Should You Visit Berlin or Munich? – From a German Local

We currently live in Berlin Germany and love it here. We have also lived in Munich Germany for a while and have visited countless times.

Among our fellow Germans, there’s quite some rivalry going on between Berlin vs Munich (think East Coast vs West Coast in the USA or North vs South in the UK) – you have to choose one.

We think that both Berlin and Munich have a lot of pros and cons. That’s why we have written a comprehensive Berlin or Munich guide to help you make the decision.

We answer questions like

• Is it better to go to Munich or Berlin?
• Is Berlin or Munich cheaper?
• Is Berlin or Munich safer?

• Berlin or Munich – Which Should You Visit?
  • FAQs About Munich vs Berlin
  • Munich or Berlin – Which is more Expensive?
  • Sightseeing Berlin or Munich
  • Berlin Versus Munich – Food and Drinks
  • Berlin vs Munich – Festivals
  • The Conclusion: Should You Visit Munich or Berlin
• Our Personal Opinion: Berlin or Munich – Which Is Better
• Berlin and Munich: A Note at the End

Berlin or Munich – Which Should You Visit?

FAQs About Munich vs Berlin

Winner: Munich

Munich or Berlin – Which is more Expensive?

Winner: Berlin

Sightseeing Berlin or Munich

Highlights of Berlin	Highlights of Munich
The Bundestag, German Chancellery, and Bellevue Castle – the seats of power in Germany. Walk down Unter den Linden from Alexanderplatz to Brandenburg Gate and take in all the historic sights. Visit western Berlin with Ku’damm, Gedächtniskirche, and Charlottenburg Castle. Check out street art and hip food and drinks in Kreuzberg Friedrichshain.	The beautiful historic city centre with Frauenkirche, Alter Peter, Marienplatz, and New City Hall. The Residenz and Nymphenburg Castles. Olympiapark which was built for the Olympic Games 1972. Königsplatz with its amazing museums and architecture.
Things to Do in Berlin	Things to Do in Munich
Learn about the German separation at places like Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer. Learn about the former GDR at places like the DDR Museum or Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. Learn about Nazi crimes at Topography of Terror. Look for street art, the RAW in Friedrichshain is amazing.	Have a beer at Hofbräuhaus. Feast at Viktualienmarkt. Stroll through Englischer Garten and check out the surfers at Eisbachwelle. Shop till you drop at Kaufingerstraße und Neuhauser Straße (don’t miss the Stachus). Check out the opera or theatre. The Cuvilliestheater is one of the prettiest we’ve ever been to.
Berlin Museums	Munich Museums
There are 223 museums in Berlin. The ones on Museum Island are world class but we also love the Museum of Natural History, the Technology Museum, and the Jewish Museum. If you’re looking for something unique, try the Berliner Unterwelten Museum!	There are 66 museums in Munich. Our favourite museums in Munich are the Pinakotheken art museums. The Deutsches Museum is the largest technology museum in the world.
Best Views of Berlin	Best Views of Munich
The TV Tower is the clear winner. Other touristic options include the Funkturm in West Berlin and Panorama Punkt at Potsdamer Platz. For free options, check out our blog post: Travel Ideas Trümmerberge: Best Views in Berlin – for Free Although Berlin is very flat by nature, you can find your Berlin views on many man-made debris hills (Trümmerberge) in the city. They offer the best views of Berlin – be it north, south, east or west Berlin. Carina 01.05.2021 · 7 min read Open blogpost	You can get the best view from the tower of the New City Hall as it’s super central. We also loved the view from the Olympic Tower, the highest viewpoint in Munich. For a free view head to the Monopteros.
Day Trips from Berlin	Day Trips from Munich
You can do many amazing day trips from Berlin. The easiest is Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg. Other interesting destinations include the Spreewald, the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, and Sachsenhausen. The Baltic Sea and the Harz Mountains are a bit further away. Travel Ideas 27 Day Trips from Berlin – By Regional Train (0-1 change, 0.5-4 hours), Tested by Locals Looking for the best day trips from Berlin by train? We have personally tested the best places to visit near Berlin by regional train with a maximum of 4 hours ride and 1 change of train - including the best cities near Berlin as well as the best nature spots. Carina 12.09.2022 · 38 min read Open blogpost	The single best day trip from Munich is Neuschwanstein Castle. To the south, the Alps with the Zugspitze (highest mountain in Germany) and destinations like Salzburg in Austria are not far away. To the north, you can visit other German cities like Augsburg or Nürnberg
Swimming in Berlin	Swimming in Munich
Berlin has countless lakes. There are 50 lakes within the city limits alone and many more just outside in Brandenburg. Some lakes like Wannsee and Müggelsee have proper bathing facilities and others are less official.	The Isar River is your best option to cool down in summer.
Parks in Berlin	Parks in Munich
Berlin has many parks which come to life in summer. highlights are Mauerpark (karaoke and flee market) Tempelhofer Feld (old airport)	The claim to fame of Munich’s parks is that the Englischer Garten is bigger than Central Park in New York City.

