Things to do in Munich in Winter

Due to its proximity to the Bavarian Alps, winter in the city of Munich is very cold and snowstorms are frequent, but this is not the only impediment to enjoy all the activities offered by the capital of Bavaria.

Munich changes during the months of December to March and offers numerous attractions. If your visit to the city coincides with the German winter, it is best to put on your snow cap and warm clothes and go out to enjoy the best tours and excursions in Munich.

The Nymphenburg Palace is one of Munich' s great attractions and also a popular destination in winter, when the 500+ square meter canal right in front of it freezes over to become a huge ice skating rink.

Although you can only enter the front part of the Palace Gardens, as the back section is closed during the winter season, the chance to skate on the ice of a frozen canal is worth the visit. In addition, access is very easy, because it is located near the center of Munich and the entrance from October to March costs about 9 €.

Inside the Nymphenburg you can rent skates, if you don't have your own, and when night falls, the illumination of the Palace is a magical experience. Undoubtedly, one of the activities that Munich offers to do with children and a must if you enjoy winter sports.

Interesting facts

• Price: The entrance fee is approximately 9 €.
• Hours: The gardens are open from 10 am to 6 pm.
• Location: Schloß Nymphenburg 1, Munich.
• How to get there: By streetcar 17 from the Central Station, by cab or private car or you can book the Munich sightseeing bus and so you can take advantage of it twice.

While visiting Neuschwanstein Castle can be done at any time of the year, seeing it covered in snow and with the nearby hills covered in snow can be a unique spectacle. In addition, in winter it is easier to get tickets and your visit will probably be more enjoyable with a smaller group of visitors.

Located two hours from Munich, it is one of the most beautiful castles in Germany and probably the most famous in the country. Built by Ludwig II, it is known as the castle of the Mad King. The best option to visit it is to book an excursion to Neuschwanstein Castle so you don't have to worry about transportation and entrance fees.

Visiting this castle will not only allow you to enjoy one of the most emblematic sites of Bavaria that was the inspiration of many artists, but also to know the secrets hidden in the surroundings of Munich.

Interesting facts

• Price: There are several alternatives to visit the castle. The best option is with an organized tour that starts at 48 euros.
• Hours: The castle is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm.
• Location: Neuschwansteinstrasse 20, in Schwangau.
• How to get there: The best way to get to the castle is with an organized tour. Other alternatives are by car, a trip of about two hours from Munich and by train to Fussen and then transfer to bus 73 to the entrance of Neuschwanstein.

Touring the Hofbraeuhaus brewery and drinking a beer in its old tavern is one of the must-do excursions during your visit to Munich. During the winter this activity makes even more sense, because in the city all the open-air breweries are closed and Hofbrauhaus is one of the few that has ample space to receive thousands of visitors.

The brewery is a must in Munich and you will be surprised by the festive atmosphere inside the tavern. No matter what time you visit, it will be packed and you will always hear the music of the orchestra and the clinking of beer mugs. During the cold winter it is a perfect refuge.

If you book a food tour in Munich, Hofbrauhaus is usually included. In addition, it is one of the six breweries that perform every year at the Oktoberfest, meeting the rigorous demands of beer quality imposed by the organizers.

Interesting facts

• Price: Admission is free. A one-liter mug of beer costs approximately 8 €. The food dishes are from 11 €.
• Opening hours: Open from 11 am to midnight every day.
• Location: Platzl 9, Munich.
• How to get there: By subway lines U3 and U6 getting off at Marienplatz station; by train on lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7 and S8, and by bus line 132.

The Zugspitze Glacier is the highest point in Germany and is also one of the best day trips in Munich due to its proximity to the Alps. There you can see the glacier, ski and sled, all just over an hour away from Marienplatz.

The most recommended option to visit the glacier is to book a day trip to Zugspitze where you will be taken by bus to the base of the glacier, you can climb to the top in the cable car and also have lunch at one of the restaurants located at the peak of the Bavarian Alps.

