City Gardens, Beer Gardens and the Sound of the Isar
Our Perfect Summer Day in Munich
but it’s winter right now? click here for the perfect winter day...
When other cities swelter in the summer heat, Munich’s close proximity to the Alps often sends a refreshing breeze through the streets, painting the sky with fluffy white clouds against a brilliant blue backdrop.
The best way to explore this charming little big city is to take a bike.
French Breakfast
We start our morning with breakfast at Café Dukatz on St.-Anna-Platz in Lehel.
Sipping on a café au lait and enjoying an éclair under the chocolate-brown awning in this elegant Gründerzeit district, we watch as the sun lights up the towers of St. Anna Church.
On Thursdays, a farmers’ market sets up on the church square.
And both the magnificent church and the market with its regional produce are definitely worth a visit after breakfast.
Royal Gardens
Nearby lies the Englischer Garten, one of the largest urban parks in the world.
We could easily spend the whole day here.
But today we’re keen to see more of Munich, so we quickly pedal over to the Hofgarten.
This Renaissance park, part of Munich’s grand royal residence, sits at the southern tip of the Englischer Garten.
It is one of our favorite city parks.
It’s a beautiful place for a boules game on the gravel paths or simply to sit on a shady bench and watch others play.
Summertime Shopping
Through the Hofgartentor, we emerge onto Odeonsplatz, with its Italian Baroque Theatinerkirche and an impressive view down Ludwigstraße to the Siegestor.
A stroll through the city center eventually brings us to Viktualienmarkt.
Of course, we can’t just walk past Manufactum, the shop for the most delightful household goods, at any time of year.
Now that it’s summer, they have balcony furniture, flower seeds, gardening tools, barbecue equipment, preserving jars and a thousand other wonderful things for indoors and outdoors.
And the little „Bread & Butter”-corner, with all its delicacies, is our favourite anyway.
At Viktualienmarkt
At Viktualienmarkt, we treat ourselves to a freshly pressed pineapple juice from one of the many juice stores or a cold brew coffee from Sweet Spot - or maybe we go for both!
And if we manage to resist stopping at Caspar Plautz , it’s only because we have another favorite spot in mind for lunch.
Otherwise, it’s always a good idea to snack your way through the market’s delicious offerings.
Exploring Glockenbachviertel
Pedaling through the flower-decorated Gärtnerplatz with its neoclassical theater is the perfect way to conquer Glockenbach neighbourhood by bike.
Those in a shopping mood will find plenty to explore here - for example at Wortwahl Buchkultur, the tiny antiques store Palma Kunkel or the interior design store HAY, which we know from Copenhagen.
We pop into the Glatteis crime bookshop and buy a book that Mrs Dobler, who knows every single one of her books, recommends, just to our liking.
When we’re hanging out by the Isar later, we can read a bit then.
We also stop at Studio 163, a small Munich label, for the most beautiful airy skirts - well worth the visit.
And our agenda wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Götterspeise Chocolaterie.
Chocolate in summer?
No worries! They also offer delicious lemonades and the best pâtes de fruits and seasonal goodies like beach bags, towels, and coolers - perfect for a summer day.
From the hip jewelry designer Saskia Diez, we pick out a toe ring or anklet, to dip in the Isar later.
It feels just right in this context, that Saskia also crafts jewelry from Isar pebbles.
Lunchtime by the Water
Finally, it’s time for a lunch break!
Homemade pasta and Vitello Tonnato at Federico’s Il Piccolo Principe is the order of the day.
Afterward, even Munich’s best espresso can’t keep our eyes from getting heavy, so we head straight to the Isar.
During the midday heat, we swim to Weideninsel and dangle our feet in the water.
Shady trees, warm pebbles, and the bubbling mountain river make this break pure relaxation.
Heading South
In the late afternoon, we cycle south along the Isar, aiming to spend the early evening in Munich’s best beer garden, which requires a little excursion.
To break up the journey to Pullach, we stop at Kiosk 1917 for a refreshing drink.
This little stand, originally a lemonade stall for the local railway, has been serving thirsty visitors since 1917.
It is pretty close to Tierpark Hellabrunn.
For those who don’t fancy swimming and reading by the river, a visit to the charming Zoo, with its magnificent old trees, is a delightful alternative.
Munich’s Most Beautiful Beer Garden
Our destination is Waldwirtschaft, affectionately called “Wawi” by the locals.
A steep path leads from the Isar up to this spacious beer garden.
At the top, we’ve truly earned our giant pretzel, Obazda-cheese and grilled chicken with potato-cucumber salad.
Under the old chestnut trees, seated at wooden tables and benches, we feel absolutely at home in Bavaria.
A jazz band plays in a decorated pavilion.
Children play in the playground at the garden’s edge, where the fish smoker sends out fragrant plumes, and the crêpe stand smells of cinnamon sugar.
Bedtime Ice Cream Treat
As dusk falls, we cycle along the sparkling Isar back into the city.
Ballabeni, Munich’s best ice cream shop, stays open until 10 pm, providing the perfect ending to our summer day.
And honestly, we couldn’t imagine a better way to wrap up a day like this.
