Gay Munich Munich City Guide

Curation by Jamie McGhee, words by Ian Packham

Picture Bavaria and you’ll likely imagine a city resembling Munich, replete with Lederhosen, oompah bands, and the giant Bierhallen of the annual Oktoberfest celebrations—the world’s largest folk festival—aplenty. But stereotypes aside, there’s a huge number of things to do in Munich too, from a stunning medieval Old Town to 61 theatres and 36 museums. It was also here, in the ‘City of Beer and Art’, that Germany’s first publicly supportive political statements on homosexuality were made back in 1867. Though it took a further 100 years for sexual activity between men to be legalised, this still made Germany a leading light in the battle for equality, which today sees Munich laying claim to some of the oldest gay bars in the world. Set around the Glockenbachviertel neighbourhood, the LGBTQ scene is one of the largest and most diverse of any German city; events come to a head not at Oktoberfest, but the Christopher Street Day pride festivities each July. For your definitive Munich gay guide, you’ve come to the right place.

The best hotels in Munich

Let’s start this gay Munich travel guide with a roundup of the best hotels in Munich. For that homely touch—if your home is a penthouse that money can’t buy—BEYOND by Geisel boasts unmatched communal spaces in a phenomenal location directly on Marienplatz, which has been the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town) since 1158. A communal guest living room spans two floors, while the dining area and fully-fitted kitchen provide plenty of space to show off your culinary genius at any time of day. But when all is said and done, it’s the rooms that count, and those at BEYOND by Geisel are bathed in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. While BEYOND may be known for classic luxury, the design hotel, Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor, snugly located between the Olympic Stadium and the city’s Englischer Garten, is famous for its natural woodwork. Guests can enjoy panoramic views of Munich from the rooftop bar, indulge in massages and locally-inspired healing treatments at the in-house spa, or top up their tans on the pool sundeck.

Situated within easy reach of Munich points of interest, between the Old Town and the Glockenbachviertel gaybourhood, and beside the famed Viktualienmarkt square and food market, Living Hotel Das Viktualienmarkt couldn’t be more central. The light and spacious rooms have extra-long beds for the comfort of all their guests and contrast vividly with the black and gold stylings of the lobby and bar. Embodying bronze, silver, and gold, Motel One Munich-Olympia Gate celebrates and commemorates the 1972 Munich Olympics. Enlarged photographs from the games adorn the walls, and each furnishing has been chosen to evoke the 1970s Olympic spirit. Located in the Schwabing district, one of Munich’s most authentic, Motel One Munich-Olympia Gate offers guests the ideal balance between tranquillity and the vivacity of the nearby centre of the city, where you’ll find Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski München. The main attraction, besides its classically-styled rooms, is use of its luxury day spa, which offers a wealth of calming beauty treatments in addition to an indoor swimming pool and fine views over the Munich skyline.