Munich old town walk: from Karlsplatz to Odeonsplatz past the Frauenkirche, Marienplatz and the Residenz, with what is open each day

One of 2 self-guided walks in Munich. See every walk.

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: Start at Karlsplatz (Stachus) and finish at Odeonsplatz: 2.8 km, about 35 minutes of walking and a day with the visits. Go Monday to Saturday: the Viktualienmarkt stalls are shut on Sundays and holidays, and the Wittelsbach crypt at St Michael’s is shut then too, apart from 1 November (All Saints), when it opens free from 14:00 to 16:30. The Frauenkirche tower is closed, the Glockenspiel plays at 11:00 and 12:00 (and at 17:00 only until 31 October), Alter Peter is €5 with no booking and the Residenz is one €20 ticket with no timed slot, open 10:00 to 17:00 in winter. The Neues Rathaus tower is the one climb that needs a booked slot. Or book a tour: the city’s own Old Town walking tourad is from €22 for 2 hours.

The route

Map of the walk numbered stops in walking order

Open the whole route in Google Maps - all the stops in walking order, set to walking directions, which is the version to put on your phone.

The route runs east from the old town’s west gate along the pedestrian street to Marienplatz, loops south to the market and the Hofbräuhaus, then north to the Residenz and Odeonsplatz. Prices are the adult rate in euros from each operator. Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel covers the square on its own.

Walk it with a guide

A guide adds the stories and the order. None of these tours includes entry to the towers or the Residenz unless it says so. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.

• Munich: Old Town Guided Walking Tourad, run by München Tourismus: from €22, 4.6 stars from 570 reviews, 2 hours. It takes in the Frauenkirche, Marienplatz, Maximilianstraße, Odeonsplatz and the Residenz, and meets at the Tourist Information at the Neues Rathaus.
• Munich: Guided Old Town Walking Tour Featuring Marienplatzad, run by Walkative Tours: from €26, 4.8 stars from 598 reviews, 2.5 hours. It meets at the main gate of St Peter’s Church.
• Guided Residenz tour with museum entryad: from €69, 4.8 stars from 205 reviews, 2.5 hours. A licensed guide takes you through more than 100 rooms, with the museum ticket included.

Munich walking tours compares these with the bike tours and the hop-on hop-off buses.

1. Karlsplatz and the Karlstor

Free, open always · S-Bahn (Karlsplatz) and U4 and U5 · the old town’s west gate

Munich calls Karlsplatz the Stachus. Neo-Baroque buildings, the Stachus-Rondell of 1899 to 1901 by Gabriel von Seidl, curve round the square. The Karlstor, on its east side, is the old town’s west gate and dates from about 1300. Only its two flanking towers are original: the rest was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1861 and 1862 by Arnold Zenetti, and simplified after war damage. Beyond it the pedestrian street runs 1 km east to Marienplatz.

• Getting here: the S-Bahn trunk line and the U4 and U5 stop under the square. Munich public transport has the tickets. From 3 to 6 November 2026 only the S3, S5 and S8 run through the centre.
• Eating: the Augustiner Stammhaus is on the street ahead, before stop 2.

2. St Michael’s Church

Free · Monday and Friday 9:30 to 19:00, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 7:30 to 19:00, Sunday 7:30 to 22:00 · Wittelsbach crypt €3 · Neuhauser Straße 6

The nave of St Michael’s Church. Photo: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Jesuit church was begun in 1583 for Duke Wilhelm V, who chose Renaissance style to shape Bavaria in the Catholic spirit. The tower fell in on 10 May 1590 and wrecked the choir, and Wilhelm pushed through a larger plan with a longer choir and a transept; the church was consecrated on 6 July 1597. It was meant as the Wittelsbach family’s burial church, and King Ludwig II lies in the crypt.

• The crypt is entered at the front right, below the altar of St Francis Xavier. Monday to Friday 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:00 to 17:30, Saturday 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:00 to 16:30. It is shut on Sundays and public holidays. On All Saints (Sunday 1 November 2026) it opens free from 14:00 to 16:30. Entry is €3, €2 reduced, €1 for ages 11 to 17, and free under 11.
• A combined ticket with the crypt of the Theatinerkirche, stop 9, is €5 and valid for a month from purchase.

