✈️ TLV to Munich (MUC)
Germany
Munich
CityMUC
IATA2657.1 km
Distance3h 44m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 48.3538, 11.7861
Airlines:
About Munich
Weather in Munich
Understand
—Ernest Hemingway Tourist information , Neues Rathaus, Marienplatz , ☏ +49 89 233 96500 , tourismus.gs@muenchen.de . M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 10:00-14:00 . The official tourist office is in New Town Hall and can make bookings for tours, hotels and events. ( updated Dec 2022 ) Munich tourism website
Climate
Munich has a continental climate, strongly modified by the city's altitude and proximity to the northern edge of the Alps. This means that precipitation is high, and rainstorms can come violently and unexpectedly. Winters last from December to March. Munich experiences cold winters, but heavy rainfall or snowfall is rarely seen in the winter. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of −2.2°C (28.0°F). Snow cover is seen for at least a couple of weeks during winter. Summers in Munich are warm and pleasant, with an average maximum of 23.8°C (73.8°F) in the hottest months. Summers last from May until September. An oddity of Munich is the Föhn wind, a warm and dry down-slope wind from the Alps, which can raise temperatures sharply within a few hours, even in winter, and increases visibility to more than 100 km (60 mi). These winds are sometimes associated with illnesses ranging from migraines to psychosis. The first clinical review of these effects was published by the Austrian physician Anton Czermak in the 19th century. Residents of Munich sometimes use the Föhn as an excuse for having a bad mood, which should not be taken too seriously.
Get around
The innermost city is walkable and the outer fringes are suitable for a car. For everything else use the excellent public transport system.
Theatre, opera and music
Theatres are mostly in Altstadt , Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt and Maxvorstadt . Plays are almost always in German, while opera, ballet and music transcend language. Gasteig arts centre on the east riverbank is closed for rebuilding until 2027. The Philharmonic Orchestra and other residents have moved to HP8, a temporary home in Sendling . Cinema : foreign movies are normally dubbed with German voices. Adverts will indicate if the movie is in its original version with no overdubbing, OmU for original with German subtitles, and OmeU for original with English subtitles. "Cinema" movie theatre by Stiglmaierplatz shows all movies in their original language. Museum Lichtspiele in Haidhausen and the multiplex Mathäser at Stachus often show movies in their original version.
Eat
Bavarian cuisine is the main offering, majoring on sausages and other pork. Munich specialities are Weißwurst (a breakfast sausage served until noon and not a second later, washed down with Weissbier), Schweinsbraten (roasted pork) or Schweinshaxe (roasted pig's knuckle). Other trad dishes such as schnitzel are popular but not specifically Bavarian. Beer gardens and beer halls serve heaps of all these. Leberkässemmeln is a white roll filled with a thick warm slice of "Leberkäse" — which, despite its name, contains neither liver nor cheese. It's a mix of veal, pork, spices and a hint of lemon zest baked in an open pan and served with a sweet and grainy mustard. Buy these filling, inexpensive snacks at butchers rather than bakers. Brezel (pretzel) with weisswurst (white sausage) and sweet mustard is a traditional breakfast in Munich. Bavarian / Austrian cakes and tortes can be bought by the slice at countless bakeries and cafés. There's also a great array of bread: one local snack is pretzels, "Brezn". International cuisines are widely available, especially Italian, with a strong showing also of Chinese, Turkish, Arab and Japanese. Vegetarian, vegan and GF food is found in many restaurants, and there are specialist vegetarian cafes. Bakeries sell bread, pastries, sandwiches, salads and sometimes broader offerings such as soup. One Munich-only bakery chain is Rischart . See "Buy" above for fresh and seasonal food markets.
Drink
Oktoberfest is the huge event held over 16-17 days in Theresienwiese in Ludwigsvorstadt . You need to feel comfortable in dense crowds. Beer halls serve the product of a particular brewery and are often within their historic brewing and cellar premises, cleared when production moved elsewhere. Concentrated in Altstadt, there's typically a ground-floor "brown table" area, an upstairs swankier "white table" restaurant, and suites for events and functions. Outside if space permits is a beer garden. The beer hall in which Hitler launched the infamous Munich putsch of 1923 has been demolished. Beer gardens may be summer-only but several are year-round, albeit weather-dependent. They may be self- or table-service, and all serve traditional meals or snacks such Riesenbrezn (big pretzels) and Steckerlfisch (cured fish). You're allowed to bring your own food but not drink. Drinks are typically litre mugs (Maß) of beer or of Radler , a shandy of beer and lemonade. Beer gardens are family-friendly (with play areas within parental sight) and diverse, welcoming a motley crowd including well-behaved dogs. There are over two dozen around the city, good examples being Hofbräuhaus in Altstadt (very touristy), Viktualienmarkt in Altstadt (with beer from all the major breweries), Chinese Tower in English Garden, Paulaner and Bavariapark in Ludwigsvorstadt, and Löwenbräukeller and Augustiner in Maxvorstadt. Paulaner am Nockherberg in Haidhausen hosts a strong beer festival in March. Bars number over a thousand, so you can but make a start. Some oddities worth seeking out are Goldene Bar in Lehel, Minna Thiel (with a DJ in an old railbus) and Bar Sehnsucht in Maxvorstadt, Cronlein (in a former rest room) and CCC Container Collective in Haidhausen, and Alte Utting (a lake steamer perched on railway tracks) in Ludwigsvorstadt. There are also numerous rooftop bars in Munich. Clubs and discos of Munich have launched many a famous name. In the 1990s the city became a centre for rave and techno. You need a photo-ID to get in: 18 is the standard minimum age. Dress codes are casual. While the door policy in Munich clubs is generally more loose than strict, some clubs deny entry to larger groups of people