Things to do in Munich
Fill your boots with a foodie walking tour
Say the phrase ‘Bavarian cuisine’ and you’ll conjure the old tropes: sausages, beer… and not much else. Munich Walk Tours (tel: +49 2423 1767; www.munichwalktours.de) offer a tour that’ll change your mind and guide you around the finest foodie corners of Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s oldest open air market and bona fide gastronomic manna.
Hit the slopes
Munich is a popular base for those who want to enjoy the winter season in the German Alps without straying too far from the city. Spending a day on the slopes before returning to town each evening is perfectly doable, and the resorts of Alpspitze (tel: +49 8821 7970; http://zugspitze.de/de/sommer) and Wallberg (www.wallbergbahn.de) are both within a 90 minute drive.
Kick off your boots (and shirt and trousers and pants)
Europeans are famed for their penchant for public nudity, and in 2014 Munich’s mayor decreed six areas of the city to be ‘Urban Naked Zones’. Locations include the Englischer Garten, a naturist area since the ‘swinging’ 60s. You can find the info on these hottest of hot spots at Naturist Travel (http://www.naturisttravel.net).
Soak up some goodness at the spa
Therme Erding (tel: +49 8122 5500; www.therme-erding.de), is the largest thermal bath complex in Europe. The sulphur spring - where natural, unprocessed water originates from a depth of 2,350m (7,710ft) - is recommended for easing your aches and stresses. On clear summer days the glass dome above the main bath area retracts to let visitors soak up the rays in situ.
Surf the wave, anytime
Surfing in winter may seem like the actions of a lunatic, but its entirely possible at the Eisbach (www.muenchen.de/freizeit/sport/surfen.html). This small channel in the Isar River runs through the Englischer Garten and has its own 24/7, one metre wave. Although not one for beginners, it’s worth a look to see the surfers shivering at the edge.