3. The Frauenkirche

Free · daily 8:00 to 20:00, but not during services · South Tower closed · Frauenplatz 1

The Devil’s Footprint in the Frauenkirche. Photo: Oliver Raupach, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5.

The cathedral of the archdiocese was laid out in 1468 under the master builder Jörg von Halspach, in brick. The two domes that mark Munich’s skyline were added around 1525, 36 years after the church was finished, because the Landshut War of Succession had drained the money and the architect had died. The cathedral says they were planned on the model of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

• The Devil’s Footprint is a black print in the paving just inside the entrance. Stand in it and no side window of the nave is visible. The story is that the builder bet the devil his soul that none could be seen.
• The towers: the South Tower has been closed since 13 August 2026, when a break-in wrecked its lift, and no reopening date has been announced. The North Tower is not open to visitors. Munich’s viewpoints has the climbs that are open.
• Tours: a guided tour of the church runs at 11:30 from Monday to Saturday, not on public holidays. Register at the Domshop inside and meet in the North Tower chapel. Visits stop during services.

4. Marienplatz

Square free, always · Glockenspiel 11:00 and 12:00 daily, 17:00 until 31 October, 21:00 night show · Rathaus tower from €7

The square is 260 m east of the Frauenkirche. The Neues Rathaus, built from 1867 to 1909 in neo-Gothic style, runs along its north side, and the Glockenspiel in its tower has 43 bells and two scenes: the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V in 1568, with a joust, and the barrel makers’ Schäffler dance. The Mariensäule, set up in 1638, stands in the middle.

• Glockenspiel times: 11:00 and 12:00 every day, 17:00 from March to October (the last on 31 October), and a short show at 21:00 with the night watchman, an angel and the Münchner Kindl. It is silent all day on Good Friday, and the tune changes by month.
• The Rathaus tower: a lift to 85 m, in booked 20-minute slots for 30 people, from €7, daily 10:00 to 20:00 (last ascent 19:40). Book on munich.travel or at the Tourist Information on the square. No backpacks or large bags.
• From 20 November the Christkindlmarkt fills the square until 24 December: see Munich Christmas markets 2026.

5. St Peter’s and Alter Peter

Tower €5, €3 reduced, €2 for ages 6 to 18, free under 6 · 306 steps · no booking · Petersplatz 1

Alter Peter is the Munich name for the tower of St Peter’s, which the parish calls the city’s oldest parish church. Climb 306 steps to a platform that looks over the whole city and, in clear or föhn weather, 100 km to the Alps. At the level of the belfry you can see the eight bells through windows. The ticket is valid once, and reservations are not possible.

• Hours: April to October daily 9:00 to 19:30, last entry 19:00, which runs to 31 October. From 1 November it is Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:30 (last entry 18:00), and Saturday, Sunday and holidays 9:00 to 19:30.
• Closed on 25 December 2026, 1 January 2027, Shrove Tuesday (9 February 2027) and Good Friday (26 March 2027). On 24 and 31 December it is open 9:00 to 14:00.

6. The Viktualienmarkt

Free · stalls Monday to Saturday, shut on Sundays and holidays · beer garden Monday to Saturday, normally 9:00 to 22:00

The Karl Valentin fountain on the Viktualienmarkt. Photo: Strubbl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The market is 200 m south of St Peter’s. It was a farmers’ and herb market that moved off Marienplatz at the start of the 19th century, and reached its present size in 1890. About 140 stalls and traders sell food and flowers: the first opens at 5:30, most between 7:00 and 10:00, and all are shut by 20:00 at the latest, some earlier in winter. The fountains carry figures of Munich entertainers, among them Karl Valentin, Weiß Ferdl and Liesl Karlstadt, and the breweries raised the maypole in 1962.

• The beer garden has 1,100 seats under chestnut trees and is self-service: bring your own food and buy the drinks. Six breweries take turns on the taps every six weeks. It opens on Sundays only in good weather, and is busiest at lunchtime and on Saturdays.
• Toilets are at the east end, on the corner of Frauenstraße and Westenriederstraße, daily 9:00 to 18:00.
• From 20 November to 5 January 2027 the Winterzauber market stands here. Where to eat in Munich names the stalls.

