Things to do in Munich
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Glyptothek
If you're a fan of classical art or simply enjoy the sight of naked guys without noses (or other pertinent body parts), make a beeline to the Glyptothek. One of Munich's oldest museums, it's a feast of art and sculpture from ancient Greece and Rome amassed by Ludwig I between 1806 and 1830, and opens a surprisingly naughty window onto the ancient world.
An undisputed highlight is the marble Barberini Faun (220 BC), a sleeping satyr rendered in meticulous anatomical detail and striking a pose usually assumed by Playgirl centrefolds. Rooms X to XII contain superb busts, including one of a youthful Alexander the Great and several of Emperor Augustus. Also of note is the tomb…
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No Mi Ya
Antlers and sushi? Weissbier and yakitori? This Bavarian-Japanese tavern definitely takes fusion to new heights. If the packed tables are any indication, Ferdinand Schuster's concept is a winner, and not only with the fickle in-crowd.
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Woerners
Two cafés merge into one here: the outdoor Café am Dom on the ground floor, giving some of the best seating on the square, and Café Reber upstairs - a Munich institution, with parquet floors, crystal chandeliers and a long, long history.
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Beauty & Nature
All natural, all the time, is the motto at this drugstore that stocks only top-performing products by Dr Hauschka, Logona, Lavera and other Euro brands, usually at much lower prices than found overseas. Ask about their manicures and beauty treatments.
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Müller & Söhne
In a former bakery, this sweet, unhurried café fits as comfortably as a well-worn shoe. Everyone from young moms to office folks and local artists gathers behind the big windows for breakfast, strong Java or tasty, Italian-flavoured sustenance.
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Café Cord
A good stop for breakfast (served to 16:00), a light lunch or coffee, Cord also makes for an ideal first pit stop for a long night ahead on the club circuit. In summer, the super-tasty global fare tastes best on the romantic, twinkle-lit courtyard.
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Zapata
It's always fiesta time at Munich's most authentic Mexican cantina where one stiff margarita may be all it takes to drown your sorrows. To stay stable, load up on sizzling fajitas, ginormous burritos and other delicious south-of-the-border staples.
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Haus der Kunst
It was built in 1937 to showcase Nazi art, but now the Haus der Kunst presents works by exactly the artists whom the Nazis rejected and deemed degenerate. The focus is on contemporary art and design supplemented by hip events, including an after-work party that includes a tour, nibbles snacks and drinks.
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Café Voilà
High stucco ceilings, giant mirrors and large windows make this cafe a great place for watching the world go by. It's buzzing for breakfast (€4.50 to €10) and later in the day for fairly priced baguettes, burgers and interesting vegetarian dishes.
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Isarpost
Housed in a grand, mid-18th-century former postal office, this foyer cafe offers an Italian menu, or just unwind with a macchiato under the stylishly high, light-flooded vaulting.
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Bronze Sculpture of Juliet
Lovesick? Head to the old town hall's south side and pay your respects to Romeo's heart-throb Juliet, a beautiful bronze sculpture that was a gift from Munich's sister city, Verona. Leave her some flowers and your love life will improve…
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Eiscafé Sarcletti
Ice-cream addicts have been getting their gelato fix at this Munich institution since 1879. Choose from more than 50 mouth-watering flavours, from not-so-plain vanilla to honey-yogurt or caramel.
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Café am Hochhaus
Once a stodgy café only grandmas could love, this tiny joint now heaves with libidinous hipsters decades away from retirement. Cool photo wallpaper and handpicked live DJs keep the sizzle on until the wee hours. Gay tea-dance on Sundays.
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Biergarten Muffatwerk
Think of this one as a progressive beer garden with reggae instead of oompah, civilised imbibing instead of brainless guzzling, organic meats, fish and vegetables on the grill and the option of chilling in lounge chairs. Plus it's open late.
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Fraunhofer
With its screechy parquet floors, stuccoed ceilings, wood panelling and virtually no trace that the last century even happened, this wonderfully characterful brewpub is one of the city centre's best places to explore the region with a fork. The menu is a checklist of southern German favourites, but also features at least a dozen vegetarian dishes as well as Starnberg fish.
The tiny theatre at the back stages great shows and was among the venues that pioneered a modern style of Volksmusik (folk music) back in the 70s and 80s.
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Einstein
Reflected in the plate-glass windows of the Jewish Museum, this is the only kosher eatery in the city centre. The ID and bag search entry process is worth it for the restaurant's uncluttered lines, smartly laid tables and soothing ambience.
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Discover Bavaria
Discover Bavaria tours leave from the archway of the Altes Rathaus on Marienplatz. The standard four-hour tour is an easy pedal with a 45-minute break at a beer garden. Discover Bavaria also rents out bikes for €9 per day.
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Museum-Lichtspiele
Cult cinema with wacky interior and weekly screenings of Rocky Horror Picture Show (Saturday nights) and Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice (Sunday mornings). For show information check any of the listings publications.
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Hippocampus
One of Munich's top restaurants is this snazzy, upmarket Italian temple right near the Prinzregententheater, serving a pretentious range of Italian specials. It has a stylish, dark-wood interior, romantic ambience and wannabe clientele.
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Unionsbräu Haidhausen
This sophisticated brewpub has eight separate spaces where a mixed clientele of business types, locals and tourists slurp the house brew and feast on meat platters. There's a jazz club in the basement (Jazzclub Unterfahrt im Einstein).
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Jodlerwirt
One of Munich's earthiest pubs has an accordion-playing host and stand-up comic who spread good cheer in yodelling sessions at the upstairs bar. By the end of the evening you'll find yourself swaying arm-in-arm with complete strangers.
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Munich Walk Tours
This tour company runs tours around Munich, Dachau and Neuschwanstein. They also rent out bicycles (€15 per 24 hours) and offer internet access at Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 1 (€1 per 45 minutes).
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Harry Klein
Since its move out of the Optimolwerke to the city centre, Harry Klein has come to be regarded as one of the best elektroclubs in the world. Nights here are an amazing alchemy of electro sound and visuals, with live video art projected onto the walls Kraftwerk-style blending to awe-inspiring effect with the music.
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Musikinstrumenten-Museum
The Musikinstrumenten-Museum is packed with fun, precious and rare sound machines from around the world, including Indonesian ceremonial gongs and mechanical musical instruments. Some of them are cranked up regularly during concerts.
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Master's Home
This is a wonderfully quirky cellar just east of the Viktualienmarkt. The off-centre décor time warps you back to the colonial era - antique furnishings, plenty of knick-knacks and oddities such as a room built around a bathtub.
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