BIKE RIDING IN MUNICH – DISCOVER TWO SUBLIME TOURS

A man is riding a bicycle wearing traditional Bavarian Lederhosen.

In hardly any other city will you encounter as many cyclists while strolling through the streets, as in the “bicycle capital” Munich. The city itself has initiated this campaign with that latter title, and is helping to lure more and more citizens of Munich and also tourists out into the open and onto their bikes! The city is doing this by adding many bicycle lanes, by the opening of one-way bicycle lane streets oriented in the opposite direction, with guard rails, with ongoing structural improvements, as well as by the construction of new sites for locking bikes.

There is also the so-called “Radlring” (Cycling Ring) – a cycling path around Munich, which was originally conceived for the Bundesgartenschau München, and which has now been in use since 2005. The cycling ring encompasses a total of 135 km, with some track variations of up to 170 km, and traverses Munich districts and surrounding communities within a 10-25 km radius of Marienplatz. Since the cycling ring has no major hills and runs apart from major roads, it is navigable by anyone and is certainly worth a jaunt.

In addition to the high recommended cycling ring, Platzl Hotel München would like to suggest two more tours: on a sightseeing tour through Munich you can experience the Bavarian charme while cycling pass the best highlights representative of Munich’s flair for small streets and idyllic squares. Or take a tour through the remarkably lovely Munich Southeast, including numerous cultural stops in the surrounding area and as the highlight of the tour visit the new Brauereistüberl restaurant in Aying and enjoy the sunset with a Bavarian “Brotzeit”.

Route 1: Sightseeing Cycling Tour through Munich

Stages: Platzl Hotel München, English Garden, Olympiapark, Schloss Nymphenburg, Hirschgarten, Theresienwiese, Platzl Hotel München

Length: about 22 km

Start at Platzl Hotel München, heading north-east to Pfisterstraße. Here you turn left onto Pfisterstraße and then shortly left onto Hofgraben. After a short time take a right onto one of Munich’s boulevards, Maximilianstraße. Follow the road for 650m to the Maximiliansbrücke, and cross this bridge. By then turning right twice consecutively you will now be able to cycle underneath the bridge onto the cycling path next to the Isar River. Cycling along the Isar River is one of the favourite pastimes of Munich citizens – relish the scenery and the atmosphere! Follow the Isar cycling path for a few hundred metres and then turn left, now heading toward Luitpoldbrücke and Prinzregentenstraße. Cycle through the pedestrian underpass and turn right onto Prinzregentenstraße, which you can follow for a few hundred metres. Then cycle right round the bend onto Lerchenfeldstraße and shortly you will have arrived at Eisbach and thus also English Garden. With its countless lawns for sunbathing and blooming flowers, the English Garden will tempt you to linger. A special attraction here is the Chinese Tower – treat yourself in the Biergarten to a local beer!
 

After sunbathing in the English Garden, cross the park in the direction of Schwabing / Königinstraße and then cycle through the idyllic Schwabing. To get to the next stage of the sightseeing tour, the Olympiapark, you can orient yourself to Franz-Josef-Straße and Elisabethstraße. With the many small streets and alleys here in Schwabing you can soak in the feeling of Munich particularly well, and enjoy the day in the city! On a tour of Schwabing, in particular Hohenzollernstraße, Josephsplatz and Elisabethplatz are recommended for a short stop or a little shopping. When you cross Schwere-Reiter-Straße at the end of the district, continue cycling northeast and upon crossing Willi-Gebhart-Ufer you will be nigh on Olympiapark. Once in Olympiapark München, a visit to the Olympic Tower and its observation deck is highly recommended. From here you can enjoy a fabulous view over the whole city!

To discover the well-known and magnificent Nymphenburger Castle, follow the Nymphenburg Biedersteiner Kanal towards the west, and keep left next to the ever-narrowing river channel, until you reach the Schloßgartenkanal. This is located right in the middle of the castle’s impressive entrance area, and from here you can cycle directly to your destination. Marvel here at the pageantry of yesteryear, bask in the rich gardens or pick up one or the other souvenir at the shop for your loved ones at home.

After your stopover at Schloss Nymphenburg, cycle south on Hirschgartenallee. Follow the Hirschgartenallee to the end and then turn left onto the bicycle path, which leads directly to Hirschgarten. Grant yourself a short pause in Hirschgarten or have a cool, refreshing drink.

From Hirschgarten you can now cycle back southeast through the so-called Schwanthalerhöhe. After a short time you will be proceeding directly alongside Theresienwiese. Here you can often take part in numerous festivals or admire other high-profile events. Especially in autumn thousands of Oktoberfest visitors will cavort on these grounds, taking part in the world’s largest fair.

The last section of the Munich sightseeing tour takes you a short distance along the Bavariaring, before you leave it after several hundred meters, turning left onto Mozartstraße. At the end of this street turn right onto Goethestraße, and then turn left after a few metres onto Lindwurmstraße. Follow the road to the bustling Sendlinger Tor Platz, cross this directly and follow Oberanger and later Rindermarkt, continuing in the same direction. Turn right after about half a kilometre onto Marienplatz and after about 100 meters turn left onto Sparkassenstraße. Now after an eventful day in Munich you have arrived at your hotel in the heart of the city. In the evening relax in the “Maurischer Kiosk” or sip a cold beer in the Platzl Hotel bar.

Route 2: Cycling through the Munich surrounding area, including a visit to the new Brauereistüberl restaurant in Aying

Length: about 31 km

The route from Munich to Aying, on which you can enjoy the Munich surrounding area and the wonderful Bavarian countryside, is part of the well-known Mangfall bike path. This well-built cycling route runs from Munich to Rosenheim, and due to its idyllic, mostly very even stretches alongside the Mangfall River, enjoys enormous popularity – among Munich locals as well as with visitors from all over the world.

Because the recommended route starts at Munich Ostbahnhof, in order to get to that starting point a small bike tour through Munich or a short, comfortable ride on the S-Bahn from the nearby Marienplatz square is advisable. To this end you can get on any S-Bahn going east, and you will arrive at Ostbahnhof in just 5 minutes. From here follow the signs for the Mangfall-Radweg/bike path and experience the Bavarian atmosphere surrounded by unique landscapes.

On your way to Aying you will traverse the Munich surrounding area and among other things discover Neuperlach and Perlach. In addition to the beautiful natural scenery, in Neuperlach you might admire numerous works of art, such as Louis Constantin’s “Blaue Spirale”(Blue Spiral) at the town’s entrance, Albert Hiens’ “Objekt im See”(Object in the Lake) in Perlach-Park, or Jai Young Park’s “Nur der Mensch ist der Ort der Bilder”(Only Man is the Site of Images) at the Ständlerstraße.

After the next stretch to Ottobrunn, here at the Rathaus (Town Hall) you can visit a museum focusing on the eponymous Otto of Wittelsbach, as well as the gallery “Treffpunkt Kunst”(Art Rendezvous). Also in recent years there are the “Ottobrunner Konzerte” held in the Wolf-Ferrari-Haus here, with well-known stars of classical music and jazz, as well as many other exciting events. Take a little break here and let yourself be enchanted by the music.

In Höhenkirchen a selection of particularly interesting churches allows you to create the perfect mixture of cycling through beautiful scenery and of stops full of art, music and culture! Discover for example the parish church Mariä Geburt, the parish church of St. Peter or the Kreuz-Christi church.

After a last stretch of a few kilometres, you will now arrive at the goal, Aying, after a tour full of highlights. Enjoy a cool, refreshing beer and a tasty Bavarian “Brotzeit” here at Münchener Straße, in Aying’s new Bräustüberl restaurant, and enjoy the last rays of the day.

To get back to the Platzl Hotel München you can easily take the S7 train (S-Bahn) back to Marienplatz station. After about a 40 minute trip, you can then make your way directly to the Platzl Hotel München and relax in your lovely room at the heart of the old city, reviewing the eventful day.

If you would like to try out one of these bicycling tours during you stay in munich, you have the opportunity to rent a bike at Platzl Hotel München. Out staff shall be pleased to give you advise for your sporty trip at any time.