These excursions usually last approximately eight hours and if you are interested in doing it I recommend that you book in advance, as in winter they are usually sold out quickly.

Interesting facts

• Price... The excursions with round trip transfer and cable car ticket start at 119 euros.
• Time... Excursions usually last approximately eight hours.
• Location... Bavarian Alps on the Austrian border.
• How to get there... By cab, car or van or private bus.

This is one of the most interesting winter plans in Munich. The surroundings of Olympiapark offer the ideal setting for you to hurtle down the hill with your sled. It's a fun experience where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

The best place in Olympiapark to go sledding is around the lake next to the stadium. There you can have a long descent, as well as direct access to the Olympiaberg viewpoint, an artificial mountain created in 1972 to give perspective to the Olympic Park. With its 565 meters it marks the highest point in Munich, from where you can see from the Sea Life Aquarium. Another visit which, by the way, is a must. Do not hesitate to book your tickets for the Munich Aquarium.

This activity is also practiced in other areas such as Westpark or the English Garden, the largest park in Europe and a constant site of visit for bicycle tours in Munich, but in Olympiapark races are organized and its hills are the highest in a flat city, plus it is an easily accessible site and free admission.

Interesting facts

• Price: Admission is free.
• Hours: The park is open 24 hours a day.
• Location: Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, Munich.
• How to get there: By subway lines U2 and U3 from Olympiazentrum station or by bus line 173.

Munich offers one of the most beautiful views during the winter season. As the imperial city of Bavaria, it has a medieval architecture that stands out when bathed in a blanket of snow, and although the city center does not have very tall buildings, the 91-meter tower of St. Peter's Church, on the side of Marienplatz, will delight you with a sweeping view of a snowy Munich.

The highest point of the church observatory is reached by a spiral staircase that ends at the top. The entrance fee is about 3 € and it is a very interesting activity in winter, because the crowds are less crowded and the visits are more pleasant. In addition, you can make the most of your visit to St. Peter's Church by taking a tour of the interior, as it is one of the oldest and most beautiful in Germany.

The church was severely damaged during World War II, so it is also a point of visit if you book a tour of the Third Reich.

Interesting facts

• Price: The entrance fee is approximately 3 €.
• Hours: The church is open daily from 7:30 am to 7 pm.
• Location: Rindermarkt 1, Munich.
• How to get there: By subway lines U3 and U6 getting off at Marienplatz station or by trains on lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S6, S7, S8, S27, SP1 and SP2.

Munich is a city full of green spaces. The English Garden is not only the largest park in the city, but in all of Europe. Visiting it in winter while it is covered with snow is an incredible sight. The Kleinhesseloher Lake, which is located in the middle of the park, often freezes over and turns into a skating rink.

The English Garden also has the Chinese Tower beer garden, although as it is a high-rise, open-air space during the winter it remains closed. Instead, during the months of December and January, you will find one of the best places to go if you are in Munich at Christmas, a fantastic Christmas market.

Walking through the English Garden enjoying the snow and the tranquility of one of the most beautiful spots in the city can be a great experience. You might even end up making a snowman in the meadows of Burgfriedensäule while listening to the squawking of the geese. Just don't forget to bring your coat!

Interesting facts

• Price: Admission is free.
• Hours: The park is open 24 hours a day.
• Location: On the west bank of the river Isar.
• How to get there: Metro lines U2 and U3 from Universitat station, streetcar line 18 or bus line 154.

The Tollwood festival is organized every year in December on the Theresienwiese field and becomes a huge event dedicated to cultural, political, climate and environmental issues.

But this alternative festival is not only the scene of cultural tents, there are also more than fifty food stalls, children's attractions, music shows and a wide range of activities, most of which are free of charge. In addition, on New Year's Eve, Tollwood hosts one of the best parties in the city.

The festival, which receives about five hundred thousand visitors each year, became a reference in the city since its first edition in 1991. Since 1999 it has been held on Theresienwiese, the same field that every year, between September and October, hosts the famous Oktoberfest.

