Munich Outdoors – where to go cycling, surfing and wild swimming

Planning a trip to Munich? You may think of elegant palaces and art galleries or reassuringly expensive cars. And of course the joyous celebration of beer and Bavaria that is Oktoberfest.

But if you want fresh air and fun there are many outdoor activities in Munich to try. There’s wild swimming along the river Isar and cycling in the Englischergarten. Surfing spots can even be found in the heart of Munich! However, this is one sport that you may be happy to watch from the safety of the river bank.

Read on for our top tips on how to explore Munich outdoors.

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Four fun places to go cycling in Munich

There are numerous cycling routes in Munich to explore the city and its green spaces. Here are four of our favourites that are easily accessible for visitors.

1. City sightseeing by bike

Munich is a hugely bike-friendly city. Zipping around between the top museums, galleries and attractions makes perfect sense. You’ll see more in the time available.

We used a mapping app to plot a route between the places we wanted to visit. Follow the flow of other cyclists on the marked bike paths and try to respect pedestrian only routes.

Using our bikes we discovered such diverse gems as the Asamkirche, Deutsche Museum and art galleries in the Museum Quarter. Check out some of the places you might like to visit in my article on 20 fabulous things to do in Munich.

Numerous bike tours in Munich are available to take you around the key sights. This is a fun way to explore the city as part of a group. No chance of losing your way with an experienced guide who will give you insights and stories along the way. It’s also a friendly way to connect with other travellers.

2. Cycling in the English Garden

One of the best known places for cycling in Munich has to be the Englischer Garten or English Garden, an enormous park with lakes, biergarten and pavilions. This green oasis gained its name from the informal style of English country park that was fashionable in the 18th century, when the park was laid out on the orders of Elector Karl Theodor.

Of course you could walk, but the sheer size of the Englischergarten makes it ideal to explore by bike, since you can cover so much more ground. As an alternative to cycling or walking, it’s also possible to hire a horse and carriage ride, or cycle rickshaw at the Chinese pagoda. In good weather, you could easily while away a whole day in the English Garden, especially if you stop for a beer or three at one of the many biergarten.

The most popular is at the Chinesischer Turm or Chinese Pagoda with a self service cafe serving hearty Bavarian dishes washed down with beer and a brass band playing at weekends. Another popular lunch spot is the Seehaus biergarten at Kleinhesseloher lake in the northern section of the park, where rowing boats for hire await you, lined up on the waterside.

For more tips on where to eat in Munich, check out my article on what and where to eat in Munich.

Monopteros Temple

Look out for the picturesque Monopteros temple that was commissioned by King Ludwig I in the 1830s, set up on a mound to make a pretty picture surrounded by trees. At the top of the mound, the Greek style dome with red and green painted decoration offers a grandstand view over the park.

Exploring by bike allows you to reach the part of the English Garden that’s north of the main road bisecting the park, which you probably wouldn’t reach on foot. This northern section of the park feels a little more wild and paths along the river lead to the Isarwehr bridge with its hydroelectric power station. Gravel banks in the shallows of the river are ideal for swimming and a pedestrian bridge allows you to reach the green spaces on the opposite bank of the river.

3. Cycle along the River Isar

The River Isar makes a green corridor through Munich, with walking and cycling paths that are popular for locals and families to use at weekends. One easy stretch that we cycled runs from the Deutches Museum on Museumsinsel (Museums Island), a fun museum full of hands on exhibits from the field of science and technology.

From here, the cycle path continues along the west bank of the river with a detour into the English garden and on toward the Isarwehr water pumping station that spans the river. Along the way are plenty of gravel beaches and spots beside the river where you can stop for a picnic.

If you have longer to explore, follow the River Isar southwards on 10km of riverside paths, as far as the Großhesseloher Brücke, which may take an hour or two. Several interesting stopping points are available along the way, such as the Hinterbrühl nature park, the Flauscher Park, Hellabrunn zoo and Floßlände surfing spot.

4. Cycling around Olympia Park

The Olympiapark is in the north of Munich, a 20 minute cycle ride from Marienplatz. You may want to take your bike on the train to get there. The park was constructed for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. It contains the Olympic Stadium now used for sports and cultural events, Olympic Hall and Aquatic centre with a public swimming pool.

The park is full of traffic free paths with lots to see, so a bike is an ideal way to take it all in. When we visited in summer our bike ride took us past the funfair at the entrance, then we continued down the hill, cycling around the lake and up the small manmade hill on the other side. From the top of the hill there’s a great view over the park and stadiums as well as the Olympic tower.

This 190m high observation tower is well worth the additional fee to visit, with a lift straight up to the lower observation deck. A glass enclosure is marked with the landmarks on the horizon that can be seen from this point, while stairs take you up to the outdoor platform, where the wind was so strong I could barely keep my phone still for photos!

Munich Olympics memorial

Also in the Olympiapark is a memorial with photos, videos and information commemorating the tragic events during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The kidnapping by Palestinian terrorists of Israeli athletes staying in the Olympic village, resulted in a failed rescue attempt and the murder of 11 of the Israeli athletes and coaches as well as a German policeman.

While you are at the Olympiapark, it’s well worth visiting BMW Welt which is right next door, a free attraction which is part car show room, part exhibition space, part audio visual experience, all designed to draw you into the world of BMW cars.

Tip: You can take your bike on U-bahn and S-Bahn trains in Munich, but not during the rush hour Monday to Friday 6am-9am and 4pm-6pm. Look out for the station lifts that can be used to take your bike down to platform level and make sure you buy the additional bike ticket.

Bike rental in Munich

When it comes to renting bikes in Munich, there are plenty of options. For a start, many hotels like the lovely Louis Hotel and Hotel Cortiina where we stayed, have bikes which they lend to guests free of charge, so it’s worth checking when you book accommodation.

It’s also easy to hire bikes from one of the many public bike schemes in Munich that charge you through a mobile app. Check out Nextbike, Call a Bike and there are probably more.

To be sure of a good quality bike then you can rent from an established bike rental shop or take a bike tour in Munich, where a guide will take you around the key sights, so you don’t have to worry about navigation. If you prefer to explore on your own, bike rental is available from;

Mike’s Bike Tours Munich – Bike rental from their HQ at Bräuhaus Strasse 10 on the corner with Hochbrücken Str. Located right behind the famous beer hall, the Hofbräuahaus. They also offer bike tours around Munich.

Fat Tire Tours – Their bike shop in Munich is at Karlsplatz 4 behind the Main Train Station (Hauptbahnhof). They also offer bike rental as well as tours in Munich.

Radius Tours – Bike rental from their shop at Arnulfstrasse 3 at the Main Train Station (Hauptbahnhof). They also run Munich bike tours.

Discover the perfect itinerary for 3 days in Munich in my article about all the cool things to see and do.

Wild swimming in Munich

For such a large city, it’s amazing that there are so many opportunities for wild swimming in Munich. Places for swimming abound along the River Isar that runs through the centre.

Between the Museum Island where the Deutsche Museum is located and the English Garden, the river is relatively shallow. Small islands and gravel banks make popular spots for swimming and sunbathing.

When cycling along the riverside path or crossing one of the small bridges, you’ll see numerous gravel banks. For example, the huge bar of pebbles in the river near Mariannenbrucke. If you see other locals relaxing and swimming here, you can assume that it’s permitted and look for a way to get down to the river level.

In the northern part of the English Garden, the path runs close to the river bank and we spotted more gravel beaches in the river near the Isarwehr. It seemed amazing to me that the river could be so clean in the heart of the city. I can’t imagine swimming in the Thames in London! But outdoor swimming is part of the culture in Germany where lake and river swimming is especially popular in summer.

Outdoor swimming pools in Munich

Other places for outdoor swimming in Munich include:

Dantebad swimming pool – Close to the Olympiapark, this is the only outdoor swimming pool in Munich that opens all year round, with an Olympic size pool and heated wellness pool.

Maria Einsiedel swimming pool – Fed by the River Isar, this outdoor bathing complex in the south of Munich offers chlorine free swimming in natural surroundings. You could easily get there by bike along the cycle path beside the River Isar.

Prinzregentenbad – Just across the river from the English Garden, in the elegant suburbs of Munich, these outdoor swimming baths comprise a 25 metre swimming pool and 20 metre adventure pool with water torrents, jets and water slide.

Want to get out of the city? Discover 15 of the best day trips from Munich by train

Surfing in Munich

There can’t be many European capitals where you can watch surfers catching a wave in the heart of the city! At the edge of the English Garden in Munich, there’s a spot where the river Eisbach flows under the bridge.

A single wave is created that experienced surfers line up to try out. The bridge and river bank provide an ideal grandstand where crowds gather to watch the free spectacle of Munich river surfing. This is one of the more unique things to see in Munich.

It’s mesmerising to watch as experienced surfers take their turn to jump on their board to twist and turn. They are vying to see how long they can stay up before they either fall off or dive off into the river.

There doesn’t seem to be any restriction on turning up to have a go yourself. However, this experience is probably for the more advanced and confident surfers among you!

If you follow the river Isar south from Munich, there’s another less known spot where surfers can also catch a wave in the river at the Surfwelle Floßlände surfing spot.

