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Bavaria in spring 9 ways to enjoy Bavaria in spring

You can never count on good weather in Bavaria, the southern region of Germany with its capital Munich, but you can count on a good time in spring ( frühling ). This is one of the best times to travel to Germany, as the crowds are minimal (outside of Easter), the weather is warming up, and Bavaria is ready for festivals.

The weather is usually better in May, but no matter if it rains, and there probably will be, here are 10 ways to enjoy Bavaria in spring.

Take a walking tour of Munich

A tour in the rain and cold can be downright sad, so expect a nice spring day to take a walking tour of central Munich. There are several excellent options in English (as well as other languages), including SANDEMANs New Munich Tour and City Walk. Remember to tip even on a free tour.

As you walk, try to time it so that you are at Marienplatz at 11:00 and noon. On the hour for more than 100 years, a traditional Glockenspiel sounds, with the three chirps of the golden bird signaling the end of each show.

Celebrate May Day in Bavaria

May Day in northern Germany generally has more to do with workers’ rights than welcoming spring, but a maypole remains the center of festivities in Bavaria.

The maibaum is made from a single tree trunk and decorated with colored ribbons, flowers, carved figures, and a village insignia ( wappen ). The creation and erection of the pole is cause for celebration. Once the Maibaum has ascended , and often beforehand, the beer tent is open! Although the maibaum is also under constant threat of robbery from rival cities

You can find a complete list of May Day events in Munich on the website of the city of Munich (German), or discover events throughout Bavaria.

Take a seat in the city’s beer gardens

The Germans wait all winter for the biergartens to reopen. The first signs of spring are good enough to slip into an extra sweater and head to the beer garden.

Munich alone has more than 200 beer gardens serving the best of Bavarian beer and picturesque culture.

  • Beer Garden Hischgarten – This is the largest beer garden in the world and has a capacity of 8,000 people.
  • Beer Garden Augustiner Keller – As it looked when it opened in 1812, this beer garden is the oldest in Munich with Augustiner beer served daily.
  • Beer Garden on Viktualienmarkt – Grocery shopping is thirsty work and this beer garden offers the ideal respite. If you need some sustenance, you can bring your own food and enjoy any brew on tap that week.
  • Beer Garden in the Chinese Tower – Take a break from the English Garden for a Lowenbrau in the second largest beer garden in the city. You can’t miss it as it is also the site of the giant Chinesischer Turm .
  • Beer Garden Augment – Another location within the park is Augment . Once the hole for royalty, commoners can drink their Hofbrau here today.

If you are near Starkbierzeit (held after Karneval for about a month) take the time to find a brewery and participate in the local Oktoberfest.

Further away? Locate the Andechs Monastery and Brewery above Lake Ammersee to learn some of the area’s rich history and sample some truly sacred beers.

Stroll through the English garden in Munich

The English Garden may seem out of place in the Bavarian capitol, but this sprawling green space is actually Munich’s largest park and everyone’s favorite destination in hot climates.

Visitors can rent a rowboat and hike through the forest. Do you want something more unusual? Take a look at the German surf channels or even enjoy the naked rays. The area around the Universität is particularly known for sunbathing FKK (without clothes).

Buy at Viktualienmarkt

Munich’s top 200-year-old farmers market is open every day. It is a must see in Munich and an attraction for locals and tourists.

Its 150 local produce stalls offer the best of produce, baked goods, honey, butchers and spices. Show your way through its best stalls and buy products to create your own German party.

Go to one of the other Munich drink festivals

When you say “drink festival in Germany”, most people in the world automatically think of Oktoberfest in Munich. Locals know that this phrase could refer to many festivals held throughout the year.

Start with the Strong Beer Festival that runs from winter to spring. Also known as the »Internal Oktoberfest«, it features beers of Herculean strength. Starkbiers (strong dark beers) are the drink of choice as the city comes out of the cold season.

Münchner Frühlingsfest (Munich Spring Festival) formally welcomes spring with rides, live music and what else? – Beer .

Swimming in Lake Starnberg

Lake Starnberg is just south of Munich and makes for an ideal day trip out of the city.

An idyllic spring destination for locals and tourists in the know, take some time to enjoy the sunny weather by walking the boardwalk and swimming in its clean waters. If you do it right, you could even watch the thrilling races in April.

Hike through the alps

After the snow has melted in the Bavarian Alps in mid-May, it’s time for skiers to give way to hikers. Choose from peaks and routes such as Höhentalklamm , Oberstdorf, and Roß and Buchstein.

Relax in the spas

Germans take their spas seriously and many of the best in the country are in Bavaria. What better way to prepare for the summer?

The best spas in Bavaria:

  • Europa Therme Bad Füssing
  • Johannesbad Bad Füssing
  • Kaiser-Therme Bad Abbach
  • Limes Therme en Bad Gögging
  • Rottal Terme en Bad Birnbach
  • Bad Steben thermal baths

Best restaurants in Munich

Munich presents some of the best dishes and a traditional Bavarian atmosphere. This is Germany at its finest, from schweinshaxe (pork knuckle)

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Do you want to celebrate Munich Oktoberfest in style? Next, get yourself the right outfit, usually known as tracht or traditional Bavarian clothing.

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