Our 24 Hours in Munich

We get up, sip some coffee on the balcony and then go for a quick run through one of Munich’s many parks. The northern part of the English Garden, has become a recent favourite of ours and feels like a secret spot. Only five minutes away from Münchner Freiheit and you’re in the middle of nowhere! It’s also a lot less crowded than the southern part.

After a shower, we head out for some breakfast – either a traditional Bavarian Weißwurst breakfast at Wassermann or pancakes at Soda or Tresznjewski. Another classic breakfast place is Cafe Reitschule.

Then we have to check out at least one of the many museums for which Munich is renowned, like the Haus der Kunst or Hypo Kunsthalle. They always have exhibitions worth seeing.

For a quick coffee break or a piece of pie in between the museums stops, our favourite cafés are the Backerl (because there is always sun in the morning and everything is homemade), tiny Necado in Schwabing (that serves undoubtedly the best coffee in town), and Café Clara at Isabella Straße (the best place for homemade cakes and pies).

Since the city centre is not far, we might go for a little shopping stroll down Theatinerstraße into Maximilianstraße. One of our favourite shops is Leidmann for extravagant eyewear and a very inspiring store concept too. Marion Heinrich is an institution for all Munich fashionistas and is on par with the boutiques of Paris and New York. Next up is Mohrmann where you can always find something special. Last, but not least, you must pick up something for a rainy day at A Kind of Guise Store, something up-and-coming at House of Hrvst, and something lovely for your home at Falkenberg.

After a quick lunch break at or around Viktualienmarkt (the opportunities are endless: Riva Bar, Due Passi, Poseidon, Bar Centrale), our shopping trip gets a bit more indie in the Glockenbach district. But first, there are a few extraordinary lunch (or dinner) spots that deserve a mention here. For typical Bavarian dishes we’ve got the Kaisergarten, a beautiful beer garden for sunny days; the KVR for some good steak with a traditional Bavarian atmosphere; and the Osterwaldgarten, right next to the English Garden. Seeking an Italian flavour? Enjoy a delicious pizza in a casual atmosphere at Passaparola or classic Italian food at Seerose. Lovers of Asian food are in good hands at Ahn Thu, Munich’s finest Vietnamese cuisine.

Tired from walking, we might grab a quick cappuccino and some amazing cake at Götterspeise or dip our sore feet into the Isar river with a cold beverage in hand from the famous 24hr Kiosk on Reichenbachbrücke. Well-rested and refreshed we’d start walking back towards Odeonsplatz. It takes a while because we always meet friends on the way and stop for a chat, especially at Gärtnerplatz, which seems to be the number one hangout for anyone in Munich under the age of 30. When we finally get close to Odeonsplatz, we buy some freshly baked bread at Manufactum for the next morning, followed by a refreshing Munich Mule at Schumann’s Bar (they have amazing homemade ginger beer).

After some very entertaining people watching, we move just a couple of metres to KOI to make a dinner reservation with friends. Full and happy from the amazing Japanese fusion food, we’re finally ready to go home. We’re already looking forward to the next amazing day in our small but beautiful and diverse city, known as ‘Monaco di Bavaria’ (the Monaco of Bavaria). Plans might take us hiking in the mountains or to one of the many lakes right outside the city gates. There are so many choices and so many opportunities for adventure!