Attraction
Marienplatz and New Town Hall
Munich's central square, overlooked by the Neo-Gothic New Town Hall with its Glockenspiel, an 85-metre tower reached by lift and a courtyard open to all.
Englischer Garten
One of the largest city parks in the world, laid out from 1789, with the Chinese Tower beer garden, the Monopteros temple, a boating lake and the Eisbach surf wave.
At a glance
- Type
- City park
- Area
- Schwabing / Lehel, Munich, Germany
- Official site
- schloesser.bayern.de
Good to know
- Free entry
- Beer gardens
- Lake with pedal boats
- Japanese teahouse
- Open all year
Why we recommend it
The Englischer Garten is Munich's great public park and one of the largest urban parks anywhere, covering around 376 hectares from the edge of the old town north to the Isar meadows. Elector Karl Theodor ordered it laid out in 1789, stating that it was to be for the whole population rather than one section of society. Benjamin Thompson, later Count Rumford, oversaw the early work and the landscape designer Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell gave it its flowing English style of meadows, woods and streams.
Its numbers explain why locals use it every day: 78 kilometres of paths, about 15 kilometres of streams and more than 100 bridges. The southern part is the busiest. Here the Monopteros, a round Greek-style temple designed by Leo von Klenze, sits on a hill with a view back to the towers of the old town. Nearby, the Chinese Tower, a wooden pagoda first built in 1790 and reconstructed after the war, stands in the middle of a beer garden with around 7,000 seats and a historic children's merry-go-round.
Further north, the Kleinhesseloher See is the largest lake in the park, with pedal boats for hire and the Seehaus beer garden on its shore. At the southern tip, on a small island behind the Haus der Kunst, the Japanese Teahouse was a gift from the Urasenke tea school in 1972; tea ceremonies take place from April to October on the second weekend of each month. Next to it, at the park's edge on Prinzregentenstraße, the Eisbach wave has drawn river surfers for decades and was reopened for surfing in May 2026.
The park is open all year and free to enter. It suits joggers, cyclists, families with children, and anyone who wants to sit in a beer garden under chestnut trees. On warm days the meadows fill with sunbathers and picnics, and the beer gardens serve food as well as drinks. In winter the paths are much quieter and the park is at its most peaceful.
The southern entrance is a few minutes' walk from Odeonsplatz via the Hofgarten, and the U3 and U6 stations Universität and Giselastraße give access from the Schwabing side. Tram 16 and bus 100 stop by the Haus der Kunst.
Englischer Garten FAQs
Is the Englischer Garten free?
Yes. The park is open all year and entry is free.
How big is the Englischer Garten?
Around 376 hectares, with about 78 kilometres of paths and more than 100 bridges.
Where is the Chinese Tower beer garden?
In the southern part of the park, north of the Monopteros. It has about 7,000 seats.
Can you watch the Eisbach surfers?
Yes. The wave is on Prinzregentenstraße at the southern edge of the park, near the Haus der Kunst. Surfing was permitted again from May 2026.
When are the Japanese tea ceremonies held?
From April to October, on the second weekend of each month, at 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00.
Can you hire a boat?
Yes, pedal boats can be hired on the Kleinhesseloher See.
How do I get to the Englischer Garten?
Walk from Odeonsplatz through the Hofgarten, take the U3 or U6 to Universität or Giselastraße, or tram 16 or bus 100 to the Haus der Kunst.
Who designed the park?
It was begun in 1789 under Benjamin Thompson and shaped by the landscape designer Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell.