Posted September 28, 2026

By EDEN MCCLAVE

MUNICH, Germany — At 2 a.m., Munich looks nothing like the city of beer halls and Bavarian history that first-time visitors might expect.

Outside Lucky Who, a nightclub housed in a building resembling a miniature city hall, a crowd of Germans and international visitors stretches around the corner. The air is crisp. The streets are quiet; the club is anything but. The bouncer has stopped letting people inside, it hasn’t made a difference to those waiting.

Then, a yellow Lamborghini pulls to the curb.

A young footballer, newly signed to Germany’s premier league, steps out wearing sunglasses despite the hour. A woman in a skirt as tiny as it is glittery follows. They bypass the line and disappear through the entrance without hesitation. They are on the list.

For everyone else, the night continues outside. Nearby, a conversation between a tourist and a local sparks about where to find a good café in Munich leads to Wagner’s Juicery, a vegan spot. The tourist marvels at the coincidence of meeting another vegan. It becomes an enthusiastic exchange about veganism, empathy and the changing values of a younger generation. The local listener seems to agree with everything.

Until it becomes clear that he is not vegan at all. He had simply gone along with it because the enthusiasm was convincing. He goes back inside, leaving the tourist dumbfounded.

The moment captures something unexpectedly characteristic of modern Munich: beneath the city’s polished, traditional exterior is a youthful culture that is international, fashionable, experimental and occasionally impossible to take at face value.

In 48 hours, Munich can offer vegan cafés in the afternoon, football stars in Lamborghinis at night and a lesson in German humor somewhere in between. For a young traveler looking beyond the World War II history and beer halls, the city has plenty to discover.

SATURDAY

Breakfast at Emmi’s Kitchen

Munich’s active community of cyclists and pedestrians has folded in cuisine beyond the average bratwurst and pretzels.

At Emmi’s Kitchen, enjoy a completely vegan and gluten free menu. Choose between a sweet or salty signature: bagel sandwich with mushrooms and avocado or their filling cinnamon bun.

Smoothies and lattes are equally delicious.

The secluded patio seating and small cafe create a homey atmosphere. Servers head to the river after their shifts where most of the city’s population spend their weekend afternoons. 

River Bathing

With an Emmy’s kitchen veggie burger to go, it’s time to find a suitable spot along the Isar river which runs through the city.

There are no truly secluded spots on a summer day but there are plenty of breaks in the crowd of families and young couples on the pebble shore. Under the bridge, a young woman calls to her boyfriend from the top of the bridge, who flips his shoes off for her to collect before he flips into the water himself. A train of ambitious young men began to gather, putting on a free afternoon show of mid-air tricks and high-octane splashes.

Pro tip: bring water shoes or let the rocky river floor give you a free reflexology session and leave tender-footed.

Afternoon Tea (Beer)

When the blissful combination of cold water and hot sun gives way to an afternoon slump, take a walk to Hofbraukeller, an outdoor patio in the heart of the French quarter.

On your way, see the lifestyles of the Munich elite, the townhomes of quiet luxury, the outfits of loud luxury, and the simple luxuries: a tall glass of cold beer under the shade of an umbrella.

The biergarten’s tables offer space for large parties or use the lawn chairs for a close conversation. On your way back, stop into True & 12 for truly refreshing vegan sorbet.

Evening

Zen Vibes

Dine at the entirely vegan Secret Garden restaurant in the heart of old town for Asian dishes as creative and flavorful as they are pleasing to the eye. Tasting portions offer room to explore the extensive menu. The veggie dumplings were a table favorite. Within walking distance to Gartnerplatz, this is the perfect way to digest and set out for a night on the town.

Night life

Gartnerplatz is the meeting place of the young and willing. Bottles line the curb and the tops of trashcans inside of them.

It’s not like a German to miss the obvious.

Instead of throwing them away, they leave them to be collected by the homeless population to turn a profit of 25 cents each. The steps of the opera is where the pregame takes place.

Partygoers sit like pigeons on a line, swapping stories and bottles before fishing for action. The biggest catches of the night: Lucky Who and Don’t Tell. If those are too full, try Milch and bar for a Foosball corner, strobe lights, and an American hip hop mix. 

SUNDAY

Morning

Sure enough, no bottles remain on the curbs or trashcans.

Inside ROOD, a small cafe, find an oasis of organic, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free treats. The smoothies are nutrition-forward and tasty.  The matcha loaf is hearty and delicious. The seating is limited. The atmosphere is conscious and eclectic with moon phase calendars, coffee table books, tarot cards, and skincare products to look through while waiting.

Noon

German engineering

After the Rood fuel, made to last, walk across the bridge to the Deutsches Museum. The interactive and interesting exhibits intrigue the scientific and creative mind.

From breakthroughs in physics and medicine to the history of bridge construction to the large model train installation, the levels have something for everyone, except air conditioning, they don’t have that.

Afternoon Tea (for real)

After hitting the gift shop for quirky finds like glowing dice, boxed science experiments, and crystal key chains, keep it local with a trip to Tushita Teehaus, the most authentic matcha shop in the city.  They offer lunch, vegan bowls and bites.

Also, vegan and refined sugar free, the treats are a must try. The matcha ice cream with strawberry drizzle is a perfectly not-too-sweet and the matcha latte’s are strong, offering three different matcha origins and qualities for the discerning matcha enjoyer.

Enjoy a decadent slice of Apfel Struedel in the shop whose shelves are lined with matcha cylinders, antique tea sets and unusual finds like Japanese parchment and pots.

Evening

Sunset in Old Town

Enjoy the warm light as it descends on Marienplatz, the heart of old town.

The famous Glockenspiel’s original figurines can be seen from below in the square of the Rathaus (town hall) with its gothic architecture and various signage that give you an insight into the colorful history of the city, and there’s always time to shop in the European boutiques and shops only available online in the US.

Traditional Values

Soak up the final moments of Bavarian tradition at Bodhi, where you’ll find vegan versions of the classic Schnitzel, with other takes on traditional dishes. Order dessert to celebrate the small things, living clean and conscious, and the big things, like 48 hours in a city rich with history, beauty, and community.

If You Go

Emmi’s Kitchen:

Buttermelcherstraße 11-15, 80469 München-Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Germany. Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Hofbraukeller:

Innere Wiener Straße 19, 81667 München-Au-Haidhausen, Germany. Open daily from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Secret Garden:

Heiliggeiststraße 2 A, 80331 München, Germany. Open daily from 12 p.m.-11 p.m.

Gartnerplatz:

Gärtnerpl., 80469 München, Germany

Lucky Who:

Almeida Palais, Innenhof Almeida Palais, Brienner Str. 14, 80333 München-Maxvorstadt, Germany. Doors open at 10 p.m.

Don’t Tell:

Müllerstraße 54, 80469 München, Germany. Doors open at 10 p.m.

Milch and bar:

Sonnenstraße 27, 80331 München, Germany. Doors open at 10 p.m.

Rood:

Fraunhoferstraße 36, 80469 München-Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Germany . Open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Deutsches Museum:

Museumsinsel 1, 80538 Munich, Germany. Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tushita Teehaus:

Klenzestraße 53, 80469 München-Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt, Germany. Open daily 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Marienplatz:

Marienplatz, 80331 München, Germany

Neues Rathaus:

Marienplatz 8, 80331 München-Altstadt-Lehel, Germany. Open daily from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Bodhi:

Ligsalzstraße 23, 80339 München-Schwanthalerhöhe, Germany. Open daily from 5 p.m.-11 p.m.