July 19: "Kocherlball" – Dancing in Munich at the Chinese Tower

Event Tip: July 19, 2026, from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. – "Kocherlball," a tradition in Munich's English Garden

Munich dances on Sunday, July 19, 2026, from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden during the traditional "Kocherlball"

Head to the Chinese Tower at sunrise—turn left, hop, turn right—it’s all about the joy of movement at the Kocherlball! Bavarian dancing made easy here! Live music plays at the Chinese Tower beer garden ... (ENGLISH, DEUTSCH, ITALIANO, FRANÇAIS)

Munich. Sunday in Munich: It all kicks off early on Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. The "Kocherlball" dance festival is traditionally celebrated by participants wearing *Dirndls*, *Lederhosen*, and historical costumes from the 19th century. Live music plays at the Chinese Tower beer garden—the stage was set up yesterday—and the dancing continues until 10:00 a.m. Until 10:00 a.m., there is music, dance instruction, candlelight, hearty snacks (*Brotzeit*), and breakfast under the open sky... The beer garden tables are decorated, and all around, people dance the *Landler*, *Zwiefacher*, polka, waltz, and—very importantly—the legendary Munich *Française*. Dance experts Katharina Mayer and Magnus Kaindl will set the rhythm from the stage; on the large stage, they will demonstrate step-by-step how to master the *Boarischer*, *Landler*, *Zwiefacher*, and polka in a relaxed atmosphere full of good cheer—so come join in! This applies even to those who have never danced Bavarian-style before. Afterward, you can enjoy a Bavarian snack—such as an ox-meat roll, a mug of coffee, and the popular *Schmalznudeln* or *Ausgezogene* (traditional fried pastries)—while the band plays at the Chinese Tower. You might want to dip your feet in the Eisbach stream for a moment before heading to the exciting annual Japan Festival (located behind the Haus der Kunst) in the English Garden at noon (read our article about it here: Japanfest (hinter dem Haus der Kunst) im Englischen Garten).

Chinese Tower and beer garden in the English Garden; photo: A. Waess (press photo archive)

In the 21st century, the Kocherlball is one of Munich’s most popular events

– attracting up to 12,000 guests with Bavarian folk music and the pure joy of dancing under the open sky. And all this at one of Munich’s most beautiful beer gardens in the English Garden!

Stage setup for the Kocherlball at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden; photo: A. Waess (press photo archive)

Where does the Kocherlball tradition come from?

The history of the Kocherlball in the English Garden was revived in 1989.

In the past, domestic staff—the household employees of Munich’s upper class—would meet for Sunday dances. While their employers were at church, kitchen maids, cooks, nannies, and gardeners could relax and dance on their day off. However, this dancing event was banned in 1904 due to a perceived "lack of propriety" and was not revived until 1989.

Setting up the Kocherlball stage at the Chinese Tower, right next to the beer garden in Munich’s English Garden; photo: Helga Waess (press photo)

Live music has been part of the Kocherlball since as early as 1880

Domestic staff would meet early in the morning before starting work to dance. Estimates suggest that upwards of 8,000 servants, soldiers, cooks, and maids would flood the English Garden, getting to know one another while dancing.


At the time, someone decided that this fostered a "lack of propriety"...


...and so, the traditional servants' ball was banned in 1904.


The ball was revived in 1989 during the English Garden's 200th-anniversary celebrations and has taken place annually on a Sunday in July ever since.

"Kocherlball" – 
Traditional folk dance event in the English Garden

•     Sunday, June 19, 2025
•     6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
•     Beer garden at the Chinese Tower, Englischer Garten 3, 80538 Munich

Music: Niederbayerischer Musikantenstammtisch and Schreinergeiger

•         Dance instruction: Katharina Mayer, assisted by Magnus Kaindl
•         Participation: The reservable area is already fully booked. Open seating is available around the Chinese Tower.
•         Good to know: Please do not bring your own drinks. Open flames are not permitted under the Chinese Tower or directly next to the wooden pagoda.
•         Getting there: Buses 54, 58, 68, and 154 to Chinesischer Turm; Trams 16 and 36 to Tivolistraße; U-Bahn lines U3/U6 to Giselastraße

Location: Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden

Englischer Garten 2

80538 Munich

 

Our Sunday tip: July 19 at 12:00 PM

After the Kocherlball, head straight to the 

"Japan Festival Munich 2026 in the English Garden" 

 

„Japanfest München im Englischen Garten“ 

Tea House in the English Garden – the all-day Japan Festival kicks off here on July 19 at 12:00 PM; photo: Helga Waess (press photo)

 

Japan Festival behind the Haus der Kunst in the English Garden  (read our article about it at this link - "Japanfest hinter dem Haus der Kunst im Englischen Garten").

Munich Oktoberfest - Starts September 20, 2025

 190th Munich Oktoberfest - September 20th to October 5th, 2019

Oktoberfest countdown: Only 1 day and 20 hours left until the beer is tapped! Come on, everyone, then we'll be more!!! The first Oktoberfest weekend is just around the corner, and the atmosphere is shining brightly

Munich's Oktoberfest meadow today! A fantastic atmosphere in Munich, and less than 2 days until the world's largest Oktoberfest begins (English, Deutsch)

Munich. The Bavarian capital is in pure Oktoberfest anticipation. Many guests have already arrived and are dressing up in dirndls and lederhosen, visiting Munich's sights, from the English Garden to the Residenz palace and the Hellabrunn Zoo on the Isar River. People are already enjoying the weather today, sitting in the beer garden at the Viktualienmarkt or at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden. The sun is shining, and the people setting up the Oktoberfest on the vast Theresienwiese are doing their best. Here and there you can hear the Oktoberfest bands rehearsing in the tents, the rides are running trials, and the small Augustiner pub at the Theresienwiese subway station is already well attended.

Oktoberfest meadow from the direction of Bavariastrasse / Bavariaring, Photo: Helga Waess - 17 September 2025 at 10 a.m.

 The world will be gathering at Theresienwiese from Saturday, September 20th to October 5th, and we'll be there!

Life at the Wiesn is bustling. Bike racks, ATMs, left luggage storage, and no-parking signs are signaling the high time, as the parking ban in the security zone surrounding the Wiesn will soon begin. The day after tomorrow at 12 noon is the day when the world-famous Munich Oktoberfest begins. Entrances open at 9 a.m., and you should leave everything except your wallet and cell phone behind – large bags, backpacks, and the like are not permitted.

Leisure Tip: English Garden, Munich

Tourism tip Munich: Munich Summer in the English Garden

The Eisbach Wave refreshes spectators, the Monopterus offers a panoramic view, and at the Chinese Tower, you can enjoy a cool beer with live Bavarian music.

From Munich city center, Odeonsplatz, or the university, you can be in nature in just a few minutes – in one of the largest inner-city parks in the world, the English Garden. (Deutsch, Italiano, English, Francais)

Munich. Summer in the city is pure vacation, and anyone who lives in Munich is, in short, on vacation in this globally popular metropolis. Cycling, relaxing, and enjoying! If you don't know the English Garden, you don't know Munich!!! And 5 million visitors annually demonstrate that this park, which is, by the way, larger than New York's Central Park, is a true paradise. Students at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) can relax on the lawn in the English Garden in five minutes, eat ice cream, read books, and study – or something like that... I, too, fondly remember those days; from the university library or the state library, you could quickly get to the countryside.

 

English Garden in the heart of Munich - View towards the State Chancellery and the Frauenkirche, Photo: Helga Waess (press photo archive)

 

There are many famous sights in Munich that you absolutely MUST see!

... among them is the English Garden, the green lung of the metropolis of Munich, and the city's most beautiful amusement park. Here you can sunbathe, there you can cool off in the river, there's even a nude beach, and above all, surfers can enjoy the refreshing ride of a big wave. 

The Eisbach wave in the English Garden is reopened to surfers "at your own risk." Photo: July 18, 2025 - Helga Waess (press photo archive)

The English Garden is a great place to spend your free time, especially in summer.

On foot or by bike (on marked paths), you can enjoy the English countryside atmosphere without end. The park was laid out directly along the Isar River, which meanders along it. 

