Days out

Best picnic spot:

Englischer Garten

The Englischer Garten is like no other urban park. It's a city-centre pleasure-ground that surpasses New York’s Central Park in size and Berlin’s Tiergarten in lush beauty. Stretching north-east of the centre almost to the city limits, it comprises sports grounds, lakes, an open-air theatre and ornate sculptured gardens sprinkled with elegant sights like the Chinese tower. Just watch out for the nudists!

Best outing on the water:

Starnberger See

A holiday in Munich is barely worth it if you don't take a day out to explore the Starnberger See, one of the largest and most idyllic lakes in Germany, and well within range of Munich's public transport system. In the summer, it is an ideal place for a day at a (grassy) beach, and there are plenty of water activities too. In the colder seasons, a saunter around one of the lovely villages that line the lake is always a delight. Or you can just admire the distant Alps.

Where: 25 km south-west of Munich, S-Bahn S6 to Starnberg, single ticket from city centre: €4.80

Website: www.bayregio-starnberger-see.de

Culture

Best blues:

Alfonso’s Live-Music Club

This 15-year-old jazz and blues club has a proud reputation for putting music before all else. This traditional late-night haunt will offer you an old-fashioned evening of New Orleans-style music.

Where: Alfonso’s Live-Music Club, 5 Franzstrasse, 80802 Munich

Website: www.alfonsos.de

Best magnificent theatre:

Cuvilliés Theater

The Cuvilliés Theater is, if nothing else, an astounding achievement in restoration. One of the oldest and most beautiful functioning Rococo theatres in the world, it was re-opened in 2008 to great fanfare, and is well worth a visit just to stand in awe of the splendid interior. Both contemporary and classical theatre are performed on its stage, mostly in German.

Where: Cuvilliés Theater, 1a Residenzstrasse, 80333 Munich

Website: www.bayerischesstaatsschauspiel.de/

Best cabaret:

Paradiso Tanzbar

This is the place to come if your tastes tend towards the bizarre. The Paradiso gives you a darkly magical night out, almost every night, with entertainment in the best tradition of burlesque: a heady mixture of dance, theatre and erotica. And you'll be stepping in famous footsteps – David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Freddie Mercury were all once patrons.

Where: Paradiso Tanzbar, 2 Rumfordstrasse, 80469 Munich

Website: www.paradiso-tanzbar.de

Drinks

Best bar:

Café Trachtenvogl

There's nowhere trendier than this ever-boisterous little bar, located in the heart of one of Munich's most happening districts, the Glockenbachviertel. With its cool, faux-Austrian decór, it's one of the best places to hunt out the city's beautiful people, and a great place to start a night out.

Where: Café Trachtenvogl, 47 Reichenbachstrasse, 80469 Munich

Website: www.trachtenvogl.de

Best home-brew:

Unions-Bräu

This homely, out-of-the-way bar has three priorities: beer, food and more beer. The cuisine is solid, meaty fare, exactly what you came to Bavaria for in the first place, and the atmosphere is slap-on-the-back friendly. The 125-year-old history seals the deal quality-wise, and it is an ideal alternative to the world-famous, tourist-ridden Hofbräuhaus in the city centre.

Where: Unions-Bräu, 42 Einsteinstrasse, 81675 Munich

Website: www.unionsbraeu.de

Trivia

Best trivia:

There are four bronze lions holding shields at the entrance to the Residenz palace on Residenzstrasse. As you walk past, be sure to rub the shiny gold noses of the little lion heads at the bottom of the shield. It brings good luck. Hang around a while, and watch the locals do it too.