7. The Hofbräuhaus

Free to enter · daily 11:00 to 24:00, kitchen to 22:00 · Platzl 9

The court brewery was founded on 27 September 1589 by Duke Wilhelm V to supply the Bavarian court, and King Ludwig I opened it to the public in 1828. It brewed for the last time on this site on 22 May 1896, and the present tavern dates from the rebuilding of 1896 and 1897. The Schwemme, the hall on the whole ground floor, holds up to 1,300 guests and takes no reservations: sit anywhere. Last call for drinks is 23:30.

• Next: Munich’s beer halls has the prices and the other halls, and Munich food tours the guided option.

8. Max-Joseph-Platz and the Residenz

Residenz €20 for the museum, Treasury and Cuvilliés-Theater, €15 museum and Treasury, €10 museum · daily 10:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:00 · closed 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and Shrove Tuesday

The Nationaltheater and the monument to Max I Joseph on Max-Joseph-Platz. Photo: Andrew Bossi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5.

From the Hofbräuhaus it is 370 m to the square, with the Nationaltheater on one side and the long Königsbau front of the Residenz on another, where the monument to King Max I Joseph stands. The Residenz was the Wittelsbach family’s palace in the city. One ticket covers the state rooms, the Treasury and the Cuvilliés-Theater. There is no entry time: an online ticket goes straight to the entrance and skips the cash-desk queue.

• Hours: the museum and Treasury open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 until 27 March 2027, with the last entry at 16:00. The theatre opens Monday to Saturday from 14:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays and holidays from 10:00, last entry 16:00.
• Rules: bags of 35 x 30 x 12 cm or larger and rucksacks go in the free cloakroom. Water in a plastic bottle up to 0.5 litres is the only drink allowed inside.
• The Hofgarten beside the palace is free: the English Garden walk starts through it. From 16 November to 22 December the Residenz courtyard holds a free Christmas village.
• Tickets and tours: the Residenz tickets page has the sellers and the city’s English tour on Fridays.

9. Odeonsplatz

Square free · Theatinerkirche free, crypt €2, Saturdays only · U3, U4, U5 and U6 under the square

The dome of the Theatinerkirche from inside. Photo: Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Walk 480 m north up Residenzstraße. The Feldherrnhalle on the south side of the square was built from 1841 to 1844 for Ludwig I by Friedrich von Gärtner, modelled on the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. It is wrapped in scaffolding for a restoration expected to last until 2028. On 9 November 1923 police stopped a march of Nazi putschists here, and a bronze plaque on the adjoining Residenz façade commemorates the four police officers killed. Third Reich tours in Munich covers the history.

• The Theatinerkirche was built from 1663 to 1688 as a thanks-offering for the birth of the heir Max Emanuel, with towers finished in 1690 and the façade in 1765 to 1768. The dome is 70 m high. Entry is free.
• The crypt of the Wittelsbach princes is open on Saturdays only, 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:00 to 16:30. It is shut from Sunday to Friday and on every holiday except All Saints. Entry is €2, or €5 with the St Michael’s crypt.
• The finish: Odeonsplatz station is under the square. The English Garden walk starts here and goes through the Hofgarten to the Eisbach wave and the Chinese Tower.

Where to eat

Augustiner Stammhaus

Neuhauser Straße 27 · restaurant Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 24:00, Sunday and holidays 11:00 to 22:00 · beer hall Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 24:00, closed Sunday

The Augustiner beer hall and restaurant in the pedestrian street, 160 m beyond the Karlstor. From 10:00 the beer hall serves sausages, meat loaf and snacks, and the hot kitchen runs from 11:00 to 22:30. On Sundays and holidays the beer hall is shut and the restaurant opens from 11:00 to 22:00, with hot food to 21:30. Munich’s beer halls has the prices.

The Viktualienmarkt

Stalls Monday to Saturday · beer garden Monday to Saturday, weather permitting

Lunch is stop 6. Buy a roll or a hot snack from a stall and take it to the beer garden’s benches: your own food is allowed, and the drinks are bought at the bar.