Streams run through the expansive park in the heart of Munich, Photo: Helga Waess (press photo archive)

The English Garden is one of the largest inner-city parks in the world

On a hill with a magnificent view towards the Frauenkirche stands the famous Monopteros, not far from which is the Chinese Tower with its beautiful beer garden. The band playing in the pagoda creates a Bavarian atmosphere.

Chinese Tower

The Chinese Tower, probably the most famous wooden structure in the English Garden, and its expansive beer garden, are popular with all visitors to Munich worldwide. In summer, the pagoda, built in the imperial Chinese style, and the brass band playing from it are very inviting. It rises 25 meters high and was designed in 1789.

This structure has been so popular throughout history that it often had to be faithfully rebuilt, as it burned down several times. 

 

 The band plays from the Chinese Tower, and visitors relax in the beer garden under tall trees. Photo: Helga Waess (press photo archive)

 

In this expansive park, pedestrians and cyclists find a relaxing and shady path.

The English Garden offers plenty of space for this within the city center. And from the Monopterus, a 16-meter-high round temple in the Greek style, you have a fantastic panoramic view!

The English Garden, with its Monopteros, Chinese Tower, Japanese Tea House, and more, is an absolute MUST-SEE when visiting Munich.

The Monopteros

The Greek-style Monopteros, a small round temple, captivates every visitor with its view of the Old Town skyline. Situated on a hill, the temple-like circular structure was erected in 1836 in the southern part of the park.

 Monopterus in the English Garden in Munich, Photo: Helga Waess (press photo archive)

 

You can stroll, jog, and cycle along the 78-kilometer trail!

Mit dem Pakka-Fahrrad durch den Englischen Garten, Foto: A. Waess (Pressearchiv)

Am nördlichen Ende des Englischen Gartens kommt man zum Stauwehr Unterföhring

Stauwehr Unterföhring, Foto: Helga Waess (Pressearchiv)

July 20, 2025: 28th Japan Festival in the English Garden

PARTY TIP:  Japanese Cultural Festival in Munich - Sunday, July 20th for the 28th Japan Festival with manga, tea ceremony, martial arts, dance, manga, and music

The 28th Japan Festival Munich 2025: A day with performances, sports, and Japanese culture at the Japan Festival in the English Garden

July 20th, 2025 - 12:00 PM to 6:30 PM: Japan Festival in the English Garden behind the Haus der Kunst - Admission is free!!! !  (ENGLISH, ITALIANO, DEUTSCH, FRANÇAIS)

Munich. The traditional Munich Japan Festival takes place once a year, on the third Sunday in July. This year, it is July 20th, 2025. At the back of the "Haus der Kunst" in Munich's English Garden, the Japanese teahouse "Kanshoan" (Prinzregentenstraße 1, 80538 Munich) is located adjacent to the festival grounds. The Japan Festival offers a fantastic stage program, martial arts demonstrations, and hands-on activities that bring traditional Japanese culture closer to you. Concerts, plays, and Japanese dances take place on the main stage. A special attraction is the cosplay competition organized by Animexx e.V., in which participants transform themselves into characters from Japanese culture. So don't be surprised if you see lots of young people wandering around the English Garden in manga costumes; just go and join in the fun. The stage program starts at 12:00 noon with greetings from the City of Munich and the organizers. Admission is free. The entire program is listed below! 

Le salon de thé japonais « KanShoAn » dans le Jardin anglais de Munich – derrière la Maison des Arts, ce cadre idyllique symbolise l'amitié germano-japonaise. Photo : A. Waess (photo de presse du 18 juillet 2025)

Japanese culture at the stalls

At the almost 40 stalls, Far Eastern teas, introductions to Japanese games like Go, craft techniques like Ikebana, and Japanese art like calligraphy and haiku are demonstrated. Simply join in and play along and get to know a wonderful culture.

• When: Sunday, July 20, 2025
• The festival begins at 11:00 a.m.
• The official program and performances begin at 12:00 p.m.
• Expected end: approximately 6:00 p.m.
• Admission is free

Where: The venue is behind the Haus der Kunst

Sports clubs will demonstrate Japanese martial arts on the grounds

• such as karate,
• judo
• and aikido
• There will be Japanese archery
• and much more...

