See what there is to discover around the Olympic Park Munich
The Olympics are always on in Munich
The Olympic Park, the Olympic Village, the Olympia shopping centre, the Olympic Halle, the Olympic Lake, the Olympic Hill, the Olympic Swimming Pool, the Olympic Stadium…you might think that the Olympic Games are always on in Munich. And to an extent, that’s true! This is because since the Olympic Games were held in Munich in 1972, the Olympic Park Munich and its surrounding area have been home to many exciting activities and wonderful locations to explore! Let the games begin!
Wide range of activities on offer at the Olympic Park Munich
You don’t even have to step foot outside of the Olympic Park to have the perfect holiday. The Olympic Park Munich – also affectionately referred to as the Olypark by Munich locals – has so much to explore that you could wander around it from morning to night, every day of the year. During summer especially, there are lots of great and highly anticipated events taking place there, such as the Munich Mash and Tollwood, which guarantee that boredom has no place in the park. Here, we have listed a few of the countless highlights in the Olympic Park:
Festival at the Olympic Park Munich:
– End of June to end of July –
Once a year, the Tollwood festival is held on the fields at the Olympic Park Munich: a summer festival lasting almost a month, with lots of concerts, theatre, cabaret, art and culinary highlights. Immerse yourself in the Indian Village, the Marrakesh Tent, the Half Moon Bar or the Music Arena. At the Market of Ideas, you can find a diverse selection of tasty organic food and fairtrade products. Admission is free of charge!
In winter, Tollwood takes place as a winter festival and Christmas market at the Theresienwiese. In summer, it takes place from the end of June to the end of July at the Olympic Park. More info here.
Extreme sports at the Olympic Park Munich:
– End of June –
At the Munich Mash, you can enjoy extreme sports at their finest! At the end of June, wakeboarders, skateboarders and BMXers all show off their spectacular stunts. Admission is free of charge! Wakeboarders, you ask!? Yes! At the Munich Mash in the Olympic Park, a water-ski lift and obstacles are set up on the Olympic Lake, where the pros perform their moves. The Red Bull Roller Coaster takes professional skateboarders on a track down the valley between the hillsides of the Olympic Park.
More info here.
Wakeboarding and SUP on the Olympic Lake in Munich:
– End of July to mid-August –
If you’re in the mood for some extreme sports, you should definitely visit Munich during the summer! For the “impark Sommerfestival” in July and August, the wakeboard lift at the Olympic Park Munich is open to all. At the “Isle of Summer”, you can also hire equipment for stand-up paddle boarding. We hope you have an exhilarating day on the water!
More info here.
View from the Olympic Hill:
– all year round –
If you’d like a more peaceful break in between all of the action, you should visit the Olympic Hill. The view over the city of Munich from the Olympic Hill is simply indescribable! Once you have seen the Alps lining the horizon behind the city’s skyline, you will understand what makes Munich such a unique and wonderful place to live. The “ascent” up the hill takes 15 minutes at most – however, it will also be worth your while to take a stroll along the countless paths on the lower section of the hill. Pack up your picnic blanket and get going! You can find even more fantastic green spaces where you can enjoy a picnic.
Photo by Johanna Felber
A Mass of beer at the Olympia Alm:
– all year round –
A proper Bavarian mountain needs an authentic Alm tavern and a big glass of local beer! It’s therefore no coincidence that the largest field on the Olympic Hill is also home to the Olympia Alm! A charming beer garden with a cosy atmosphere, Bavarian cuisine and Bavarian beer.
More info here.
Open-Air Cinema at the Olympic Park Munich:
– Mid-May to mid-September –
Fancy a romantic evening under the stars, sitting in a deckchair and watching films whilst enjoying some drinks and snacks? You can do all of that at the Kino am Olympiasee open-air cinema! During the summer months, the open-air cinema at the Olympic Lake shows the latest blockbusters, arthouse films and gripping 3D hits on a huge screen. Whatever the weather! Is your favourite film on the schedule?
More info here.
Music around the Olympic Hall Munich:
– End of July to mid-August –
On the Theatron floating stage on the lake at the Olympic Park Munich, those visiting during the summer months can enjoy the Theatron Musiksommer festival. From the end of July to mid-August, there are bands and artists performing on the stage daily from 7:00 p.m. Perhaps with a sunset over the Olympic Lake included. Admission is free of charge! More info here.
There are also lots of great concerts at the Tollwood summer festival from July to June.
Good to know: world-famous stars, including Pink, Metallica, Seeed and David Guetta, regularly play concerts at the Olympic Hall or Olympic Stadium venues in Munich. If you can’t get tickets but still want to listen in on the performances, you can simply sit on the grass at the Olympic Park and savour the atmosphere. More info here.
Flea Market at Munich’s Olympic Stadium:
– all year round –
You can browse and barter your heart out at the Olympic Park flea market, too. Every Friday and Saturday, around 450 traders offer their wares at the Parkharfe in the Olympic Park. Munich’s biggest bazaar only closes on public holidays and during major events.
More info here.
Ice skating and ice hockey at the Olympic Park Munich:
– August to April –
At the Olympic Ice Sport Centre, you can go ice skating almost all year round. If you don’t want to take to the ice yourself, you can watch the local ice hockey team, EHC, play a game. Munich’s team plays in the top ice hockey league in Germany and has already won the championship several times over.
More info here.
Swimming at the Olympic Park Munich:
– all year round –
At the Olympic Swimming Pool in Munich, you can feel like an Olympian while you do your laps. There is a 50-metre sport pool with two lanes, a 10-metre diving board and an expansive sauna facility. Once upon a time, this was the venue for the swimming and diving competitions at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Later, it was also the place where Stefan Raab hosted his celebrity diving competition TV show that was famous across Germany.
More info here.
A walk on the roof of the Olympic Stadium:
– July to August –
Fancy a walk on the roof of the Olympic Stadium? You can do just that! With the Flying Fox: an exhilarating high-altitude experience, which ends with a 200-metre glide on the Flying Fox across the arena at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Adrenaline rush guaranteed! Can you see the Alps from up here?
More info here.
Everybody wants to stay at the Olympic Park Munich
Many hotels would savour the opportunity to call themselves the “Hotel Olympic Park Munich” or the “Hotel Munich Olympic Stadium”. Or to advertise their hotel as being in close proximity to the Olympic Stadium Munich. This is because the countless highlights at the Olympic Park include the Olympic Tower Restaurant with a fantastic panoramic view from a height of 181 metres, as well as SEA LIFE Munich and the BMW World attraction at the nearby BMW Headquarters.
Alternatives to the Olympic Park Munich
If, despite everything the Olympic Park in Munich has to offer, you find yourself in the mood for something different (or if you’ve already done everything there is to do there, you should head towards the Tal in the city centre. Within around half an hour, you can reach Marienplatz from the Meininger Hotel or the Olympiazentrum München U-Bahn station, and from there you can continue on to München ‘72. A bar dedicated to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Then, you can return to the Meininger Hotel Munich Olympiapark. Accommodation in Munich has never been so straightforward! However, if you would prefer to stay a little closer to the city centre, take a look at the our MEININGER Hotel München Zentrum.