The secret to the perfect weekend in Munich
Go now
The tankards are being cleared, the floor mopped. Munich (muenchen.de) is best known for Oktoberfest, but the most famous of beer festivals finished on Tuesday – allowing the Bavarian capital to return to being a cultural and gourmet enclave. British Airways (ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com), Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) and Eurowings (eurowings.com) fly here.
Munich - City break map
Stay here
Arguably the city’s finest five-star option, the Mandarin Oriental (1) in the old town provides fabulous suites from £497, room only. A little less luxurious but no less comfortable, boutique retreat the Hotel Opera (2) has doubles for £132, room only.
Walk here
Marienplatz (3) is home to both the Altes and the Neues Rathaus – the Old and New Town Halls. The former, initially constructed in 1392, is a medieval wedding cake; the latter, hailing to 1874, a Gothic joy. Amble west on Kaufingerstrasse, then north on Liebfrauenstrasse, into Frauenplatz – where the giant Frauenkirche (4), Munich’s 15th-century cathedral, also suffered in 1945, but has had all wounds repaired.
See this
Munich used to be the seat of the Dukes of Bavaria. The story lingers in the Residenz (5) (residenz-muenchen.de; €9), their elegant palace, carved over six centuries. Highlights include the Schatzkammer, the treasury.
Try this
The Glyptothek (6) is the only museum in the world solely dedicated to ancient sculpture, and contains a grand feast of ancient Roman and Greek artefacts (antike-am-koenigsplatz.mwn.de/en/glyptothek-munich.html; €6).
Shop here
Ebbing south-east off Marienplatz, Rindermarkt is one of Munich’s most intriguing retail squares, offering the hard liquor of Whisk(e)y Shop Tara (7) (whiskyversand.de). Parallel on Viktualienmarkt, the massive Kustermann (8) (kustermann.de) department store dates to 1798.
Drink here
Those who dream of Oktoberfest can sup a pint or two of its ethos at the Hofbrauhaus (9) (hofbraeuhaus.de), a Munich institution since 1589. Those who fancy something more upmarket can try Zephyr Bar (10) (zephyr-bar.de), where cocktails such as the Wall Cutter (whisky, mescal, vermouth) are €13.
Eat here
Rocca Riviera (11) (roccariviera.com) is reliable for lunch or dinner – a modern affair serving codfish loin with chorizo for €22. Alternatively, the award-winning Matsuhisa at the Mandarin Oriental (mandarinoriental.com/munich/altstadt/fine-dining) delves into chic Japanese cuisine, with its Black Cod Yuzu Miso costing €42.
Off the map
Four miles north of the centre – accessible via Petuelring station on the U3 and U8 U-bahn lines (€1.40; mvg.de) – BMW Welt is a gleaming showcase for the German car manufacturer, complete with a museum full of classic models (€10; bmw-welt.com).
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