The Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in autumn.

Schwabing

From artists and writers

Back when the Schwabing Boheme movement was at its peak in around 1900, it was artists and writers who first began to settle around the university and Art Academy and thus began to shape the spirit of Schwabing.

“Schwabing is not a place, it’s a state of mind.” This is how author and scandalous countess Franziska zu Reventlow described the area 100 years ago. Schwabing stalwarts, like the photographer Wolfgang Roucka, share her view: “Schwabing is not just any old neighbourhood. There are simply no words to describe it. You have to feel it.”

In the streets, cafés, bars and pubs around the university, you will encounter typical neighbourhood figures, including well-known artists like the filmmaker Doris Dörrie and writers Patrick Süskind and Hans Magnus Enzensberger , ( † 24 November 2022) along with some idealists and free thinkers, just like Rainer Langhans, the founder of Kommune 1 and member of the former 68er student movement.

Even back in the early 20th century, it provided a place for artists to live and work, including socio-critical writers like Erich Mühsam, Stefan George and Frank Wedekind and the avant-garde painters from the Blue Rider group.

The painter Paul Klee used to throw wild art parties in the former Schloss Suresnes (Suresnes Palace) on Werneckstrasse, where he had his atelier. A number of other famous names used to live on Ainmillerstrasse, such as the artist couple Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, and zoologist Marianne Plehn.

“Schwabing was an island of intellects in the world at large, in Germany and most of all in Munich itself. I lived there for many years. It is where I did my first abstract painting. It is where I really began to think about 'pure' painting and pure art.”
Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky’s paintings and the world’s largest collection of art by the Blue Rider group are on show in Lenbachhaus art museum. The museum owes it collection to a very generous donation by Gabriele Münter, herself a member of the artists’ group.

Schwabing’s artistic heyday ended with the outbreak of the First World War. During the National Socialist period, groups from the university formed part of the resistance against the Hitler regime.

The Denkstätte Weisse Rose (White Rose Memorial) in the atrium and the memorial on the grounds in front of the main entrance to Ludwig-Maximilians-University pay homage to the student resistance groups who gave their lives for freedom. To pay tribute to Georg Elser, who made a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in the Bürgerkeller beer hall in 1939, a light installation on Georg-Elser-Platz square is switched on every night at 9:20 p.m.

After sustaining heavy damage during the Second World War, Schwabing is blooming once again. Renovated art nouveau and historicist-style houses stand out amongst the typical 1960s buildings.  After the war, the district’s many clubs, music bars and cabaret theatres saw it transform into the hippest part of town and a centre for youth and protest culture.

Video: Local Love Schwabing

Theatres like the Münchner Lach- und Schießgesellschaft (a political cabaret theatre founded by Sammy Drechsel and Dieter Hildebrandt in 1956), TamS (Theater am Sozialamt), Heppel & Ettlich, Lustspielhaus and Vereinsheim are still open to this day.

Schwabing has been undergoing something of a revival over the past ten years as a place where young chefs combine the traditional and the modern. For instance, the team from a cocktail bar on Occamstrasse have created “Monaco Vodka”, whose label bears an image of “Monaco Franze”, a character who brought fame to Schwabing in a 1980s TV series.

At the newly renovated Wedekind-Platz square, the “Schwabinger Laterne” has also been restored. This lamppost was the subject of a song by local star Schwabinger Gisela, who performed for years in the pub just across the square. If you love nothing better than to browse through book shops and antique stores, eat in old student pubs and try something unconventional every once in a while (fancy a weisswurst sausage-flavoured ice cream from Amalienstrasse for instance), then Schwabing is the ideal spot.

At Alte Simpl restaurant, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Schwabing in 1900 when the artists and writers who contributed to Simplicissimus magazine met to take a satirical look at the establishment. The paintings and poems that the often penniless artists left behind as payment still hang on the bar’s wood-panelled walls.

Modern design can be experienced in Ingo Maurer's showroom. The internationally renowned lighting designer died in October 2019 at the age of 87. His creations illuminate the whole of Munich: Maurer created the lighting concepts for the Westfriedhof, Münchner Freiheit and Marienplatz underground stations.

Running from north to south right through the middle of Munich you have Leopoldstrasse, a wide poplar-lined boulevard that leads to Siegestor gate and Munich city centre. From one of the countless cafés on this street, you can soak up the peace and quiet while watching the comings and goings of shoppers, cyclists and maybe the odd cabriolet as they make their way up and down Leopoldstrasse. "See and be seen" is another important aspect of Schwabing!

