When I came to Munich nearly two years ago for my studies, I was super excited to explore this famous historic city. It didn’t let me down at all, and the mix of internationalism and unique Bavarian culture was exactly what I thought it would be. It’s so much fun exploring Munich alone, and it’s something that you shouldn’t be worried about at all. It’s really not difficult to make friends in this city, all you really need to do is head to the nearest beer hall and take a couple of sips of the Bavarian beer and you’ll be fine – that’s what most people do! In my Munich solo travel guide, hopefully I can give you a few tips on how to get the most out of your trip and start living like a true Bavarian. I’ll be going over some of the best places to stay and what to do in Munich by yourself so that you can get a real taste for this fascinating city.
Where to Stay
If you’re going to solo travel Munich, the first thing you should have in mind is a good base for exploring. The first place I have to bring up is of course the city center. I don’t think there’s anywhere that really comes close to here for being right in the middle of all of the main attractions and best historical sites. If you want to get somewhere with a bit of traditional character, you should try somewhere around the historic central square Marienplatz. There’s a lot of restaurants and bars around here so it’s a nice social place to start off with. Another area that’s worth staying is around the university, just a bit further up from Odeonsplatz. This is obviously a very young part of the city that’s got a lot of nice historical monuments and churches too. Both of these areas have lots of good hotels at a variety of different prices.
Even though the city center is quite small, there’s actually a lot of places in Munich that make for great accommodation options. The first place I’d really recommend staying is next to the Ostbahnhof (the Eastern central train station). My reasoning for this is because the neighborhood is actually very quiet so it’s much cheaper than say the city center which can be pretty expensive. I have a friend that lives here and it’s about ten minutes’ walk to the train station and then just a couple of minutes on the train and you’re in the center. If you wanted something really different, you could find traditional German accommodation in one of the picturesque towns that are just outside of the city. I’d really recommend the beautiful lakeside village of Starnberg or Ebersberg if you’re visiting Munich alone, simply because they’re small and picturesque, but there’s still enough to do so that you won’t really get bored. They’re also super easy to reach from the city which is a bonus.
Things to Do
For sure the first thing you have to do when you’re visiting Munich alone is head to the city center. This is the part of the city where you see everything that makes it so unique; things like the amazing historical locations and the unique style of Bavarian culture. Your first stop should be to some of the must see historical attractions that have influenced history greatly over the years. The first is Hofbräuhaus, a super traditional Bavarian beer hall which is where Adolf Hitler gave his first ever speech - it’s somewhere that I think everyone should see. Another fascinating area that’s in the city center is Odeonsplatz. This is a really important square where they would hold the military parades in Nazi Germany with thousands of soldiers. When you’re exploring Munich alone, I think it’s important to areas like this first because it tells the story of how the city got to where it is today.
One of the must do things to in Munich on your own should be to go to Deutsches Museum – it’s the biggest natural sciences museum in Europe. I’m currently completing my master’s in medical physics and I find this place so fascinating. So, if you’re into science, then I think you are going to love it here. When it starts to get hotter in summer, lots of tourists and locals begin to go to the parks in Munich. Other than the beer gardens, I think spending some time in the parks is probably the best way of meeting some new people because pretty much everyone in the city will be here. If you’re interested in spending some time outside in nature, then I’d recommend going to either the English Garden or Olympia Park. Both of these are huge, very beautiful and you could easily spend an afternoon in either of them. I think one of the coolest things to do in Munich at night is to go up the Olympic Tower in Olympia Park – you’ll get insane views of the city.
If you really want to solo travel Munich the proper way, then you really have to go the beer gardens. I love these places because they’re a really special thing for Munich specifically. You can have a taste of Oktoberfest any time of the year! The beer halls are where so many people from the city meet and I think it’s really where the true culture of the city really shines. When my friends come to visit, they often go to the beer gardens to mix with some new people, so they’re really good if you’re visiting Munich alone and want to make some new friends. If you want a good one, then you should really try the Augustina-Keller right in the center. It’s pretty popular here, but it’s a really interesting place to come if you want a really traditional German experience with a huge outside area that has lots of tables shaded by some really beautiful trees. It can sometimes feel like you’ve just stepped outside of the city into the Bavarian countryside.
Where to Eat
There are loads of places to get great food in Munich now, partly thanks to how international it has become over the years. The central Hofbräuhaus that I mentioned earlier on is definitely a must visit for anyone who wants a traditional German dining experience. The menu is entirely made up of hearty Bavarian classics like wiener sausages and the suckling pig which is really good. It’s also pretty fascinating to eat inside such a historically important place which hasn’t really changed since it first opened. This is easily the most famous beer hall in the world and it’s where a lot of locals and tourists come, so if you want to drink and meet people, this is where to do it. If you want to experience one of the best things to do in Munich at night, you really have to come to one of our beer halls.
Tips
The first thing I’ll say about transport is that you should definitely check out the day tickets when you’re travelling around. There’s a couple of different types you can get – one of which allows you to travel around the city and another that allows you to go a bit further out if that interests you also. You use these on the U-Banh and the S-Bahn and it’s definitely the easiest way of getting around. We also have taxis which are very reliable, although Uber is pretty much banned in most of Germany. Instead we have Taxi EU which is pretty much exactly the same as Uber – just download the app and you can book. One of the most important questions is ‘is Munich safe to travel alone?’ I think pretty much everywhere in Germany is very safe, and Munich especially! You can walk most places after dark and even for solo female travel, Munich is super safe. If you are still a bit cautious though, stick to the city centre and stay in places like Marienplatz or Karlsplatz.
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