Part of the Marienplatz. The sun is shining, there are no people to be seen, on the left is the entrance to the underground and S-Bahn station. In the background is the new town hall

Photo: Tobias Seiler, unsplash.com

Tips for a day in Munich's city center

In Munich, “the place to be” is the city center, or rather the old town. Marienplatz, for example, is a popular meeting place for young and old. Find out what there is to see and experience in this article.

Shopping in the city center
Attractions in the city center
Art galleries and museums
City tours
Food and drinks

Shopping in the city center

You will find more than enough opportunities for shopping in the city center. Marienplatz and Kaufinger Straße are teeming with clothing stores such as H&M, C&A, etc., souvenir stores, shoe stores and much more.

A souvenir store worth recommending is Herrmann Geschenke, for example. It is one of the best-known specialist stores for high-quality and traditional gifts. Souvenir items such as beer mugs, cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers, Hummel figurines, traditional costume jewelry and much more.

With the CityTourCard Munich you get a 10% discount on purchases of €10 or more.

Attractions in the city center

In addition to shopping, there are of course many sights to see. Directly on Marienplatz you will find the New and Old Town Halls, St. Mary's Column and, a few meters away, the Frauenkirche with its famous two towers. If you walk past the Old Town Hall from Marienplatz and turn right, you will come to Viktualienmarkt. Many stalls with all kinds of delicacies await you here: beer garden, meat, fish, wine, cheese, fruit & vegetables, souvenirs and much more!

You can also walk up Weinstraße from Marienplatz to Theatinerstraße and then come to Odeonsplatz. From there, the Theatiner Church, the Munich Residence and the Hofgarten are well worth a visit.

Munich photographed from above. View over the city. On the right the new town hall, on the left the Frauenkirche — View above Munich with the new town hall and the Frauenkirche

Art galleries and museums

The city center also offers plenty of art and culture. If you like visiting art galleries, the Kunsthalle München or the Museum of Contemporary Art (MUCA) could be of interest to you. With the CityTourCard Munich, you get a 10% discount on admission to the Kunsthalle and a 20% discount at the MUCA.

You can also discover unusual museums, such as the Toy Museum in the old town hall. The exhibition in the toy museum shows dolls, soft toys, model trains and tin toys from more than 200 years on four floors and is certainly a highlight for every child. If you are in possession of a CityTourCard Munich, you will receive a €1 discount on the regular admission price.

Another museum in the city center, near Marienplatz, is the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum. Here you can learn all about the history of beer, from its production back then to today, different brands, popularity, uses and, of course, the connection to the Oktoberfest. With the CityTourCard Munich you get a €1.50 discount on the regular admission price.

A busy street in Munich. Buildings can be seen to the left and right. A large banner with the inscription “Kunsthalle” hangs on one building — Weinstraße in Munich

City Tours

If you are interested in the history and hidden treasures of the Old Town, there are some great city tours that we can recommend. These include, for example, the Old Town tours from Diana Tours Munich. The Diana Tours tours show Munich's Old Town in an exclusive style, where tradition and curiosities meet. The tours are limited to a maximum group size of 10 people and last between 1 and 3 hours, depending on the topic. If you have a CityTourCard Munich, you will receive 15% discount on a tour.

Herz und Heimat city tours offer tours for newcomers to Munich who don't know much about the old town or Munich in general. However, there are also tours for connoisseurs who think they already know everything and for the curious who would like to find out more about the mystical side of Munich. With a CityTourCard Munich you can expect a €2 discount on open tours and a 10% discount on booked tours at Herz und Heimat Stadtführungen.

Would you prefer to explore the city yourself? That's no problem either. You could download the TouringBee audio guide to your cell phone and discover the city center at your own pace and gather exciting knowledge with TouringBee. You will receive a 28% discount on the self-guided tour with the CityTourCard Munich.

You can also simply download the Munich city center map and plan your own tour.

The old town hall on Marienplatz in good weather. You can also see a sign with an S and U for the S- and U-Bahn station — Old town hall in Munich

Food and drinks

There are many restaurants in the old town, and they are always busy. It is not always easy to decide where to eat. Classic Bavarian taverns on Marienplatz include the Donisl and the Ratskeller München. In the Ratskeller, you can get an aperitif or another drink with your order of a main course if you show your CityTourCard Munich.

You can get equally delicious food, but in American style, at the Hard Rock Cafe, right near Marienplatz. You can expect classic homemade American dishes, delicious signature cocktails and the rock store with matching merchandise 😉 Look forward to a free dessert or a small gift from the rock store with the CityTourCard Munich.

If you fancy coffee and cake, you'll find a great selection at Theatiner 8. The restaurant and café is located right next to the Kunsthalle München. The two visits can therefore be perfectly combined. On the first floor is the Passagencafé of Theatiner 8, where you get a 10% discount on the bill with the CityTourCard Munich (3-6 pm, Mon-Sat).

The counter of the street vendor from Cafe Theatiner 8, where sandwiches, pretzels, cakes and other baked goods are on display. — Passagencafé Theatiner 8

Will it be your first time in Munich? Then be sure to check out our article “Tips for your first visit to Munich”!

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