English Garden and the Eisbach Surfers

The Englischer Garten is Munich's backyard, a huge landscape park stretching north from the edge of the old town along the Isar for several kilometres, created in 1789 as one of the first public parks in Europe, open to everyone rather than reserved for a court. It covers around 376 hectares, more than 410 with the adjoining gardens, which makes it larger than New York's Central Park, and it was designed in the English style, with meadows, woods, streams and carefully placed buildings rather than formal beds. For visitors, the park has a handful of set pieces. At its southern tip, by the Haus der Kunst on Prinzregentenstrasse, surfers in wetsuits take turns riding the Eisbachwelle, a standing wave on a fast, cold arm of the river, while onlookers line the bridge to watch, one of the most surprising sights in any city in Europe. Further in, the Monopteros, a small round Greek temple built in 1836 and 1837 on an artificial hill, gives the classic view across the treetops to the towers of the old town. The Chinese Tower, a pagoda-like wooden tower, stands in the middle of a beer garden with around 7,000 seats, one of the largest in Bavaria, where a brass band often plays from the tower's balconies in summer. The Kleinhesseloher See, the park's largest lake, has rowing and pedal boats in summer and the Seehaus restaurant and beer garden on its shore, and there is a Japanese teahouse, built for the 1972 Olympics, on an island near the southern end. North of the ring road, the park becomes wilder, ending at the Aumeister beer garden. The park is free, open all day and night, and the place where Munich comes to walk, run, cycle, sunbathe and, on summer evenings, drink a Mass of beer under the chestnuts.

The Eisbach wave in 2026: river surfing here was officially allowed in 2010, and the wave became famous worldwide. After a fatal accident in 2025 and a long period in which the wave disappeared after work on the riverbed, the city reopened the Eisbach to surfing on 8 May 2026 under a revised general order, once a stable, surfable wave had formed naturally again. The rules are now strict: a self-releasing leash is mandatory, surfing is banned from 10pm, and the posted safety rules must be followed. The wave is for experienced surfers only, and swimming and bathing in the Eisbach are not allowed; for visitors, the experience is watching from the bridge, which is free and fascinating at any time of year, including winter, when hardy surfers ride in thick wetsuits. Status can change quickly, so if seeing surfers is the main reason for your visit, check the city's notices first.

How to see the park in half a day: start at the Eisbach wave (bus 100 to Nationalmuseum/Haus der Kunst), walk north along the stream to the Japanese teahouse and up to the Monopteros for the view, then continue to the Chinese Tower for lunch or a beer in the beer garden. From there it is a pleasant walk to the Kleinhesseloher See and the Seehaus. You can cut across to the U-Bahn at Universitaet or Giselastrasse on the western side, or simply keep walking. Renting a bicycle is an excellent way to cover more ground, and many walking tours finish at the Chinese Tower.

Seasons and etiquette: on warm summer days the meadows are packed with sunbathers, and parts of the park have designated nude sunbathing areas, notably the Schoenfeldwiese, which surprises some visitors. In autumn the park turns gold and the beer gardens are calmer; in winter, the paths are quiet and the Chinese Tower hosts a small Christmas market in Advent. The beer gardens keep traditional rules: you can bring your own food but buy drinks there, and self-service areas are cheaper than the table-service sections. Do not swim in the Eisbach or the streams, and stay on the banks when watching the surfers.