For a beer in the English Garden in Munich

Summer, sun, beer garden! That’s simply part of a visit to Munich. Munich’s English Garden is home to one of the largest beer gardens in the city.

In bright sunshine, we head to the English Garden. Our destination is certainly the most famous beer garden in the entire complex, the beer garden at the Chinese Tower.

The English Garden is located in the north-east of Munich on the Isar river and is one of the largest parks in the world. But how did the park come about?

A park is created

The Bavarian Elector Maximilian III died in 1777. As he had remained childless, his inheritance fell to the Palatine Elector Karl Theodor. The latter was not particularly enthusiastic about his inheritance and even tried unsuccessfully to exchange it. In the end, he decided to simply redesign Munich according to his own ideas and make the best of his unloved inheritance.

One of his measures from 1789 was the creation of military gardens in which the soldiers could occupy themselves in a meaningful way in peacetime. They were to learn agricultural skills there, for example. These military gardens were also to be opened to the general public. A location was quickly found: the military garden was to be built in the western Hirschanger area (today’s Schönfeldwiese). By decree, Karl Theodor also ordered that the adjoining eastern area should become a public park. This was the birth of the English Garden in Munich.

Over the years, not only did the grounds expand, for example the area of the military garden that was disbanded in 1800, but the appearance also gradually changed. Various master gardeners lent a hand and created a park in the style of the contemporary English gardens. It was this style that transformed the Volkspark, which was actually called Theodors Park, into the English Garden.

Different parts of the park

Today, only the southern part of the park is actually referred to as the “English Garden”. It is separated from the northern section by the Isarring, which carries the majority of Munich’s daily traffic.

The northern part of the park is called Hirschau. The name goes back to the once large game population in the area. Large parts of the area are more of a quiet urban forest. The Aumeister and Hirschau beer gardens are located at the northern and southern ends of the Hirschau.

Off we go to the beer garden

The route leads towards the beer garden along wide paths, sometimes under shady trees, sometimes directly along large meadows. We discover the Monopteros on a small artificial hill. The approximately 16-metre-high circular temple was designed in the classical Greek style. Since its completion in 1836, the building has been restored several times. For a time, it was Munich’s meeting place for alternatives, small artists, hippies and “bums”. This made the place famous beyond the city limits and the Monopteros became a symbol of counterculture. Today, you are more likely to meet people here who want to look out over the park or are looking for a photo spot.

I rather like the open meadow areas. Some of the areas are officially designated as sunbathing areas. People lie in the sun here, playing volleyball, soccer, speedminton and badminton. I’ve also seen slacklines and yoga groups. Everyone is enjoying the day. Other meadows are off limits. Here, for example, the targeted planting of wildflowers is an attempt to promote the biodiversity of plants and animals.

English Garden: the Eisbach

Even if it wasn’t directly on the way, this visit simply had to be made. At the southern end of the English Garden, the Schwabinger Bach and Eisbach streams enter the English Garden. They flow together for a while before they separate again. The Eisbach flows into the Isar between the John F. Kennedy Bridge and the Oberföhring weir.

The Eisbach in the English Garden has become famous because surfers meet here all year round. Around the Eisbach wave, visitors stand tightly packed on the banks between the trees and try to catch a glimpse of the surfers. Unfortunately, the shore has suffered badly as a result and despite barriers in some areas, there are always onlookers looking for a good vantage point right there. Very annoying!

We mainly stood above the Eisbach stream on a small bridge and watched the surfers. It’s great when you manage to ride the wave. There were no pros to be seen that day. Most of the surfers barely managed to stand still for 10 seconds before taking a refreshing dip in the really ice-cold water.

If you walk along the Eisbach, the surfers are not the only bathers. Especially when the weather is nice, you seem to “have to” have been in the Eisbach at least once, even though the water in the stream is really cold. The current in the small stream should not be underestimated and I would advise children and inexperienced swimmers, for example, not to plunge into the water. I have seen quite a few people who have only found their way back to shore with great difficulty and often only with a helping hand. But those who were able to handle the force of the water to some extent could see that they were having fun drifting.

You shouldn’t be surprised if you come across naked people on your way through the English Garden. There are specially signposted nudist areas. These are located at the Eisbach stream, for example, and some sunbathing lawns may also be used for nudism.

Beer garden at the Chinese Tower

A wide path leads us to what is certainly the most famous building in the English Garden. The Chinese Tower rises up in the middle of a huge beer garden. There are around 7000 seats here, but it can still get pretty crowded when the weather is nice.

The 25-metre-high wooden building was constructed in 1789/90. Although the building burned down several times over the years, it was always rebuilt true to the original. Today there is seating in and around the tower. When we were there, a band was playing hearty beer garden music, which immediately put us in the right mood for a beer.

I particularly like the fact that many Bavarian beer gardens allow you to bring your own food. This is also possible in the beer garden at the Chinese Tower, so it was no surprise that many visitors around us unpacked their picnic baskets. However, the beer has to be bought in the beer garden.

We first went to one of the self-service areas. Food and, of course, beer are sold here. It was still before lunchtime by our standards and we weren’t really hungry. But the food smelled tempting and looked very good. The price was okay, I had expected higher prices. But for us it was clear that we only wanted beer. So we queued up at the bar. They serve tangy, refreshing Bavarian beer from the Hofbräuhaus. The beer isn’t cheap, but it’s still cheaper than at the Oktoberfest. In 2024, we paid 5.30 euros for a half pint and 10.20 euros for a pint. (You also have to pay a deposit for the glass.) At the till, I couldn’t resist and took a freshly baked giant pretzel with me. There should be some “foundation” in my stomach for the beer.

With beer and pretzel in hand, we looked for a shady spot. What a lovely time, which for us simply means relaxation and enjoyment. A visit to a beer garden is simply part of a stay in Munich.

Visitor information

Address

Englische Garten
80538 München