To the east, Leopoldstrasse runs parallel with the Englischer Garten (park) all the way up to the north of Munich. The park is the ideal place to meet students while they are sunbathing between lectures, families enjoying a Sunday picnic, street musicians and amateur footballers. Its most popular destinations are the beer gardens at the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower), Kleinhesseloher See lake, Aumeister and Hirschau.

 

Become curious? Then revive the former artists' quarter around 1900 with the guided tour "Mythos Schwabing" and let an official guide show you today's Schwabing.

 

 

Text: München Tourismus; Photos: Sven Kolb, Frank Stolle; Illustration: Julia Pfaller; Video: Redline Enterprises
People at the Siegestor in Munich

Maxvorstadt

A district full of life and adventure

Maxvorstadt is a bustling district: education, culture and business meet a colourful urban offering.

Maxvorstadt is a bustling district: universities, cultural temples and business meet small cafés, bars, restaurants and colourful shops.

Weissenburger Platz in Munich photographed from above with a drone.

Haidhausen and Au

A village in the city

Haidhausen and Au have developed from working-class quarters into popular residential areas.

When strolling along the narrow streets of the districts Haidhausen and Au with small shops and green courtyards, it almost feels like being in a village in the middle of the city.

The Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in autumn.

Schwabing

From artists and writers

Around 1900, it was the artists and writers who settled around the university and the art academy and shaped the spirit of Schwabing.

In the heyday of the Schwabinger Bohème around 1900, it was the artists and writers who settled around the university and the art academy and shaped the spirit of Schwabing.

Towers ot the St Luke's Church in Munich photographed from the air.

Lehel

A beautiful spot

Lehel is considered one of Munich's most popular and exclusive residential areas. But it wasn't always the case.

Lehel is considered one of Munich's most popular and exclusive residential areas. But it wasn't always the case.

View of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich across the canal and its bridge.

Nymphenburg-Neuhausen

Around Schloss Nymphenburg

Neuhausen-Nymphenburg offers a wealth of things to discover besides the palace.

In addition to the palace, Neuhausen-Nymphenburg also has the Botanical Garden, numerous museums and the vibrant neighbourhood of Neuhausen with its vibrant shopping and café scene.

Various house facades in the sunlight in Munich.

Giesing

A district full of variety

Giesing may be famous for soccer and beer, but what the locals value most is the neighbourhood’s lively diversity.

Giesing may be famous for soccer and beer, but what the locals value most is the neighbourhood’s lively diversity of architecture, culture, and people.

Flowerbed at Gärtnerplatz in Munich.

Gärtnerplatz and Glockenbach

Where the night begins

Independent labels, hip bars, pubs and cool inns attract the young and the young-at-heart.

The Gärtnerplatz and Glockenbach neighbourhoods are known as trendy quarters. Their independent labels, hip bars, pubs, cool inns and calm backyards attract the young and the young-at-heart.

Panoramic view of Karlsplatz / Stachus in Munich with the Frauenkirche in the background photographed from the air.

Munich's city centre

Classical and curiosities

Numerous Munich stories can be told along the roughly one-kilometer-long route between Karlsplatz-Stachus and Marienplatz square. A city walk.

Numerous interesting Munich stories can be told along the roughly one-kilometer-long route between Karlsplatz-Stachus and Marienplatz square. A city walk.

Maximilianeum in Munich at sunset.

Bogenhausen

Once a village, now a noble district

The Bogenhausen district in the northeast of Munich captivates with many green areas, old villas and its proximity to the river Isar.

There's a lot to discover here: the Bogenhausen district in the northeast of Munich captivates with many green areas, old villas and its proximity to the river Isar.

Panoramic view of the Olmpic Park with Olympic Tower, Olympic Swimming Hall, Olympic Lake and the headquarter of BMW in Munich in the background.

Munich's north

Masterpieces of architecture and entertainment

BMW Welt, Allianz Arena and Olympic Park - Munich's north has much to offer.

With the Olympiapark, BMW Welt and Allianz Arena and the city's oldest church, the north of Munich has a lot to offer.

A group of humans is tasting Baklava in front of a vitrine in a shop in the station district in Munich.

Bahnhofsviertel

Many cultures, one neighborhood

The charm of the oriental Bajuvaric microcosm in the quarter to the south of the main train station gives you that holiday feeling.