Interesting facts

• Price: Admission to the festival is free and to most of the shows as well.
• Hours: You can enter the site from 2 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
• Location: Theresienwiese 1, Munich.
• How to get there: by U4 and U5 to Theresienwiese station or by U3 and U6 to Goetheplatz and Poccistrasse stations; by bus on lines 53, 58, 131, 132 and 134, and by train on the S1-S8 service to Hackerbrücke.

At Olympiapark you can not only enjoy a toboggan run, but it is also the perfect place for skiing. Munich is a flat city and therefore has no professional ski slopes, so if you want to ski during the day you can do so on its winding hills. You won't reach the heights of the Alpine resorts, but you're sure to have a fun experience.

The ideal area for skiing inside the park is the same area where sled races are held or where visitors practice snowboarding, around the lake next to the stadium and making the most of the long descent that starts at the Olympiaberg viewpoint. With 565 meters downhill you have more than enough space to spend a good time with boards and poles.

The viewpoint is also a good excuse to get to the top and before dropping to contemplate the skyline of the city that starts at the Olympiastadion ghost station and is lost on the horizon.

Interesting facts

• Price: Admission is free.
• Hours: The park remains open 24 hours.
• Location: The park is located at Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, Munich.
• How to get there: By subway lines U2 and U3 from Olympiazentrum station or by bus line 173.

It is the ideal activity if what you are looking for in Munich is to relax your body. There you can enjoy heated pools, steam baths and saunas that will make you forget that outside the temperature is below zero degrees. You can also use the water slides and thermal pools.

Müllersches Volksbad also offers a spa treatment service in a salon called Therma Erding. This excursion is ideal to escape for a few hours from the cold of Munich or to rest and relax the body after a long walk through the city.

I recommend that you keep in mind that the general admission is only for the use of the main heated pool and sauna. The rest of the services must be contracted separately.

Interesting facts

• Price: The general admission has an approximate cost of 15 €.
• Opening hours: Open daily from 7:30 am to 11 pm.
• Location: Rosenheimer Strasse 1, Munich.
• How to get there: By subway lines U4 and U5 getting off at Max-Weber-Platz station, by train on lines S1, S2, S4 and S8 and by bus line 132.

Temperatures in Munich in winter are not so low, but it does snow quite often. In December and January, the coldest months, the maximum temperature is 5º C and the minimum -4º C

In February and March temperatures reach a maximum of 9º C and a minimum of one degree, with frequent rain and snowfall.

Due to the low temperatures, the number of visitors drops substantially, so it is a good time to tour the city at leisure and enjoy the attractions that during the summer months have a large number of tourists.

The costs of accommodation and some excursions also drop, and it is an ideal time to book excursions from Munich to the surrounding area, such as the tour to Rothenburg, the excursion to Berchtesgaden or to Salzburg.

During the winter, the temperature in Munich drops substantially and the city has beautiful scenery, so you may spend a lot of time outdoors, something you should take into account when packing your luggage. Here is a list of items you should not miss when visiting Munich in winter:

• Winter coats.
• Waterproof and comfortable boots.
• Thermal socks.
• Waterproof and tactile gloves.
• Woolen hat.
• Woolen scarves.
• Sunglasses.
• Wool sweaters.
• Fleece pants.
• Thermal fleece.

If you visit Munich in winter, you probably already know that you will have to wrap up warm to avoid getting cold, and you are probably willing because many of the activities that Munich has to see and do are outdoors, but they also have other alternatives for when you need to escape the wind and snow for a while.

You can visit cafes, beer gardens, restaurants and bars in the Marienplatz area, where they abound. You also have the option of museums. Among them I recommend the BMW and the Munich Pinakothek. And my favorite plan is to book tickets for a classical music concert.

And, of course, there are many palaces, castles and tours of film locations and production companies that can be great fun to get out of the city's street circuit. Are you ready to tour Munich in winter?