And the restaurant menu will feature many Japanese specialties

• sake,
• sushi
• tempura
• tea
• ....

 The stage highlights at the Japan Festival in the English Garden

• Dance performance by the Japanese International School Munich
• Children's Play (dances) by the Japanese Institute in Munich
• Choral performance by the German-Japanese Women's Choir Munich
• Theatrical performance by the Maximiliansgymnasium Munich
• Pop concert by singer-songwriter Miyu Hidaka

Chigusa Sakon and Shingo Horie give an insight into traditional Japanese Bon dance – participation is encouraged

• Choral performance by the Munich Animanga Choir
• Concert by soprano Keiko Obai with pianist Hiroko Utsumi
• Animexx cosplay competition with many attractive prizes

You can also find souvenirs and gifts on the grounds:

• Japanese ceramics,
• Ikebana,
• Shoji woodwork,
• Japanese games to participate in,
• Japanese archery,
• Japanese dance,
• and much more

Le salon de thé japonais « KanShoAn » dans le Jardin anglais de Munich – derrière la Maison des Arts, ce cadre idyllique symbolise l'amitié germano-japonaise. Photo : A. Waess (photo de presse du 18 juillet 2025)

Program schedule for the Japan Festival 2025 in Munich

• 12:00 – 12:20 p.m.: Official opening ceremony begins

Welcome and welcoming speech by Consul General Kenichi Bessho of the Japanese Consulate General in Munich

Welcoming speech from the City of Munich by Mr. Beppo Brem

Welcoming speech by President Dr. Oliver Schön from the German-Japanese Society in Bavaria
​Welcoming speech by President Ikkei Kinouchi of the Japan Club Munich

• 12:20 – 12:40 Dance performance: Japanese International School
• 12:40 – 1:00 Children's Play (dances): Japanese Institute in Munich
• 1:00 – 1:20 Theater performance: Gekidan Mori
• 1:20 – 1:40 German-Japanese Choir Munich (members of the Japan Club Munich and the German-Japanese Society in Bavaria)
• 1:40 – 2:00 Theater performance in Japanese at the Maximiliansgymnasium Munich
• 2:00 – 2:30 Pop concert: Miyu & Jay
• 2:30 – 3:00 Shamisen performance: Shinroku powered by GoodRaht GmbH
• 3:00 – 3:30 PM Drum Performance by Raiko
• 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Bon Dance by Sakon Chigusa & Horie Shingo
• 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Band Performance by SASEBO
• 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM City Pop, City Pop Performance by Nilo
• 5:00 PM – 6:05 PM Cosplay Contest* Animexx featuring Kumi Tanaka (Calligraphy Demonstration)
• 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Bon Dance Participation by Sakon Chigusa & Horie Shingo

You can find the exact location of the booths in the

Goolge-Maps Übersicht -  overview

Current information on the DJG Munich website:

• www.djg-muenchen.de/pages/japanfest

By Pakka bike to the English Garden for the Japan Festival behind the Haus der Kunst, Photo: Helga Waess (press photo archive)

Sporting event: GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON 2024

 Sport in the city: MUNICH MARATHON on October 12th and 13th, 2024

At the weekend the city belongs to the athletes: It's marathon again in the Bavarian capital

October 12th and 13th in Munich: Various running competitions - International traditional costume run and mini marathon for children

Munich. October 13, 2024: Competitions in the marathon, half marathon and 10 kilometer run on Sunday. - A marathon has it all! After all, if you are trained you can run 42.195 km from start to finish this weekend. There will be live music here and there alongside the track. Of course, perseverance is required. It goes through the city and past many of the sights of the Bavarian capital. Numerous streets will then be closed and public transport (bus, tram) will be restricted here and there. Because the Olympic Stadium is being renovated here and there, this year the finish line will be on Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz at the Olympic Hall. The Munich marathon route was officially measured and internationally recognized for the planned event. Saturday, October 12, 2024, people will run in lederhosen and dirndls at the International Traditional Costume Run and the little athletes will also take part in the mini marathon for children.

