Munich's Englischen Garten

Bikes are allowed and you can rent them at the train station. My husband and I biked through there last October. It can be very crowded (particularly if it is the first nice day after a lot of bad ones) but go to the North part of the park for quieter trails. A great memory for us. Also, ask for a bike lock so that you can lock up the bikes and eat lunch at one of the outdoor beer gardens. (we didn't ask for a lock and so had to take turns staying with the bikes while we ordered food and drinks)

Definitely fun. There are naked people sunbathing there. And I have pictures to prove it.

Judging from what we saw there, we don't think you would want to see the photos

Heh-hehI wouldn't mind deciding for myself

The Englischer Garten in Munich's Central Park, only bigger. Rick Steves says that the folks you see plastered against trees are American bikers staring at the naked/semi-naked sunbathers. It was cloudy and chilly when we were there. ;-( If you want to bike beyond the EG, you'll be in good company--lots of bikers in Munich and motorists respect them.

As others have all ready said bikes are allowed. There are lots of trails to spend an afternoon riding on. If you find yourself at the Chinese Tower in the center of the park stop and enjoy a beer under the shade of the trees. While we were there in May we joined a group of locals who were painting and drawing sketches at the base of the Monopteros (replica of a small Greek temple). I tried my hand at sketching but I'm not very good. Anyway, we made some new friends and a lot of good memories.

I wasn't an American plastered against a tree. I was an American trying to quickly snap a picture of the naked guy and then catch up to the rest of our bike tour goup.

It was cold and rainy the day we were there, but we enjoyed our walk through the park anyway. Even though it was cold there were some guys surfing near a bridge on the river (which was quite entertaining).

Great park to run, walk or bike. In addition to the beer gardens, check out the "wave" where the stream exits a culvert. You'll find urban surfers braving the rapids on most days, despite the "Surfen Verboden" (or something like that) sign.

And echoing the others... trust me, there's nobody sunbathing that you'd want to see naked in a million years.

Amy,

There should be a new thread on "How do you spot an American?" Answer: They're the ones taking pictures of the naked people in the English Gardens. LOL.

Jerry,

Yes, certainly a top choice on a nice day in Munich. If you don't get good weather, save it for another time - it's not the same experience when the sun isn't shining (and I don't just mean because the naked people aren't out).

Hey Jerry, I hope you don't mind but I am going to post a question as well instead of starting a new string.

I have heard that at the tower near the beer garden, there is sometimes live music playing. Is there anyway to get a schedule of the days and times to take in the live music there?

Rob

Rob,

The TI near the train station will have all the information you need about music performances, festivals, showings, etc.

Has anyone found a way to research that from here? I arrive in Munich on a Sunday, and have read that the park is hopping on Sunday afternoons. I imagine that I can here good music then, but if it's raining, I would like to have an alternate plan before going. Thanks for the response, btw!

www.frommers.com has a calendar of events. It's far from exhaustive. It has a lot of festivals but wouldn't include smaller events.

The other option is to go to the city's website and see what is listed. Some sites are better than others.

http://www.muenchen.de/Tourismus/6942/index.html

Thanks for the help!

It is a beautiful park, very green.