Café Luitpold

Brienner Straße 11 · Monday 8:00 to 20:00, Tuesday to Saturday 8:00 to 22:00, Sunday 9:00 to 20:00 · breakfast daily to 15:00

A coffee house 100 m from Odeonsplatz station, round the corner from the finish. Where to eat in Munich has the rest of the city.

The best day to go

The timing that works, Monday to Saturday: start at Karlsplatz at 9:00, be in St Michael’s when it opens, and reach Marienplatz by 10:50 for the 11:00 Glockenspiel. Climb Alter Peter after it, eat at the Viktualienmarkt before the lunchtime crowd, and take the Hofbräuhaus on the way to the Residenz. Arrive at the Residenz by 14:30, which leaves an hour and a half before its last entry at 16:00, and finish at Odeonsplatz. On a Saturday, add the Theatinerkirche crypt before 16:30.

What closes:

• Sundays and public holidays: the Viktualienmarkt stalls, the St Michael’s crypt and the Theatinerkirche crypt (except All Saints).
• Winter, from 1 November: the Glockenspiel’s 17:00 show, and Alter Peter’s weekday closing time, which moves from 19:30 to 18:30.
• 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January: the Residenz.
• Rain: the Viktualienmarkt beer garden may open late or close early.

What does not close: the streets and squares, the Frauenkirche and St Michael’s between services, and the Hofbräuhaus. A Sunday still makes a half-day walk: the Residenz, Alter Peter, the Hofbräuhaus and the Glockenspiel are all open. Only the market and the crypts are shut.

Getting there and back

• To the start: Karlsplatz (Stachus) has the S-Bahn trunk line and the U4 and U5. The ticket choices are in Munich public transport.
• From the end: Odeonsplatz has the U3, U4, U5 and U6.
• In reverse: the Residenz opens at 10:00, so starting at Odeonsplatz puts its queue first, and the Viktualienmarkt late, when stalls are packing up by 20:00. The Glockenspiel is easier to catch from the forward direction.

What to do with the rest of the day

• The park: the English Garden walk starts at Odeonsplatz, where this one ends.
• The palace: Residenz tickets has the sellers, and Munich’s viewpoints compares the towers.
• The beer: Munich’s beer halls and beer gardens say where to sit.
• The guided options: Munich walking tours compares the guided walks, bikes and buses.
• The days: 3 days in Munich starts day one at Marienplatz, and what to book before you go to Munich has the closed days for every sight.
• Where to sleep: hotels near Munich Hauptbahnhof put you close to the start, and where to stay in Munich compares the areas.

Common questions

How long is the Munich old town walk?

2.8 km from Karlsplatz (Stachus) to Odeonsplatz, measured along the streets: about 35 minutes of walking. With Alter Peter, the Glockenspiel, a stop at the Viktualienmarkt and the Residenz it fills a day.

Is the Munich old town walk free?

The streets, Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel, St Michael's, the Frauenkirche, the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbräuhaus's hall cost nothing to enter. Alter Peter is €5, the Neues Rathaus tower from €7, the Residenz €20 for the museum, Treasury and Cuvilliés-Theater, and each Wittelsbach crypt €3 at St Michael's and €2 at the Theatinerkirche.

What do I need to book for the walk?

Only the Neues Rathaus tower, which sells 20-minute slots on munich.travel or at the Tourist Information on Marienplatz. The Residenz has no timed entry, Alter Peter takes no reservations and the Hofbräuhaus's Schwemme needs none.

Which day is best for the old town walk?

Monday to Saturday. The Viktualienmarkt stalls and the Wittelsbach crypt at St Michael's are shut on Sundays and public holidays, and the Theatinerkirche crypt is open on Saturdays only. Saturday is the one day the market and both crypts are open.

Is the Frauenkirche tower open?

No. The South Tower has been closed since 13 August 2026, when a break-in wrecked its lift, and no reopening date has been announced. The church itself is free and open daily from 8:00 to 20:00. Alter Peter, five minutes on, is the climb that is open.

Does the Glockenspiel play at 17:00?

From March to October only, so the last 17:00 performance of the season is on 31 October 2026. It plays at 11:00 and 12:00 all year, and a short night show at 21:00. It is silent all day on Good Friday.