The official route map can be found as a PDF on the organizer's
homepage - 38TH GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON 

Overall, a great route for the runners

It goes from the Olympic Park to Schwarbing to Leopoldstrasse with the Victory Gate, you walk past the Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), the most research-oriented university in Germany, and from here through Schellingstrasse to Theresienstrasse and then to the English Garden.

Chinese tower in the English Garden, photo: Helga Waess (archive)

A beautiful path leads under old trees to the Chinese Tower and then to the Bogenhausen Art Nouveau villas, through the east of Munich. Once you have crossed the Isar Bridge you are almost in the city center. Through the old city gate “Isartor” you go into the old town. Everyone runs through the valley (street name), cheered by spectators, to Marienplatz and past the Old and New Munich Town Hall. It continues through Residenzstrasse between the Bavarian State Opera and Odeonsplatz.

Marathon runners on Residenzstrasse in Munich - Photo: Helga Waess (press archive)

Then comes a whole 5 kilometers of super route

When you head back towards the university, you are already on Ludwigstrasse and then on Leopoldstrasse. You go through Franz-Joseph-Straße to your destination in the Olympic Park.

Here follows the Grand Final!

In the final, everyone cheers and the times are announced... until the award ceremony and the joy of everyone who completed the route!

View towards the Victory Gate and the University Church, , Ludwigstrasse and Leopoldstrasse are marathon routes, photo: Helga Waess (archive)

Over 25,000 runners followed the official registration. And a few thousand spectators are also expected

The race track passes the Residenz - here Residenzstrasse towards Odeonsplatz, photo: Helga Waess

By the way, there are several running competitions taking place at the same time in Munich on October 12th and 13th

• Munich Marathon 2024: on Sunday, October 13, 2024 through the city center

Competitions

• Squadron, 
• Half marathon 
• 10 kilometer run 
• International traditional costume run 
• Mini marathon for children

The marathon route is lined with enthusiastic spectators! Here Odeonsplatz in the direction of Schwabing with Siegestor! Photo: Helga Waess (press photo archive)







On Saturday, October 12th - from 10:30 a.m. - the International Traditional Costume Run and the mini marathon for children will take place




The run is intended for all children between 6 and 14 years old. It goes from the Olympic Hall through the Olympic Park. After a full 3 kilometers you have reached the goal and receive a medal as a personal souvenir: Mini Marathon 2024! 

It's not just children who find out that sport makes them happy.

Bayern fans and international costume wearers, there is the popular International Traditional Costume Run in dirndls, lederhosen or fantasy costumes, followed by a Bavarian breakfast...

Saturday October 12th, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. the traditional costumers will start in the Olympic Park at Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz. . . You go on the track in dirndls and lederhosen, kilts or kimonos. So it's an international traditional costume run and fits in with the times - six days after the Munich Oktoberfest, the traditional costumes are tested for suitability for competition.

You can see many a traditional costume club jogging comfortably in the Olympic Park - then we go to a Bavarian breakfast with white sausage and pretzels.

Marathon weekend schedule

Saturday, October 12, 2024: 

• International traditional costume run - 10:30 a.m.: Start, Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz, Olympiapark - Finish: Olympiaalm / Olympiaberg
• Mini marathon - 2:00 p.m.: Start Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz, Olympic Park - Finish: Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz

Odeonsplatz with information stands and music during the Munich Marathon - press photo archive: Helga Waess

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Start: Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz, Olympic Park

• 9:00 a.m.: Marathon
• 9:20 a.m.: Marathon relay
• 9:30 a.m.: 10km run

Start: Chinese Tower/English Garden

• 12:30 p.m.: Half marathon - finish at Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz, Olympic Park 

• from 10:00 a.m.: 10km run
• from 11:05 a.m.: Marathon
• from 11:50 a.m.: marathon relay
• from 1:35 p.m.: half marathon
• Finish: 3:40 p.m

In these places you can cheer on the marathon runners

• Olympic Park
• Leopoldstrasse  
• Victory goal
• Schellingstrasse  
• Theresienstrasse  
• English garden
• Chinese tower  
• Bogenhausen Art Nouveau villas  
• Munich East (Ostbahnhof)
• Isar bridge  
• Isartor
• valley  
• Marienplatz
• Bavarian State Opera
• residence
• Odeon Square
• Ludwigstrasse  
• Leopoldstrasse (way back)  
• Franz Joseph Street  
• Olympic Park (destination)
• ab 10:00 Uhr: 10km-Lauf