The aroma of mocha and black tea fills the air: the charm of the oriental Bajuvaric microcosm in the quarter to the south of the main train station gives you that holiday feeling.

Café Gans am Wasser in Westpark in Munich.

Sendling

From Westpark to Harras

The district of Sendling is divided into different areas, with each offering its own charm and special highlights.

The district of Sendling is divided into the areas of Untersendling, Mittersendling and Obersendling, with each area offering its own charm and special highlights.

Merchant with dried fruit on the Viktualienmarkt in Munich.
Viktualienmarkt Tasting Tour

Discover the most delicious delicacies of the city and learn all kinds of interesting facts about Munich's most famous food market.

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Discover the most delicious delicacies of the city and learn all kinds of interesting historical facts about Munich's most famous food market.

Three copies of the official Munich city guide are slightly stacked on top of each other so that the image of the Frauenkirche remains visible on each one.
Official Munich City Guide

With our new city guide, you can take a relaxed stroll through the most beautiful neighbourhoods and discover insider tips from our guides - from sights to hidden highlights. Order now free of shipping costs!  a

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With our new city guide, you can take a relaxed stroll through the most beautiful neighbourhoods and discover insider tips from our guides.

With our new city guide, you can take a relaxed stroll through the most beautiful neighbourhoods and discover insider tips from our guides - from sights to hidden highlights. Order now free of shipping costs!

Panoramic view of the Munich Christmas market at Marienplatz.
Christmas Market Tour

Get in the mood for Christmas on this tour through the old town in the wonderful atmosphere of fragrant almonds and glittering lights.

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Get in the mood for Christmas on this tour through the old town in the wonderful atmosphere of fragrant almonds and glittering lights.

Get in the mood for Christmas on this tour through the old town in the wonderful atmosphere of fragrant almonds and glittering lights.

View of a residence serenade with candles in the court chapel.
Residenz Serenades

This Munich experience promises high culture for newcomers and enthusiasts: enjoy the popular Mozart concerts in the Residenz.

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This Munich experience promises high culture for newcomers and enthusiasts: enjoy the popular Mozart concerts in the Residenz.

Exterior view of the Munich Palace of Justice on Prielmayerstraße in Maxvorstadt.
Justizpalast Tour

During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

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During the guided tour of the present-day seat of the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, you will learn everything about the history and significance of the neo-baroque court and administrative building.

Small meeting room of the Neues Rathaus in Munich
New Town Hall Tour

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Explore the Neue Rathaus on Marienplatz with an official tour guide. A visit of the famous law library is also included!

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Exterior view of the Hofbräuhaus Munich at dusk.
Hofbräuhaus Tour

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

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Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Discover the most famous beer hall in the world with an official guide of the city of Munich and enjoy a fresh Mass of beer afterward!

Towers at Marienplatz in Munich
Old Town Tour

The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

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The city walk for everyone who wants to become acquainted with the most beautiful parts of Munich's city centre.

Wort kettle at the Spaten brewery in Munich.
Spaten Brewery Tour

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Experience a brewery tour at Spaten with a look behind the scenes, interesting facts about the company history and beer tasting in the brewery tower.

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Vouchers

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Street Art-Tour

Did you know that Munich was a pioneer of the European graffiti scene? Discover different art up close in the city with our street art tour today!

Experience the city's diverse art & exciting graffiti on our street art tour!

Did you know that Munich was a pioneer of the European graffiti scene? Discover different art up close in the city with our street art tour today!

View of the Salzach river and the castle in Salzburg.
Salzburg and the Lake District

Visit the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and relax on the journey to beautiful Lake Wolfgang.

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Visit the birthplace of composer extraordinaire Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, stroll through the Baroque old town and then relax on the journey to beautiful Lake Wolfgang.

A stone jug with the inscription Oktoberfest Munich.

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Oktoberfest Shop

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

Bring a piece of Oktoberfest home: Purchase official souvenirs such as the Wiesn poster or the Oktoberfest beer stein in the official Oktoberfest shop.

A woman in the exhibition "Der Blaue Reiter" in the Lenbachhaus in Munich
Discovery trip incl. City Pass

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Vouchers

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Buy vouchers from 6,50 €

Give the gift of a special Munich voucher: we also offer vouchers for all our guided tours. Here you can book unique Munich experiences directly online, print them out and give them as a gift voucher to friends or family.