Bavaria’s well-dressed state capital has us hooked, thanks to its easy summer living and cultural kudos. Here’s where to head when visiting Munich.
17 August, 2022
The Bavarian capital may be the grand old duke of Germany's cities, but don't let the lederhosen-wearing gentleman ambling through its streets give you the wrong impression. There's much more here than felted hats and leather shorts. Positioned in the country's most southern (and conservative) state, this dynamic destination looks to its alpine neighbours for inspiration on city living, giving it the well-worn moniker of "Italy's most northern city".
The influence feeds into its character. You might be munching on traditional wurst for breakfast, but dinner is just as likely to be coloured by the menus of the Mediterranean. Its breweries and beer gardens are guidebook 101s, but it's the city's cocktail bars and cafés that entice in the creative crowd. And, while its cavernous, wood-panelled beer halls might seem set up to please visitors, you'll still spot quieter corners with reserved tables for the local retirees glugging beer over platefuls of venison goulash, unconcerned about the raucousness all around.
Autumn along the Isar, left, and historic buildings in Munich's old town.
This is a university city, with a dynamism bred from the pairing of typical German efficiency with Deutschland's ever-punchy counterculture. Design-led hotels, smart boutiques, a breezy pavement café culture and a citywide enjoyment of the outdoors keeps the place from feeling too stuffy - as does a slew of nocturnal hangouts in its edgier districts.
Like all Alps-neighbouring cities, there are two distinct seasons: harsh, snow-blanketed winters and renaissance summers. Our advice? Visit in the warmer months, when residents stream, bleary-eyed, from hibernation, flooding beer gardens and bringing bottles to the city parks, or hopping onto well-run train systems to reach the glistening waters of the lakes that ring the city. Use our guide as a jumping-off point to discover this energetic German city for yourself.
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Overlooking the city's historic food market, this svelte Munich design hotel offers 72 sleek suites in the heart of the Old Town. Elegant, precise - and a little bit sexy - rooms are equipped with mid-century-inspired furnishings made from warm wood, and dressed in natural, earthy hues with soft kilim rugs underfoot. Book a market view for a murmurous morning wake-up call from the city's Viktualienmarkt stallholders.
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Devised by a trio of friends from Munich's creative scene, this Glockenbachviertel hotel reflects the bohemian character of its neighbourhood, with exposed concrete walls, a reception that doubles up as an achingly cool cocktail bar (complete with rooftop terrace) and 11 suites individually designed by DJs, bartenders, actors and musicians. Stay here if you want to explore the city's nocturnal side - you'll probably meet the DJ from Blitz on the lift back up to your loft suite come 3am. It's playful, unpretentious and a distillation of the city's counterculture.
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A green-hued, leafy address in the borough of Sendling, south-west of the city centre, this fresh new opening takes the modern hospitality found in Locke's previous European openings and pairs it with Munich's design know-how. Clean-cut studios come with fully equipped kitchens, plus access to a downstairs co-working space, coffee shop and full suite of wellness facilities. (A swim in the outdoor heated swimming pool, followed by a gym session and sauna soak, anyone?) Keep an eye out for the ensemble of dining options soon to open, too - a wine bar, farm-to-table rooftop spot and chef's table-style concept are all in the works.
Main photo credit: Cornfield / Shutterstock.com