• ab 11:05 Uhr: Marathon
• ab 11:50 Uhr: Marathon-Staffel
• ab 13:35 Uhr: Halbmarathon
• Zielschluss: 15:40 Uhr

Odeonsplatz with information stands and music during the Munich Marathon - on the left the runners come through Residenzstrasse - press photo archive: Helga Waess

Munich - excursion tip: swimming in the Isar at Brauneck

Excursion tip: take the Bavarian Regiobahn (BRB) towards Bayerischzell to the upper reaches of the Isar

Swimming in the ISAR in Munich or in Lengries! It couldn't be more refreshing!

Insider tip: from Munich to the Isar in the Bavarian Oberland

 
Munich. It's summer in the city. What do you do in Munich, which the locals affectionately call MINGA? The people of Munich like to be on the Isar! He hikes or cycles along the Isar bank path or is happy when the Isar meadows are shown in the TV crime drama “Hubert ohne Staller” or previously “Hubert und Staller”. But: Where does the Isar water come from that refreshes people here in Munich when the outside temperature is over 30 degrees? The Isar rises with a water temperature of five degrees in the beautiful Karwendel Mountains - and here from three sources. Then it flows further and rushes to cozy Munich via the beautiful town of Mittenwald via Lengries and Bad Tölz to Wolfratshausen. Here it flows past Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo, which is always worth a visit because it is one of the most renowned zoos in Europe, thanks to its scientists. It flows through the city past the German Museum, passes numerous beaches before bubbling briskly into the English Garden. You should at least see the ice wave here - it's amazing how many hours of fun water sports enthusiasts spend on this wave. Our beautiful river flows from Munich towards Plattling, where the Isarwasser flows into the Danube after 295 kilometers. - By the way, the Danube is sometimes called the white sausage equator because white sausage breakfasts are common on the south side of the wide river all the way to the Alps. (There is an article in this blog about this: Weisswurst is a cultural asset in Bavaria!!!  Weißwurst ist in Bayern  ein Kulturgut!!!  ITALIANO, ENGLISH)  We are going to Lengries, where swimming in the Isar is particularly refreshing!

The clear water of the Isar is inviting when the outside temperature is 30 degrees in Lengries (near Bad Tölz) to swim - not just the ducks, photo: Helga Waess

 

 So packed your swimsuit and headed to Munich Central Station

 
... and off we go with the Bavarian Regiobahn (BRB) towards Bayerischzell, with a stopover in Lengries. If you have your bike with you, you can cycle to Wegscheid. The BRB trains are divided into three target trains. The section at the front in the direction of travel goes to Bayrischzell - by the way, the train goes via Schliersee train station, where some Schliersee trains end! We stay in the middle part and end up in Lenggries. Anyone who got in at the back can get out in Tegernsee! Also a tip and a must for visitors to Munich or Bavaria. The Tegernsee brewery is known nationwide! The Herzoglich Bayerisches Brauhaus Tegernsee also invites you to linger.

 We go swimming in the Isar and build a water mill

Why don't you even build a water mill? That's what the designer of this functioning rattlesnake mill in the upper reaches of the Isar behind Bad Tölz thought.
 
The cool Isar water immediately refreshes your feet. Here on the bank in Wegscheid under the Brauneck there are still a few lonely places that encourage children and adults to create creative buildings.
 

And the hang gliders that take off from Brauneck fly circles in the sky

 
By the way, you can quickly reach lofty heights from Wegscheid with the Brauneck cable car. The mountain view, the air and also the hut with the Bavarian snack platter (the snack platter includes not only coleslaw, sausage salad, Obazda but also hearty white sausages and fresh bread) are highly recommended.

water mill, photo: Helga WAess

 

We are building our watermill at the foot of the mountain!

water mill, photo: Helga WAess

You wouldn't believe how quickly your imagination can lead to such a construction using just a few materials and in the right place.

our water mill, photo: Helga WAess

 

What it took wasn't much. A bit of flotsam, a wire and a little skill. Well, some children may need a source of ideas and a great helper.

our water mill, photo: Helga WAess

our water mill, photo: Helga WAess

Standing in the cool water of the Isar is definitely a way to cool off. The air in the Oberland near Bad Tölz provides the oxygen shower. You can swim from time to time. Then a fish jumps or a few ducks pass by. There are restaurants and beer gardens nearby and the health resort of Bad Tölz delights with its location.


