This is the place I was born and where I still return as often as possible. I have many friends here I went to school with, whom I worked and whom I studied with. There is hardly any place which has so much to offer like Munich - the mountains for beautiful hikes in spring, lots of lakes for swimming in summer, the Oktoberfest in fall and skiing in winter. Here are some of my favorite activities.
Hiking
In the alps, right in front of Munich's city walls, one can find numerous hikes of all difficulties. Here are some I can recommend:
- Guffert (2.195m):
a strenuous hike in the Rofan.
- Seekarkreuz (1.601m):
an easy hike high over the Tegernsee - don't miss to visit the Bräustüberl after the hike.
- Schachen (1.870m):
one of the most spectacular hikes in the Garmisch-Patenkirchen area to king Ludwig II.'s refuge; begin your hike with the Partnach Klamm.
- Rofan (2.299m):
located east of the Achensee in Tirol, Austria, this area offers spectacular hikes (try the Hochiss, 2.299m, and the Rofanspitze, 2.259m).
For some reading on popular hikes, check out this book:
Münchner Hausberge (in German).
Skiing
There are numerous skiing areas with a 2 hour's drive from Munich - here just a selection of my favorite ones:
- Sudelfeld (Germany):
the largest, connected skiing resort in Germany. Located just east of Bayrischzell it offers a good alterntive to the smaller and ofter very crowded Spitzingsee resort.
Sudelfeld.homepage «
- Hochfügen (Austria):
located at the beginning of the Zillertal, this area offers a snow often until late april due to its height. If you just plan a 1 day trip choose this instead of Mayerhofen or Hintertux. Don't miss the Kristallhütte, the world's best skiing hut!
Zillertal.homepage «
- Sella Ronda (Italy):
Also known as Dolomiti Superski this is one of the largest skiing resorts in the alps since it connects several famous towns like Gröden and the Alta Badia valley. Try out the World Cup slopes Sas Long and Dantercepies (Gröden) as well as the Grand Risa (La Villa).
DolomitiSuperSki.homepage «
- Steinplatte (Germany, Austria):
when other resorts do not have any snow - her you'll definitely find it. This resort located on the Bavarian-Austrian border offers beautiful views of the Wilder Kaiser.
Steinplatte.homepage «
Sports
FC Bayern München
If you are more the passive type or just wanna enjoy the atmosphere, try to get a ticket for the games of Bayern München and visit the Allianz-Arena located in the north of Munich.
BMW Open
In may the ITTC Iphitos in Munich-Freimann hosts the international tennis tournament BMW Open. Go there on day 2-3 when tickets are still cheap and enjoy walking around the courts seeing the top players in the world from as close as you can imagine.
Eating
Some recommendations on my favorite Munich restaurants:
- Mariabrunn:
Located 20km north of the city center this beer garden is not only the place to be for Munich's VIPs in summer, but also includes an awesome Bavarian style restaurant.
- Romans:
This restaurant is my insider's tip for all fans of Italian cuisine.