Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [260]
Radius Tours & Bike Rental (Map; 596 113; www.radiustours.com; 8.30am-6pm Apr–mid-Oct, 8.45am-noon mid-Oct–Mar) hires out bikes for €3 per hour or €14.50 per day, with a €50 deposit. You’ll find it at the end of tracks 27 to 36 in the Hauptbahnhof. Staff speak English and are happy to provide tips and advice on pedalling around Munich.
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Surfing
At the southern tip of the Englischer Garten (Map) is an artificial ‘permanent wave’ in a frigid arm of the Isar, where crowds gather at weekends to watch neoprene-clad surfers practise their moves.
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Swimming
The authorities don’t sanction bathing in the crystalline Isar River, but plenty of Müncheners can’t resist. On warm days the pebbly islets in the riverbed are lined with natives seeking a healthy glow.
Munich also has many swimming pools to cool your desires. The Olympia-Schwimmhalle (Map; 3067 2290; Olympiapark; adult/child €3.80/2.90; 7am-11pm) has long laps, or admire the spectacular art nouveau architecture while taking a dip at the Müller’sches Volksbad (Map; 2361 3434; Rosenheimer Strasse 1; adult/child €3.50/2.80; 7.30am-11pm). Take tram 18 from Karlsplatz to the ‘Am Gasteig’ stop.
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WALKING TOUR
This Altstadt circuit (Map) takes in the key sights in Munich’s historic centre and the Englischer Garten. If you include visits to all the museums and churches mentioned here, you’ve got a two-day itinerary on your hands.
Commence at the Michaelskirche (1; Click here), a richly ornamented church with barrel vaults, and the final resting place of King Ludwig II. Proceed east along Sendlinger Strasse, the main shopping drag, passing by the Frauenkirche, Munich’s landmark church. The way opens into Marienplatz, the old town square, punctuated by the Mariensäule (2; Click here) in front of the neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (3; Click here). The blue-bottomed Fischbrunnen (4; Click here) gushes peacefully near the entrance. The steeple of St Peterskirche (5; Click here) affords a great vista of the old town, including the Altes Rathaus (6; Click here), now home to a toy museum. To see amazing Asam frescoes, peek inside the Heiliggeistkirche (7; Click here).
Head east on Im Tal, taking a left into Maderbräustrasse to Orlandostrasse, site of the Hofbräuhaus (8; Click here), Munich’s most (in)famous beer hall. Then zigzag through the backstreets – west on Münzstrasse, left into Sparkassenstrasse and then into the alley Ledererstrasse. At Burgstrasse, turn right into the courtyard of the Alter Hof (9), the Wittelsbachs’ early residence in Munich. Exit north and proceed along Hofgraben, past the former Münzhof (10; mint). The street opens into the grand Maximilianstrasse and Max-Joseph-Platz, address of the grand Nationaltheater (11; Click here) and fine opera. A treasure-filled palace and museum, the Residenz (12; Click here) was the seat of the Wittelsbach rulers for over four centuries.
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WALK FACTS
Start Michaelskirche
Finish Chinesischer Turm
Distance 5km
Duration 2½ hours
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Stroll north on Residenzstrasse to reach Odeonsplatz, site of the Nazis’ first lunge at power. Here looms the Feldherrnhalle (13; Click here), a hulking shrine to war heroes. The bombastic, mustard-yellow Theatinerkirche St Kajetan (14; Click here) contains the Wittelsbachs’ family crypt. The tour heads into green territory from here, starting with the neoclassical Hofgarten (15; Click here). Cross it diagonally and go through the underpass to enter the Englischer Garten. Proceed north past the sinister-looking Haus der Kunst (16; Click here), a gallery and one-time forum for Nazi art propaganda. The leafy route winds past