers, Photography enthusiasts, Outdoor walkers and runners
Plan your visit
2-3 hours
About
Quick facts: Step into a sprawling city park that covers more than three square kilometers, even larger than New York's Central Park, and you might watch surfers ride a standing wave on a narrow urban stream while people picnic on sunlit lawns. Nearby, a pagoda-like wooden tower anchors one of Europe's largest beer gardens where brass bands play, chestnut trees shade thousands of picnic benches, and the air fills with roasted pretzels and lager.
Highlights: A narrow urban stream hides a standing wave where up to a dozen surfers rotate through the same curl all day, their boards slapping and camera shutters clicking as roughly 200 spectators cheer from the grassy bank. Beneath a 25-meter wooden pagoda a beer garden of about 7,000 seats fills with the smell of roast pork and stein clinks, while brass bands in lederhosen play on Sunday afternoons and strangers clap along to old Bavarian tunes.
Insider tips
- Wear comfortable shoes and layers, paths can be muddy after rain.
- Photograph the Chinese Tower from the east side and climb the Monopteros for a wide park view.
- Skip the central beer garden at weekend midday, walk deeper into the park for quieter picnic spots.
- Watch the Eisbach surfers from the pedestrian bridge near Haus der Kunst in late afternoon for fast action shots.
Where to Stay in Munich
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More attractions in Munich
Marienplatz & Neues Rathaus (Glockenspiel)
Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)
Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Palace)
Deutsches Museum
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