The English Garden and the Beer Gardens

The Englischer Garten (“English Garden”): my vote for Best Place to Just Be. With all the amenities this park offers its guests, I think the best thing to do is just lie about in the grass and soak in some vitamin D! Known for being one of the biggest urban parks in the world, the English Garden stretches from the heart of Bavaria’s München (near Odeonsplatz) into the northeastern city limits. The park is full of wide open spaces perfect for sunbathing (in swim-gear or in the nude!), picnics, pick-up sports games and outdoor music sessions. Especially on hot days, ice-cream carts are pushed around with a stream of children and adults hastily on their heels waiting (almost impatiently) for a refreshing cool-off. The shady tree-lined paths offer an escape from the sun, twisting and turning in over 16 miles of pathways across the park. Several of these pathways will lead you to the beer garden at the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower).

Sunbathing in the nude!

the Chinese Tower

the Monopteros

Now the deal with the beer gardens is that you can bring in whatever you’d like to eat, you just need to drink the beverages offered by the adjoining food stands/establishments, i.e. their beer (…when in Rome, do as the Romans!).  Typically situated under the canopy of chestnut trees, guests can conveniently munch on some good ol’ fashioned German grub while hauling back liters upon liters of beer. In my experience in the beer garden under the Chinese Tower, I ordered a bratwurst (BRAHT-vuhst) and a knödl (k’NOO’dl) with gravy in the cafeteria-styled food pick-up line. Honestly, it didn’t look very exciting, but the rich and embodying flavors of the bratwurst were balanced by the simplicity of the hearty knödl making the pairing just right. Pretzels (that could easily wrap around my body twice if unknotted) piled high in baskets at the checkout counter. Cheesecake and fruit crumbles were the options as dessert. Because I was never much of a beer drinker, I opted for the ½ liter of half lemonade-half beer option (Radler) but there was the liter option that would probably set you back 8euro. To my surprise, I was able to finish my ½ liter. To some of you, that may not seem like a big deal, but it was only just last October that I was able to successfully complete a pint of beer (clearly, I’m moving up in the world).

Doesn't look special, but it was oh-so good!

My finished half pint on the right. Woo!

Freshly baked pretzels, nom nom nom

Outside of sunbathing in the nude and drinking in public, the English Garden also gives its guests three other beer gardens (Seehaus, Hirschau and Aumeister), the Monopteros (a Greek looking temple overlooking the southern part of the English Garden), a Japanese teahouse (given to Munich as a gift to celebrate the 1972 Olympics) as well as creeks in which to swim and even surf!

As for beer gardens, there are many others to explore throughout the city. Here are some you can’t miss: the Augustiner Keller (oldest beer garden in Munich), the Viktualienmarkt, home to the iconic maypole and a daily market of foods, plants and gifts and the Hofbräuhaus (I finished my first liter here! So, so proud of myself.)

Biergarten at the Hofbräuhaus

Maypole in Viktualienmarkt

Prost! I finished a liter!