Less experienced surfers may want to polish up their act before braving public scrutiny on the Eisbach. They should head to the Jochen Schweizer Arena on the south side of Munich. Here there’s an indoor surfing pool with group classes available.

Our favourite green spaces for walking in Munich

If you are seeking open green spaces to walk and relax, Munich has plenty more in addition to those we’ve already mentioned such as the English Garden. Many have lovely biergartens attached. Our favourites parks in Munich for a walk, or just to watch the world go by with a refreshing beer are;

Hofgarten

The Hofgarten is formerly the garden of the Residenz, for private use by the Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria. It is laid out with formal gravel parterres, an ornamental pavilion and fountains at all four corners. There’s a calm atmosphere to the garden which is planted with low evergreen hedges, filled with colourful seasonal plantings.

You can cycle right around the perimeter of the Hofgarten and use it as a short cut to get to the English Garden. But, the central part of the garden is a tranquil place to stroll or find a bench and soak up some sunshine.

Read more about visiting the Residenz in my article – Visiting the Munich Residenz, palace of the Bavarian rulers

Where to eat in the Hofgarten

Enter through the archway from Odeonsplatz and you’ll find a broad, shady terrace for outdoor dining on sunny days. The large biergarten and restaurant terrace within the Hofgarten is run by restaurant Tambosi. They serve Italian inspired food, as well as the more typical German beer. From here you’ll have a prime spot to watch groups of locals gathering to play a game of boules on the adjoining gravel terrace.

Alter Botanischer Garten

After a visit to the art galleries of the Museum Quarter and Königsplatz, head to the Alte Botanischer Garten or Old Botanical Garden. This is a pleasant place to relax if you’ve had enough of museums.

This park contains many exotic trees and a central statue of Neptune surrounded by colourful flower beds. The Old Botanical Garden became a park in the 1930s, when a new Botanical Garden was laid out at Schloss Nymphenburg.

Where to eat in the Alter Botanischer Garten

Within the garden is a very pleasant restaurant at The Park Cafe, which is part of the Hofbrau Brewery. Sit outside in the biergarten with a view of the park when the weather is fine. Or, admire the elegant proportions of the cafe interior.

The menu is varied and international, offering a change from the typical hearty Bavarian dishes. There’s a popular Sunday Brunch, with jazz and live music in the evenings.

Schloss Nymphenburg

On the edge of Munich and easily accessible by public transport is Schloss Nymphenburg, formerly the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria and surrounded by formal gardens with parterres, parkland and a lake.

When the wife of the Elector, Henrietta Adeleide of Savoy gave birth in 1662 to a long awaited son and heir after 10 years of marriage there was much joy and relief! Her reward was a gift of land on which she built the pavilion of Schloss Nymphenburg. It was enlarged by successive rulers in the French style during the 18th century.

Ludwig’s “Gallery of Beauties”

The palace itself is a gorgeous concoction of sparkling chandeliers, gilding and romantic pastel rococo decoration. One talking point is the “Gallery of Beauties”, with portraits commissioned by Ludwig I. These include some of his mistresses, featuring noblewomen, actresses and one of the best known portraits of the shoemaker’s daughter. Also within the park is the Marstallmuseum, located in the former riding stables, with a collection of fairy tale coaches and sledges.

After your visit to the palace, stroll down the formal gravel parterres leading down to the lake. You can take a romantic gondola ride along the central canal when the weather is fine.

Beyond the lake, the gardens give way to woodland on either side, where you might come across natural water features and ornamental pavilions. For example, the pretty-in-pink Amalienburg with its hall of mirrors and rococo decoration.

We reached Nymphenburg by taking the train to Laim station and then walked through the park to reach the palace. While there is a charge to visit the palace and other buildings, the park is free to visit.

Where to eat at the Nymphenburg Palace

During our visit to the Schloss Nymphenburg gardens, we enjoyed lunch in the beautiful Palmhouse restaurant. This is one of three glass houses that were built for King Maximilian I in the 1820s. In warm weather, lunch can be taken on the large outdoor restaurant terrace in front of the pretty glasshouse.

Read Next

If you’d like to explore more, read my article on 20 fabulous things to do in Munich, Germany

Plan your trip to Munich

Hotels: We can highly recommend the luxurious Louis Hotel where we stayed that is well located by Viktualienmarkt. Or, its slightly more affordable sister boutique Cortiina Hotel which is also centrally located in the Old Town.

Tourism information: Check out the Munich Tourism website for more information to help plan your visit to Munich. Visit the Germany Tourism website if you are planning to visit other parts of Germany.

Need a guidebook for Munich? I love the DK guides as they are so colourful and well illustrated, so check out the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Munich guide for short trips. The DK Eyewitness Munich and the Bavarian Alps is suitable for longer trips.

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