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Germany : Munich - September 2009

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September in Munich means just one thing: the start of the annual beer-drinking bash, Oktoberfest. Why is most of it in September? No Bavarian will say – it could be the weather, impatience or just an excuse to get a head start on the tourists. Ben Knight steals a march

Getting around

Hamburg Airport

Bus: Buses leave for the city centre every 20 minutes, from 6am to 10pm. A single ticket costs €10, and a return costs €16.
Train: The journey from the airport to Hauptbahnhof (Munich’s central station) takes 40 minutes. The S1 and S8 trains run every 10 minutes and a single ticket costs €8,80.
Taxi: The average taxi fare to the city centre is €55 (€65 during rush hour).
Tourist information: There are two offices, at the main station (2 Bahnhofsplatz) and in the town hall (Neues Rathaus) in Marienplatz (tel. , www.muenchen.de).

ALTSTADT/LEHEL

This is the cleanest of Europe’s town centres and also one of its most picturesque. A holiday atmosphere rules Munich’s old town.

Sleep soundly – You’re unlikely to find a better-placed hotel than the threestar Hotel am Viktualienmarkt (14 Utzschneiderstrasse, tel. , hotel-am-viktualienmarkt.de, rooms from €75) in the city centre, with its good old Bavarian charm and clean, no-nonsense style. An upscale alternative is Eden Hotel Wolff (4 Arnulfstrasse, 1150, eden-hotel-wolff-muenchen.de, rooms from €112). Come here for Wilhelmine splendour combined with contemporary furnishings.

Culture vultures – If you’ve never been, there’s nothing that can convey the sheer immensity of Oktoberfest (Theresienwiese), which takes place from 19 September to 4 October. A good tip for novices: look for the Café Mohrenkopf tent, which serves an amazing breakfast from 9am.

Must eat – Vinorant Alter Hof (3 Alter Hof, tel. ) has one of the finest selections of Bavarian wines in Germany. The menu, meanwhile, concentrates on traditional northern Bavarian fare – try the beef roulade.

Dance the night away – Probably the hottest club in town, Baby! (5 Maximiliansplatz) is exclusive but not unfriendly, and spins house and techno. The ladies on the door are discerning, so call 0 (after 3pm) to get on the guest list.

MAXVORSTADT/ SCHWABING

The district that gave Munich its anarchic, intellectual reputation is also one of the most beautiful when it comes to architectural delights.

Sleep soundly – Practical, friendly, clean and with all the necessary amenities, B&B Hotel München Nord (243 Frankfurter Ring, tel. , hotelbb.de, rooms from €46) is a good bet if your budget is limited and location is important.

Must eat – Tibet Kitchen (4 Occamstrasse, tel. ), Munich’s first Tibetan restaurant, has an extensive menu and the ingredients are always fresh. The momo (steamed dumplings) are excellent.

Shop til you drop – Chokoin (52 Nordendstrasse) isn’t so much a shop as an experience. It promises an intoxicating combination of food, fine cigars, chocolate and wine – all tailored to the individual.

GLOCKENBACHVIERTEL

One of Munich’s liveliest quarters has a good mix of natives and travellers, spiced up by a gay community.

Sleep soundly – The individually designed rooms at intimate Pension Gärtnerplatz (45 Klenzestrasse, tel. , pensiongaertnerplatz. de, rooms from €70) give this popular little hotel a special frisson.

Must drink – Trachtenvogl Café- Lounge (47 Reichenbachstrasse) is a one-room bar with faux-Austrian décor. It’s a good place to start your night.

Dance the night away – Head to the recently opened Paradiso Tanzbar (2 Rumfordstrasse) for modern, magical burlesque in a venue once frequented by David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Freddie Mercury.

HAIDHAUSEN

The city’s most progressive and unpredictable district is a must for all travellers with an adventurous spirit.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Altmünchen (4 Mariahilfplatz, 8440, golden-leaf-hotel.de, rooms from €48) combines modern amenities with oldfashioned comforts. The hotel recently added a three-room apartment to its top floor, which is ideal for families.

Culture vultures – Munich’s 58th International Music Competition brings together the brightest young classical talents at Prinzregententheater (12 Prinzregentenplatz) until 18 September.

Dance the night away – Frequented by the hardest of hardcore techno fans, Nox-Club (6 Grafinger Strasse) is a mad, bad club housed in the city’s huge nightlife complex, Kultfabrik.

Compiled by Ben Knight