Summer in Munich

Munich, Germany. By Packing my Suitcase

Summer makes Munich even more interesting and a total different city than what it is during winter. From the dark and cold days to a very hot and sunny city, and from being stuck inside to simply go out in the streets and experience what Munich has to offer this season.

If you are in Munich or planning to visit it during this summer, there are plenty of options to choose from to enjoy the most of the city and the sun. Therefore, I have made a list to help you decide what to do if you are around, and if you are not, you can save it for whenever you come:

The München Tram

Tired of the hop on hop off buses found in every European city? Trying to find a nice and different way to have a quick overview of Munich? Take the München Tram, the ride takes you around the city during 55 minutes. Don’t forget to check the dates and time and buy your ticket online!

Tram in Munich. By Packing my Suitcase

Barbecue (grillen)

Besides beer, football and potatoes, the Germans love making a barbecue on a sunny day. On the weekends is a challenge to find a free spot to make your barbecue, everyone seems to have the same idea. So if you want to join, a weekday must be the best option. One of the most famous places to barbecue is on the riverside of the Isar, where you can also enjoy swimming and tanning.

Isar, Munich. By Packing my Suitcase

Sit outside and have a cold drink!

Choose a nice café or restaurant to sit outside and just take your time to enjoy the food and a refreshing drink, like the famous Hugo, an Aperol Spritz or a Schorle (juice + sparkling water)!

Summer in Munich, by Packing my Suitcase.

Take a walk around the parks

Take a walk in one of Munich’s parks, you will see a bit of everything: pic nicks, dogs swimming, people getting tanned, kids playing around, ice creams melting, someone drinking a cold beer and some just relaxing on the grass, just watch out for the bikes, there will be lots of them.

There are several amazing parks in Munich: English Garden, Rosengarten, Luitpold Park, the Olympic Park, the Nymphenburg Park and many more.

Olympia Park

Olympic Park

Englischer Garten

Englischer Garten

Nymphemburg Castle's Park

Nymphenburg Park

Biergarten!

Enjoy the various types of German beer and eat traditional Bavarian food at a famous Biergarten – or Beer Garden – enjoying the sun and maybe even traditional music played by live bands. A nice way to get the feeling of the Oktoberfest. Need a list? Look no further, here you find a map with some awesome biergarten around town.

Biergarten at the Englischer Garten

Biergarten at the Englischer Garten

Go surfing, why not?

Love surfing? Who said you can’t surf in Munich? I often see surfers on the streets, the first time I thought: where do they think they are going with surfboards? So I was told about this famous place, the Eisbach – part of the English Garden – where is possible to surf or simply watch the surfers. As the name says – Ice Creek – the water can be a little cold, but some people just don’t care, especially in warm day.

Surfing at the the Isar

Surfing at the Isar

Have an ice cream

If after all the walking and heat you need to freshen up your day, stop by one of the ice cream parlours around the city. One of my favorites is Der Verrückte Eismacher (The crazy ice cream maker). Others you may like: Ballabeni, Artefredda, Del Fiore.

ice cream in Munich

Summer Festivals

Summer in Munich, by Packing my Suitcase.

Some summer festivals happen each year in Munich, and the main ones are the Tollwood Festival and the impark Sommerfestival, both at the Olympic Park.

The Tollwood Festival happens every year starting at the end of June until mid July. The festival offers food stands with dishes from all over the world, as well as drinks, handcrafts, live music and much much more. It is located at the Olympic Park and it it’s open from 2pm – 1am (Mon-Fri) and from 11am – 1am (Sat-Sun). Here you can check the exact dates and more information about Tollwood.

Once Tollwood is over, there is still some time to enjoy the rest of the summer at the Olympic Park with the impark Sommerfestival. With Ferris wheels and other rides, games, food stalls, water activities, and famous bands, it’s one of the coolest festivals in Munich throughout the year.

*The Tollwood festival also happens during winter, and it’s called Winter Tollwood, which is basically a huge Christmas Market.

Go to an Open Air Cinema

During the warmer months, Munich also offers some great open air cinemas, unfortunately only a few movies are played in their original version, which means most of them are in German. Some of the locations are the Kino am Olympiasee, Viehhof-Open-Air-Kino, and Kino, Mond und Sterne. For more options, programs and information, check here.

Summer in Munich, by Packing my Suitcase.

Foto: kinoamolympiasee.de

Open Air Cinema in Munich. Photo by Kino am Olympiasee.

Enjoy your summer!