[MÜNCHEN, GERMANY] — If you’re flying in/out of the ultra cool Munich airport — which looks more like an Apple store than airport — make sure you take a long overnight in Munich. Rated one of Europe’s most livable cities, you can see why when you walk around. Clean. Everything works. Nice Bavarian people. Gorgeous trees and parks all around. Here are some cool things to do if you have 36 hours in Munich.

The last time I was in Munich was waaaay back in the early 80s when I was a backpacker making the wet slog to Oktoberfest. I don’t remember much besides the massive beer tents, sleeping in a down sleeping bag in the rain without a tent and spending the night cuddled around a dirty toilet in a stall at a campground restroom. Woken up all night by pissed off people needing to piss. So irresponsible. We walked around a bit during the daytime, but mostly we spent 12 hours a day drinking in the Lowenbrau tent and throwing up after eating a charcoal fish-on-a-stick.

This time would be different.

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After realizing I could get straight to the Italian Dolomites by taking a direct flight from Denver to Munich, then a simple 3 hour drive — I could save a half day waiting for another flight and then still having to drive — I made sure I could overnight in Munich on the way back. My trip was too short, I can’t wait to come back to Munich and discover it all over again.

I found a cool hotel on my favorite boutique hotel booking site Tablet Hotels and arrived mid-day to have a walk ’round. I don’t know about you, but I like to do a lot of research before arriving in a city, but then chuck it all and just go walk around and get lost. Munich was no exception.

Take a Walk in the Park

Unfortunately, I arrived on a Sunday and almost everything was closed, I mean EVERYTHING — shops, restaurants, many restaurants — so I opted for long walks around the city and especially the spectacular and giant Englischer Garten (English Garden) park in the heart of Berlin, just ten minute’s walk from my hotel. I spent half a day there, watching people Urban Surf™️ on the fast-flowing Eisbach, walked around the beautiful great lawns — much like London’s idyllic city parks — was tempted by a 10:30am beer in the picture-perfect biergarten and following the fast-flowing water from stream to pond to lake.

The landscape design is some of the best I’ve ever seen, very Olmsted-worthy and even better than New York’s Central Park, there were so many well-planned layers of colors and textures. It’s incredible that this was all conceived in the late 1700s. Just Go!

The Perfect Boutique Hotel to Explore München

The Louis Hotel, a fabulous boutique hotel in the perfect Munich location, is my new favorite hotel. Understated and elegant, the insides are just as calming as a Japanese onsen.  Warm woods welcome you in the lobby, with brown-on-brown-on-brown colors covering almost everywhere except for the windows and a stunning painting of the sky.

Take in Some Art at the Crazy Maximilians Forum

I read about this art gallery, Maximilians Forum hidden in a closed subway station. Took me a while to find it. Such a cool idea, open to the public. But I didn’t get what was showing. But they change it up all the time, so definitely stop by.

Go See the Deutches Museum

Have Lunch at Kochspielhaus

Kochspielhaus is one of several Spielhaus-named restaurants that have been feed Munich healthy food since 1980.  It’s a bit Avocado Toast, but totally genuine, friendly and yummy.  A great reprieve from heavy German food. This location is just off Old Town.

— Last Visited July 2019 —

More Information on 36 Hours in Munich

Here is the always awesome NY Times 36 Hours article on Munich from 2019. And TimeOut’s 48 hours guide on what to do in Munich. And What to Do in Munich from The Guardian. The Telegraph’s Weekend Guide to Munich. And a great Munich guide from Vogue.  Here’s a great video from Monocle on what makes Munich its #1 rated city in the world.

Here are some reviews on the Louis Hotel. A 9/10 review from The Telegraph.And The New York Times. And a review from Fodor’s. And AFAR.

Here’s how centrally located the Louis Hotel is: