Englischer Garten

Covering nearly four square kilometres, Munich’s rolling Englischer Garten is likely bigger and greener than anything you’ve seen in England, but takes its name—and its informal style—from the undulating gardens popularized in 18th and 19th century England by landscape architect Capability Brown. One of the largest green city spaces in the world, it is undoubtedly Munich’s most beloved outdoor habitat, populated by joggers, skaters, dog-walkers, frisbee players and kite-flyers throughout the year. Be sure to enter the park by the Haus der Kunst to catch the Eisbachwelle—the man-made “ice creek wave” that is one of Munich’s most incongruous, and enjoyable, sights. Here, in sun or snow, hundreds of wetsuit-clad surfers wait in line to ride a rapid standing wave created by submerged concrete. Once you’ve shuddered, cheered, or gasped at their kicks and feats, stroll down along the more serene Isar tributary, where flocks of picnickers and (typically nude) sunbathers luxuriate in summer, towards picturesque refreshment at the famed Seehaus or Chinesischer Turm beer gardens. The Greek temple-like Monopteros, on a raised slope just south of the Chinesischer Turm, has gorgeous views, particularly at sunset.