MUNICH CITY TOUR – 21K

A mixture of historical buildings, art, and green spaces, this tour will show you why Munich is rated one of the most liveable cities in the world.

Entering the city center through the medieval Sendlinger Tor gate, our route will lead us towards the 19th Century Viktualien Markt (food market) before heading into the trendy Gärtnerplatz quarter. Attracting people from all walks of life, this is a popular area to meet friends and hang out. The area is also famous for its nightlife and alternative culture – Freddy Mercury even lived here – and you’ll get a taster of some of the street art on offer in this city of contrasts.

Crossing the river Isar, we’ll see another side of Munich – a city for nature lovers. We’ll follow trails along the river into Haidhausen. Once working-class slums, this is now the most desirable residential area, a village of picturesque cottages and cute cafes within the city.

Back along the river, we’ll show you more spots where locals enjoy life: sunbathing on the beaches, heading to concerts and events at the Muffathalle, a former 19th-century power station that still generates hydroelectricity, relaxing in the art nouveau splendour of the Müller’shes Volksbad, the first indoor public bath in Munich from 1901.

We’ll then head to the Englischer Garten, one of the world’s largest urban parks and one of our favourite places to run. We’ll show you the location of the Chinesischer Turm, the most famous beer garden in Munich, and pass by the surfers on the Eisbach: yes, you can surf in the city!

Passing through the quirky University quarter, we’ll arrive in the Kunstareal, where the must-see museums and galleries of Munich are found. Here we’ll start to see the more traditional side of Munich. Influenced by Greece and Italy’s culture, the 19th Century rulers of Bavaria extensively remodelled the city in the neoclassical style. We’ll see their influence at Königsplatz before passing through the Residenz, their former palace and largest inner-city palace in the world. At Odeonsplatz, we’ll admire the beautiful baroque Theatinerkirche before learning about some of the darker periods in Munich’s history. From Odeonsplatz, we arrive in the heart of the city at Marienplatz.

Of course, we won’t forget to pass by what is probably the most famous pub in the world, the Hofbräu Haus, before bringing you back to Sendlinger Tor.

This tour is suitable for intermediate and advanced runners – there may not be many hills in Munich, but we managed to incorporate a couple onto this tour. We’ll run at your pace, and there’ll be plenty of opportunities to stop for photos.