Winner: Berlin

Berlin Versus Munich – Food and Drinks

Food in Berlin	Food in Munich
We love Berlin food. There are over 8,000 restaurants and cuisines from 75 countries. Traditional Berlin dishes include Currywurst, Bouletten, and Leber Berliner Art. And of course, Döner Kebab!! Vegetarians can try potatoes with quark and Berliner doughnuts. Travel Ideas Berlin for Foodies Local Guide + the Best Berlin Food Tours Local’s guide to traditional Berlin food, Berlin foodie neighbourhoods, and Berlin food tours to sample all the goodness. Carina 05.07.2023 · 7 min read Open blogpost	You can get a lot of traditional Bavarian food in Munich. Things like sausages, Schnitzel, Leberkäse, and Schweinshaxe are very meat-heavy. There are vegetarian options like Bretzel, Käsespätzle, or Obazda. And of course sweet dishes like Kaiserschmarren.
Drinks in Berlin	Drinks in Munich
There’s a huge craft beer scene in Berlin. We’d also recommend you to try Berliner Weisse and Berliner Luft. Fassbrause is a great non-alcoholic alternative to beer.	Beer. Mostly Weißbier and Helles.
Nightlife Berlin	Nightlife Munich
The nightlife in Berlin is world-famous and the techno clubs are unparalleled. Places like the Berghain or KitKatClub are a staple.	Yes, there is nightlife in Munich. It’s more expensive than in Berlin and there are many posh options like the P1.

Winner: Berlin

Berlin vs Munich – Festivals

Winner: Munich

The Conclusion: Should You Visit Munich or Berlin

Berlin Conclusion	Munich Conclusion
Visit Berlin for the capital of Germany a cheap city break a more rough and dirty feel the club scene its rich, sometimes dark history street art amazing summer vibes 223 museums cuisines from 75 countries	Visit Munich for a walkable city Bavarian food and culture a more posh and clean experience Oktoberfest beautiful castles in and around Munich amazing opera and theatre offers beer
How Many Days in Berlin	How Many Days in Munich
As Berlin is huge, you will not be able to see much in just one day. You’ll need at least 2 days, better 3. Here’s our Berlin Itinerary: Itinerary Local’s Berlin Itineraries for 1 to 7 Days in Berlin Local recommendations for an itinerary for Berlin – including a map! Whether you’re looking for a fast paced Berlin one day itinerary or you’re in Berlin for a week, we’ve got you covered. Carina 03.07.2023 · 21 min read Open blogpost	Munich is much smaller so 1-2 days is enough for a taste.

Our Personal Opinion: Berlin or Munich – Which Is Better

You guessed it: We live in Berlin and we love Berlin. There is just always something going on and you could do something new every day if you wanted to.

The one major downside of Berlin is that it’s too big and you always have to drive for a while to get to places.

We also realise that Munich has its draw. In our opinion, it is much cleaner and visually beautiful. We are also big fans of a walkable high street and city centre and sometimes miss that in Berlin. They also have a very rich and affordable cultural offer.

Berlin and Munich: A Note at the End

Both Munich and Berlin are not typically “German”. While Berlin is the capital of Germany, it is super multicultural and not very traditional.

In Munich, you can get the cliche Bavarian experience. While it’s easy to think Sauerkraut and Lederhosen are quintessential German staples, Germans outside of Bavaria will strongly disagree.

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