who just seem to be out for a random party and don't fit the club scene at hand. Popular nightlife districts are Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Maxvorstadt, the northern part of Sendling and Haidhausen; the latter includes the industrial-scale Werksviertel entertainment complex. See Cope for local listing services and Do for music festivals. Techno clubs include Blitz Club , Bahnwärter Thiel , Rote Sonne , Harry Klein , DNA Club , Palais , Charlie , Pimpernel and Legal . Mixed programs of Electro, House, Indie, Rock and Hip-Hop are at Call Me Drella [dead link] , Wannda Circus , Minna Thiel , Backstage [dead link] , Tonhalle [dead link] , Pathos , Muffatwerk , Ampere, and the party ship Alte Utting . Upscale clubs that appeal to a posh, wealthy audience are Pacha and P1 Beer Beer is very famous in Munich. In particular, there is a traditional beer recognized by Munich, and you can check where the traditional brewery is by referring to the link Techno clubs include Blitz Club , Bahnwärter Thiel , Rote Sonne , Harry Klein , DNA Club , Palais , Charlie , Pimpernel and Legal . Mixed programs of Electro, House, Indie, Rock and Hip-Hop are at Call Me Drella [dead link] , Wannda Circus , Minna Thiel , Backstage [dead link] , Tonhalle [dead link] , Pathos , Muffatwerk , Ampere, and the party ship Alte Utting . Upscale clubs that appeal to a posh, wealthy audience are Pacha and P1
Sleep
Camping: there are four regular sites around the city fringes. The Hauptbahnhof area has the densest concentration of accommodation, with hostels, budget hotels (not all of them vice-dens) and upscale hotels like Le Meridien and Sofitel. There is major construction here until 2027, so expect some noise, mud and street disruption. The other main areas for budget to mid-range are Schwabing and the university quarter, and around Ostbahnhof . They hike their prices in summer, during trade fairs at Messe, and of course during Oktoberfest. Prices drop as you move further out along the S- and U-Bahn routes, but all are within the same inner city fare zone. Upscale accommodation is close to Altstadt but there's little within the medieval centre, which is cunningly designed to keep out taxis and hire cars. The best is along its northeast edge in Lehel . Oktoberfest (last two weeks in September) jam-packs not only Munich in all price ranges, but everywhere within an hour or two travel time, if only you could find room on the overcrowded trains. There are several pop-up campsites around the city edges, look especially in east and southwest districts. Visitors not aiming for the beerfest should come another time.
Stay safe
Boasting one of the lowest crime rates of any major European city, Munich is a very safe city for residents and travelers alike, and violent crime is rare. Walking around, day or night, is not an issue, and you will most likely not encounter any crime at all, though you should still take the usual precautions against pickpocketing (especially in the central districts of Altstadt-Lehel and the Ludwigsvorstadt area immediately south of the central station), such as not leaving your camera unattended or venturing alone through parks at night. While some of Munich's boroughs like Neuperlach and Hasenbergl have a reputation for seediness among locals, crime levels are actually average. Munich is an open-minded, international city with a large number of immigrants and expatriates living in the city (almost 40% of residents have a foreign origin, mostly from Turkey, the Balkans, and Poland), so you are very unlikely to encounter any problems because you are a foreigner. Gay and lesbian travellers should not experience any issues either: Munich has a large gay and lesbian community, and the Rosa Liste , a gay rights party, was part of the city government from 1996 to 2014. A safety hazard in Munich is the local beer-drinking culture in combination with the high accessibility of alcohol. Think twice before trying to keep up with the locals or looking for your maximum level of alcohol intoxication; being drunk will sharply raise your chances of injuring yourself. You should also keep your distance if you see drunk people fighting, such as in the bars around the central station. Of course, heavy drinking at the time of Oktoberfest will inevitably make people lose control and result in some violent behaviour. Another issue for people not used to driving or walking on ice or snow is wintry road and sidewalk conditions. If you've been to other major cities outside Bavaria before the encounters with the Munich police might be a bit of a culture shock, who mostly follow the "law and order" ideas of the regional politics here. Don't be surprised that minor infractions that could slide in Berlin will often get you into hot water with the Munich police. On the whole however they are helpful and there to make people feel safer and corruption is nearly unheard of.
Go next
All of Germany is within easy reach of Munich, for instance Cologne takes 4½ hours and Berlin takes 5½ hours by ICE train. The destinations outlined below are a selection of those within a journey of an hour or two, well within a day-trip from Munich: see Upper Bavaria for more. See individual "Get in" pages for practicalities, but train is quickest, and the Bayern-Ticket is a bargain deal for day trips across the region. Andechs has a monastery in a beautiful setting above the Ammersee, with a famous brewery and beer garden. Chiemsee has a large lake with a castle and a monastery on its islands. Dachau is best known for its concentration camp, now a museum, but also has a Renaissance palace. Füssen at the foot of the Alps is dominated by Neuschwanstein, the "Disney-castle" in all the tourist brochures, and equally-interesting Hohenschwangau. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is an Alpine resort. Take the rack railway to the top of Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Nuremberg is a medieval walled city with many outstanding museums, including coverage of the Nazi era and its downfall. Regensburg is a beautiful medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Danube. Salzburg in Austria is a historic city with Hohensalzburg Fortress glowering above. Ulm , birthplace of Einstein, has a medieval centre with the world's tallest church spire.