English Garden

One of the largest urban parks in the world, Munich’s English Garden was founded in 1789, when Elector Carl Theodor ordered a public park to be built along the Isar River. Having undergone many alterations over the centuries, it now offers a slew of contemporary leisure activities. Cyclists, joggers, and rollerbladers make use of almost 50 miles of pathways, while less-active visitors head to the Japanese teahouse (opened in 1972) or one of several beer gardens (the one next to the Chinese Tower is Munich’s second largest, with seating for 7,000). Additionally, there’s a man-made lake, soccer fields, a small amphitheater, a carousel, a Greek temple, and even a popular surfing wave on the river. The park’s large meadows are ideal for picnicking, barbecuing, and sunbathing, making the English Garden one of Munich’s most popular hangouts in summer. That said, autumn is also a spectacular time to stroll the grounds and peep all the changing leaves.

The Englischer Garten of Munich is a huge park within the city that has so many different things to see and do. There’s an Asian pagoda that is part beer hall, part food stall emporium (think sauerkraut, sausage, and fried potatoes) where you can sip the national Hofbrau brew in big steins. There are beautiful meadows galore, with one that even doubles as a nudist hub in the warmer seasons. There are several waterways that dissect the park and add to the landscape: feel free to jump in and ride the current on a hot day, or find the surfer’s spot near one of the bridges, where men and women in full bodysuits take to the waves created by the strong current (above). It’s an odd thing, finding surfers in the middle of Germany, but it’s one of the reasons the Englischer Garten is so fun to bike around and explore. It’s so big that on two wheels is the best way to really see it all.

English Garden, located on the Isar River in Munich, opened in 1789. This large public area was named “Englischer Garten” because it was designed and landscaped in the style of a classic English park. It is one of the world’s largest urban parks, bigger even than New York City‘s famous Central Park. The garden, while beautiful year-round, reaches its full splendor on a summer weekend. In addition to nearly 50 miles of running and biking paths through the lush green meadows, there are soccer fields, a bustling beer garden, an elegant Japanese teahouse, a sheep pasture, a small amphitheater, a children’s carousel, a man-made lake, a Greek temple, a surfing wave, and an area for nude sunbathing. Whew! Take a break from the crowds in Munich and get lost in English Park—you will be enchanted!

Europe is famous for its beautiful parks, many of them located right in the heart of a major city. Munich‘s Englischer Garten is no exception. At over 900 acres in size, it’s even larger than NYC’s Central Park. In fact, it’s the largest urban public park in the world. While a stroll through Englischer Garten is beautiful at any time of the year, it’s especially stunning in the fall when the leaves change colors and a blanket of yellow engulfs the ground around you. Grab a bag of heisse maroni (roasted chestnuts) from a street vendor and enjoy the serenity as you wander the numerous paths of the park.

Year round there is a fantastic little fake wave constructed on the south side of the garden where people can take turns catching a few waves far from the real tide. Even if you are no Johnny Tsunami, stopping by to watch is just as gnarly. Hang ten, dude! Riding a bike through the English Gardens in Munich wasn’t as much fun as it probably is during the summer due to the snow pelting down on us. However, chancing upon this weird phenomenon of surfing in the river made it totally worth it. If you bring your wetsuit, you can even brave the waves in the snow like these people.