And if you have a boat, you can overcome the rapids here with a little practice.

Boats keep passing by. Isar near Bad Tölz, photo: Helga Waess

Isar river with small, cool bathing opportunities, photo: Helga Waess

Isar in the Oberland, photo: Helga Waess

A few years ago the first stone towers were built on the Isar. Its construction is simple and a must for every visitor to the Isar.

Small tower seen from below, very large, photo: Helga Waess

A high cross made of willow branches and wooden flotsam and jetsam is particularly eye-catching here on the upper reaches of the Isar in Wegscheid

Cross made of willow trunks, photo: Helga Waess

Munich tip: Beer garden with live music

Munich tip: Beer garden with live music and Bavarian delicacies at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden 

The Chinese Tower in Munich: Traditional Munich cuisine and a cool Hofbräu beer with traditional folk music from the tower

The beer garden is open from Monday to Sunday during “beer garden weather”! Mon-Fri from 11 a.m. / Sat and Sun from 10 a.m

Munich. No longer a secret: the beer garden at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden in Munich. Munich residents meet tourists and everyone is welcome. There is no more space, then you move closer together and it is not uncommon for one or the other to be addressed directly: "Hok di her, dan san ma mer!" This is Munich! This is Bavaria! Idyllic, Bavarian delicacies and traditional live music from the Chinese Tower plus a shady spot and a pint of Munich Hofbräu beer. ... and as is common practice in many places in Bavaria: “food you bring with you is allowed” and please order drinks with it, but there are also delicacies to pick up yourself and tables with service. The menu offers something for everyone and all dishes are freshly prepared. The ingredients come from the region and organic comes first! The Chinese Tower in Munich is legendary and a highlight on every city tour. Anyone who has walked through the English Garden here in warm weather deserves a cool drink. The tower is a very high pagoda at least 25 meters. You can see them from afar.

English Garden - view from the direction of the Chinese Tower - behind the dome of the Bavarian State Chancellery at the Hofgarten, photo: Helga Waess

Beer garden food and Hofbräu beer with traditional folk music from the tower

The “white and blue atmosphere” announced on the beer garden’s homepage appears very quickly. In addition to the band music from the tower, the mixed Boar menu with many vegan dishes also contributes to this.  The vegetables and fruits come from the Munich area and the ingredients are of organic quality - they come from organic farming - and animal welfare is also the focus of the selected meat dishes. Everything tasty and vegetarian or vegan fits the Bavarian cosiness in what is probably the airiest beer garden in the Bavarian capital.

The pagoda of the Chinese Tower with the beautiful beer garden in the English Garden, photo: A. Waess

From viewing platform to landmark - Today the Chinese Tower is no longer a viewing platform

The very first original Chinese Tower was built in 1790 by the master builder Joseph Frey based on a design by Johann Baptist Lechner for the Volkspark planned in Munich. It was actually intended to form a beautiful viewing platform and was ready for the opening of the English Garden. From here you should have a view of Germany's largest city park - at 3.7 km² it is the size of 1,400 football fields.

The English Garden was commissioned by Elector Karl Theodor in 1789 as a park landscape on the Isar. Here in Munich's public city park, the army in particular should find a place to relax. In 1792, the Volkspark was opened to all Munich citizens - around 40,000 people at the time.

Beer garden in the English Garden at the Chinese Tower, photo: A. Waess

Traditional Bavarian beer garden music from the Chinese Tower

Anyone who is there at the following times will hear traditional Bavarian beer garden music from the Chinese Tower, because when the beer garden weather is fine, the bandmaster from the Ochsenbraterei and trumpet virtuoso Mathias Achatz will be playing with his band.

