What you'll hear
A two-hour walk along the Isar – from the Maximilianeum and the Ludwigsbrücke across the Museumsinsel to the gravel banks, and from there into the old suburbs of Au and Haidhausen. We learn how the river fed the city with timber and rafts, how it swept bridges away and how it was brought back to life. The route is for anyone who already knows Munich's centre and wants to see the city from the river and through the eyes of its ordinary people.
On the way
Maximiliansbrücke
We are standing on the Maximiliansbrücke, right above the Isar: below us flows green Alpine water, and ahead of us, on the high bank, rises a palace with arcades, the Maximilianeum. This is where our walk along the river begins. To reach the next stop, we cross the bridge to the east bank and climb the ramps to the terrace…
Maximilianeum
We are on the terrace in front of the Maximilianeum, on the high east bank of the Isar, with the whole old town spread out before us. From here we go down the park paths to the river and follow the bank south, to the building with a dome and a tower by the Ludwigsbrücke – that is the Müller'sches…
Müller'sches Volksbad
We are at the Müller'sches Volksbad, on the east bank of the Isar, right by the Ludwigsbrücke. The next stop is only a couple of minutes away: we walk onto the bridge and stop in the middle, above the river. Let's look at this building: a dome, a tower, lavish decoration. It looks like a palace or even a church…
Ludwigsbrücke
We are on the Ludwigsbrücke, which strides across the Isar and the island in the middle of the river. Right here, at the old crossing, the history of Munich began. Next we go down from the bridge onto the island and walk south along it, to the large building with the tall tower – that is the Deutsches Museum. This…
Museumsinsel and the Deutsches Museum
We are on the Museumsinsel, in front of the Deutsches Museum, one of the largest museums of science and technology in the world. Next we walk to the southern tip of the island, cross the Boschbrücke footbridge to the east bank and follow the water south as far as the Reichenbachbrücke. The island we are standing on used to be…
Isar bank at the Reichenbachbrücke
We are on the bank of the Isar by the Reichenbachbrücke. Here the river doesn't look urban at all: wide, with gravel banks and people sitting right by the water. Next we climb up from the river into the Au district and head east, keeping our eyes on the tall, pointed tower – that is the Mariahilfkirche. Let's look down…
Mariahilfplatz and Mariahilfkirche
We are on Mariahilfplatz, the main square of the old suburb of Au, at the foot of the high bank. From here we walk north, climb the high bank to the Rosenheimer Straße and turn east into the Preysingstraße; on the way we pass the Gasteig cultural centre, near which stood the Bürgerbräukeller beer hall, where in November nineteen thirty-nine…
Kriechbaumhof
We are on the quiet Preysingstraße in old Haidhausen, in front of the little wooden house called the Kriechbaumhof. From here we walk north-west through the quiet lanes of the district and in a few minutes reach Wiener Platz with its market stalls. In front of us is a low wooden house – the Kriechbaumhof. It is the last wooden…
Wiener Platz
We are on Wiener Platz, Haidhausen's small market square with its maypole and green stalls. Next we head south to Rosenheimer Platz and from there along the Weißenburger Straße to Weißenburger Platz with its large fountain, right into the heart of the Franzosenviertel. Let's look at the little market huts in the middle of the square. This is the market…
Free walk: the Franzosenviertel
Our walk along the Isar is over, and we are standing on Weißenburger Platz, in the heart of the Franzosenviertel. From here we can wander wherever we like: the streets radiate out from the squares, and there's no real chance of getting lost – in any direction, after about ten minutes, you'll come either to the Ostbahnhof or back to…
