Much more than an Editors track, Munich is a thriving prosperous capital city and revels in its own contradictions. The Bavarian folklore and traditions co exist with BMWs, designer boutiques and high-powered industry. It’s somewhere you’ve probably never thought about going, but that’s all about to change…and we’re going to tell you why.
Munich boasts a thriving cultural scene with world-class art collections in its museums, and a vibrant musical energy. It is however, best known for Oktoberfest coming up this weekend (20th Sept to 5th Oct 2025 & 19th Sept to 4th Oct 2026). If you hurry you may be able to make it, this year sees the festival celebrate its 190th anniversary.
History buffs will no doubt be keen to learn that it (Oktoberfest) all began four years after Bavaria was proclaimed a kingdom. Crown Prince Ludwig – who later became King Ludwig I – and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen celebrated their wedding on October 12, 1810. The official wedding festivities lasted five days and were staged as a grand ovation to the ruling dynasty of the young Wittelsbach kingdom. The downtown festivities, which were known as a “folk festival” already, were then brought to a finale on October 17 with a horserace on a meadow in front of the gates of Munich. In honour of the bride, the festive meadow was named “Theresens-Wiese”. Thus the grounds for the Oktoberfest are called “Theresienwiese” still today – a term that’s been abbreviated to “Wiesn” in common Munich parlance. The decision to repeat the popular horserace at the same time the following year gave rise to the tradition of “October festivals” which have thrilled guests from all over the world for almost 200 years.
Nowadays, horses still compete in the grand arena of the racetrack twice a day. Guests can watch the races from a grandstand and enjoy the presentation of historic customs, groups dressed in traditional attire and folk dancing. If you’re feeling brave you can also face the challenges of the chapiteau tent -a historical velodrome where you can try your skills in mastering antique fun bicycles.
There’s also the opportunity to revisit festivals gone by, as the museum tent of the Münchner Stadtmuseum present historical exhibits and rides. Here you can experience the “Ride into Paradise” built in 1939 as well as the “Calypso” from the 1950s. Want more? Then how about a tour? Have the origins of the festival explained and see its historical motifs brought back to life. Nostalgic merry go-rounds and public spectacles, horse races, a museum tent and a multi-facetted program featuring customs and culture will testify to the unique charm of Munich’s Wiesn.
Don’t be fooled though, as already hinted at, there’s a lot more to Munich than the festival – it really is a city for all seasons. Wander about its beautiful streets and soak up the sights, the culture, the beautiful churches, its pretty parks and great beer gardens (and cellars). The popular BMW museum is sure to be a draw for any petrol heads. If you’re there for more than a weekend the Alps are on the doorstep, and there’s also skiing and sailing close by.
If you prefer hitting the shops to the slopes, you’re in luck as Munich has excellent shopping facilities, with the main areas to be found at Neuhauserstrasse and Kaufingerstrasse. Both streets are lined with large department stores and international chains. Smaller, more exclusive boutiques can be found around Maximilianstrasse and Theatinerstrasse.
The shopping gets even better come November, when the famous Christmas markets kick off. We was lucky enough to visit the Christmas markets a few years back and was taken aback by not only the beauty of the city, but also just how Christmassy it made us feel. It really is like a Hans Christian Anderson story come to life. Music, arts, crafts – and of course, GluhWein – are all thrown into the mix to provide festive frivolity. But be aware, it’s cold, cold, cold as the winter months draw in. We experienced sub-zero temperatures, so wrap up warm and keep supping the GluhWein (aka mulled wine).
Going out wise, the area around Münchener Freiheit in Schwabing is the best-known nightlife district with innumerable bars, cafes, restaurants, jazz venues and dance clubs attracting the hip and the gorgeous. Check out the streets radiating out from Gärtnerplatz for the trendiest watering holes, while the Glockenbachviertel, just south of Sendlinger Tor, is the main focus of the gay scene.
It’s worth trying to blag an extra day of holiday and staying over on the Sunday, if you can. The city club scene is quite vibrant at the best of times, but look out for the fabulous Sunday Tea Dances that take place throughout the city. Don’t be fooled; these are where Munich’s supercool and supergorgeous hang out of a Sunday afternoon and party their (thermal) socks off. Dress to impress, however, as door policies are notoriously strict – especially at P1 (Munich’s glitterati hotspot).
What we especially love about Munich is that, despite all its sophistication, it retains a touch of provincialism that we think you’ll find alluring. With great food, world-class public transport, a funky social scene and more cultural stuff than you can shake a stick at – plus with flight times of only two hours at East Midlands Airport – can you think of a reason not to go? Us neither. We’ve got our flights booked and our outfits packed already…
The official Munich tourism website:
https://www.muenchen.de/en/tourism
There are regular flights to Munich from East Midland Airport, from £65
