Out in nature whilst still in Munich

There are few major cities where you can escape into nature without leaving the city. This route through Munich is a fine example.
The route starts in a park overlooking the zoo, then follows the Auer Mühlbach stream to the Müllerches Volksbad (public baths, a magnificent Art Nouveau building).
The second part follows the Isar to the Großhesselohe bridge, then back through the Harlaching district to the starting point.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.39 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 207 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 210 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,857 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,663 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the starting point, take the path on the right just before the "Harlachinger Einkehr" restaurant, heading into the shaded park
Stay on this path for just over 2 km. On the right, you’ll first pass above the zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn), a first stream, the “Harlachinger Quellbach”, which flows into the “Auer Mühlbach”.

(1) Then go round a stadium on the left.

(2) Cross over the ring road and, after the bridge, you’ll find yourself on a path through a park that soon ends at Bergstraße.

(3) Continue along this street to the end, then take a path which you should also follow to the end. Then turn left, then immediately right, to pass under a large junction. The route seems complicated here, but you actually need to wait until you reach the forecourt of the large München Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche church. (There are many churches, but you cannot miss this one due to its size and brick architecture).

(4) Pass the church on the left, then walk alongside a park again. Next, walk alongside a railway line on the right; take the path on the left to cross over the railway line, then turn right (Schmedererweg). The path then crosses over a road.

(5) You will then reach Hochstraße, which you should take to the left. Hochstraße crosses a bridge over Gebsattelstraße.

(6) Take the path on the left, Fischerweg. You will then arrive directly at the banks of the Auer Mühlbach stream; follow it and cross via a bridge

(7) Continue straight on along Riggauerweg to reach the banks of the Isar at the Ludwigsbrücke.

(8) Take the underpass beneath the Ludwigsbrücke bridge (you can see the Deutsches Museum on the other bank of the Isar).

(9) Walk between the Volksbad and the Isar. Continue along the Isar, take the bridge over the Isar on the left, and return by walking between the canal and the Isar. Reach the Deutsches Museum by turning left.

(10) After the museum, cross the Ludwigsbrücke, and you will then find yourself back where you first came across the Isar.

(8) Then follow the Isar upstream along its right bank for several kilometres, passing the various bridges on your right.

(11) Turn right to reach the wooden footbridge, the Flauchersteg.

(12) Cross the Isar, which is very wide at this point, via this bridge, then turn left and follow the Isarkanal upstream.

(13) Turn left onto Schinderbrück and turn left again. Continue southwards.

(14) When you reach the next bridge, the Thalkirchner Brücke, take the left-hand side of the bridge and leave it between the canal and the Isar.

(15) A little further on, you’ll reach another footbridge, the Marienklausensteg; take it on the left and leave it on the right to follow the Isar up the right bank. Continue to the Großhesselohe railway bridge, which is also open to pedestrians. Magnificent view of the Isar.

(16) Go under the bridge and head up to the left. Once at the top, turn left to cross over the railway line. Stay on the path (be careful, there is a cycle path and a footpath; please respect them) to reach Karolingerallee (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,798 ft - Karolingerallee
  2. 1 : mi 0.55 - alt. 1,768 ft - Confluence of the rivers
  3. 2 : mi 1.32 - alt. 1,762 ft - Stadium
  4. 3 : mi 1.47 - alt. 1,752 ft - Bergstraße
  5. 4 : mi 1.78 - alt. 1,745 ft - "München Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche" church
  6. 5 : mi 2.23 - alt. 1,755 ft - Hochstraße
  7. 6 : mi 2.63 - alt. 1,736 ft - Fischerweg
  8. 7 : mi 2.99 - alt. 1,716 ft - Bridge - Isar (rivière) - Autriche - Affluent du Danube
  9. 8 : mi 3.06 - alt. 1,696 ft - Ludwigsbrücke
  10. 9 : mi 3.12 - alt. 1,703 ft - Between the Volksbad and the Isar
  11. 10 : mi 3.65 - alt. 1,693 ft - Deutsches Museum
  12. 11 : mi 6.49 - alt. 1,732 ft - Turn right towards the wooden footbridge
  13. 12 : mi 6.64 - alt. 1,713 ft - Wooden footbridge
  14. 13 : mi 6.83 - alt. 1,729 ft - Schinderbrück Bridge
  15. 14 : mi 7.45 - alt. 1,719 ft - Thalkirchner Bridge
  16. 15 : mi 8.11 - alt. 1,719 ft - Marienklausensteg footbridge
  17. 16 : mi 9.49 - alt. 1,785 ft - Großhesselohe railway bridge
  18. S/E : mi 11.39 - alt. 1,801 ft - Karolingerallee

Notes

Access

  • by car, head to Karolingerallee, where you can park easily (which is not at all the case in the city centre near the Volksbad/Deutsches Museum)
  • By public transport: take Tram 15 or 25 to Tiroler Platz, then walk down Karolingerallee to reach the starting point (S)
  • Another option: do the circular route starting directly from the city centre (Deutsches Museum/Volksbad)

Don’t forget to take a map of the city with you!

Worth a visit

Munich Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche

Auer Mühlbach

Flauchersteg

Großhesselohe

  • The main attraction for nature lovers is the Isar. This river, which rises in Scharnitz (in Austria, near the Bavarian border), flows for around 150 km before reaching Munich. Up to that point, it retains the character of a mountain torrent. After Munich, it becomes a calmer river, flowing 150 km further to join the Danube at Deggendorf. A few years ago, the river was channelled by walls along its banks. These walls have recently been removed to restore the river’s wild appearance, making it naturally more attractive
  • You will pass under the Großhesselohe bridge. Take a short detour to walk under the bridge, beneath the railway line, which offers a magnificent view of the Isar valley.
  • If the weather is cold and wet, making any hike impossible, do visit the Müller’schen Volksbad. This building, magnificent both inside and out (Art Nouveau, dating from 1901), is an indoor swimming pool with a sauna.

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