Upon visiting what is often regarded as the beer capital of Europe, I was glad I decided to venture out to do one thing rather than stay amid the tourist traps. During a recent interrailing trip around Europe, one of my stops was Munich, a city I absolutely fell in love with. The German city is often regarded as the beer capital of Europe, largely because it is home to the iconic Oktoberfest beer festival. I stayed in the city centre, but I was glad I did one thing while I was there: venturing out to the local parks to discover something special.
Munich is full of tourist-oriented things to do. This includes Munich Marienplatz, the BMW Museum, Deutsches Museum and Residenz München. While these are all well worth visiting and conveniently located in the centre of the city, there is one thing you need to make sure you do when you are in Munich, and I’m so glad I did it during my few days there. When you’re in Munich, you need to leave the city centre and head to some of the local parks because there, you will find some of the loveliest beer gardens.
Munich is famous for its beer drinking. While thousands flock to Munich every year for Oktoberfest, it is a go-to for beer drinkers all year round.
In fact, there are a multitude of beer-oriented experiences for tourists in Munich, including beer tours of the city and brewery visits. But by simply wandering into some of the stunning parks outside the city centre, you’ll find gorgeous beer gardens.
One of the places that I fell in love with was Cafe Gans am Wasser. I gladly stumbled across this spot when walking through Westpark, where you will also find BMW Park.
This little spot was full of the quirkiest furniture, an array of beer options, and plenty of food. The atmosphere was just so lovely, and it was perhaps the highlight of my time in Munich.
Plus, there is another beer garden a short walk away on the other end of Westpark. I love a walk in the park, and Munich is a stunning place to do just this.
Even without the beer gardens, I was blown away by the city’s serene parks. One of my other favourites was Olympiapark. This spot is full of hills, where you get some of the best views of Munich and learn about the fascinating Olympic history.
Of course, there are a few beer gardens here, which have a gorgeous atmosphere as locals lie back and chill on a sunny afternoon. I also visited the English Gardens, where there were numerous beer gardens with traditional Bavarian food and beer.
The English Gardens is a huge park with winding trails through forested areas, wide open spaces, small rivers and a lake where you will come across some beautiful birds. It is perhaps one of the most beautiful parks I have ever been in.
Munich’s city centre is full of great bars, but like many places, not enough people venture outside of the touristy hotspots to visit the local parks where residents of the city spend their time.
While it doesn’t have a beer garden, it is also worth visiting Nymphenburg Palace. It’s a glorious green space that I couldn’t stop gawking at due to its manicured beauty.
I spent three days in Munich before I left for Stuttgart, my next destination. Beer gardens in local parks that I didn’t get to visit include Hirschgarten, Flaucher, and Aumeister.