If you have two days to spend in Munich, Germany here are some suggestions to make the most of your time. All stops are family friendly and reachable via public transportation.
After arriving in Munich last night, we decided to do some brief exploring in the heat of the day before our planned walking tour that evening. We began by walking the grounds of Nymphemburg Palace, former summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs, located right in our neighborhood of Öbermenzing.
Due to the searing heat, we soon retreated back to our rental house. Soon, the sun set and the temperature began to drop, and we boarded the S2 train to Marienplatz, Munich’s historic central square, where we met our guide, Nino.
Marienplatz is named for St. Mary, to whom a commemorative column in the center of the square is dedicated. Visually, it is dominated by Munich’s New City Hall, a nineteenth-century Neo-Gothic structure. Its clock tower is famous for containing a giant glockenspiel.
After walking through the streets of old Munich and seeing many monumental buildings, including the old opera house, main museums, and seat of city government, we entered the English Garden, a sprawling city park, at sunset.
Likely thanks to the heat of the day, the park was lively in the evening, full of young students partying, swimming, playing volleyball, and drinking copious amounts of Bavarian beer.
Swift-moving artificial streams dart through the woods of the English Garden. In one particular spot, the supports of a road bridge cause the water to become turbulent and choppy. Locals have begun using the spot as a makeshift wave pool for surfing!
After leaving the park, we walked through the city at night, visiting the monumental courthouse and Ministry of Justice building.
After an exhausting day, we returned via train to our house.
For our second day in Munich, we decided to visit Schleißheim Palace, a complex of three castles located in the Oberschleiße suburb of Munich. Find the latest ticket price information here.
The most elaborate palace on the site is the New Palace, built in 1704 for Maximillian Emanuel, ruler of Bavaria, Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Emperor, and ancestor of Maximillian II and Ludwig II. Much of the palace has been left in a relatively unaltered state, with most rooms retaining their original floors, stucco- and plasterwork, and decorations. Here, the immense Great Staircase.
This hall was built to entertain important guests; during celebrations, its doors would be opened, allowing visitors to spill out onto the garden terrace.
This small chapel was reserved exclusively for the Queen. The cupola, which extends into the attic, allows natural light to enter the space from above, lending it an ethereal quality.
This great hall was built to house the King’s collection of Baroque paintings, which hang on a wall draped in rich red silk. It shares similarities in form and decoration with the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, which was built around the same time.
The palace gardens extend for miles, with this long canal, lined with treelined paths, connecting the New Palace to the smaller Lustheim Palace, which was built in an Italianate style.
Have more time to explore in Germany? Visit our Munich to Bavaria Day Trip post.
Looking for more travel ideas? Check out our Travel Tips and Destinations collections.
Have a great adventure!
The Passporter