• Wednesday from 3 p.m
• Friday from 4 p.m
• Saturday from 2 p.m
• Sunday from 12 p.m

Opening hours of the beer garden at the Chinese Tower (in dry and warm weather):

• Monday to Friday from 11 a.m
• Saturday & Sunday from 10 a.m

It's best to cycle through the English Garden (note cycle paths) - Photo: A. Waess

We have beer garden weather: 
So get on your bike and along the Isar to the English Garden!

27th Japan Festival Munich

The 27th Japan Festival Munich behind the Haus der Kunst in the English Garden

 

The annual Japan Festival in the Kanshoan Teahouse is a celebration of international understanding

 

Sunday, July 21, 2024 - until around 6 p.m. behind the Haus der Kunst in the English Garden

Munich. The Japan Festival in the English Garden now has a 27-year tradition. This morning the Japanese Consul General opened the festival with an opening speech. What can visitors expect here? Here you can learn more about Japanese life, food, culture and the arts. Today, everyone can be part of the Japanese teahouse Kanshoan. There are great prizes to be won in the cosplay competition. What is that?  Cosplay is the fan practice that comes from Japan and has spread to America and finally to Europe since the 1990s thanks to a global manga and anime boom. Anyone who takes part in this competition comes in the disguise of a character from a manga, film, anime, video game or similar and faithfully portrays that character in behavior and costume in persona. The best characters will win at the Japan Festival today! Admission is free. The event location is behind the Haus der Kunst not far from the Hofgarten in the English Garden.

Cosplay - Characters for a day - here at the Munich Comic Festival 2015 with national and international comic artists and authors (the link leads to our article)  Comic-Festival München 2015 mit nationalen und Internationalen Comic-Zeichnern und Autoren - press photo archive: Helga Waess

Das Japanfest hat heute morgen -  - um 11  Uhr hinter dem Haus der Kunst im Englischen Garten begonnen

The Japan Festival started this morning - after the Kocherlball ( also nach dem Kocherlball - this link leads to our article) - at 11 a.m. behind the Haus der Kunst in the English Garden

Since 12 p.m. there are demonstrations and everything your heart desires to get to know Japan. The whole thing is expected to last until around 6 p.m.

The annual Japan Festival is a celebration of international understanding

The Japanese Consulate General in Munich organized the festivity together with the Japan Club Munich, German-Japanese Society in Bavaria e.V. (DJG). It is always close to the city of Munich's heart to promote and support the Japan Festival.

Destination of the Japan Festival in Munich

We would like to recommend the culture, language and customs of Japan to the people of Munich and their guests. To this end, the clubs provide insight into their activities in Munich.

Munich: Kocherlball at the Chinese Tower

Kocherlball at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden in Munich

 

Sunday in Munich: The beer garden tables are decorated and all around you are dancing to Landler, Zwiefacher, Polka, Waltz and, most importantly, the legendary Munich Francaise

 

Munich danced on Sunday, July 21, 2024 from 6 a.m. in the English Garden at the traditional “Kocherlball”

Munich. It started today at 6 a.m.: the “Kocherlball” dance festival is traditionally celebrated in dirndls and lederhosen as well as in historical costumes from the 19th century. The music played at the Chinese Tower in the beer garden and then we danced until 10 a.m. Afterwards, the Bavarian snack with ox sandwiches, oan Hafferl coffee and the popular lard noodles or pulled-out noodles probably tasted good.

 

Bavarian delicacies in the beer garden, photo archive: Helga Waess

 

The history of the Kocherlball in the English Garden was resumed in 1989

In the past, the servants, i.e. the household staff of the fine Munich people, met for their Sunday balls, because while the gentlemen were in church, kitchen maids, cooks, nannies and gardeners could relax with the dance on Sunday. However, due to a "lack of morality", this dance activity was banned in 1904 and only started again in 1989.

Once a year - in July - people meet for the legendary Kocherlball at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden and start dancing Bavarian folk dances from 6 a.m. - with free admission, of course. The beer garden tables are decorated and all around you can dance to Landler, Zwiefacher, Polka, Waltz and, most importantly, the legendary Munich Francaise. A dance master is there and makes sure everyone can take part.

Live music at the Kocherlball existed as early as 1880

In the morning, before work started, the servants met and danced. It is said that there were about 8,000 servants, soldiers, cooks and maids who flooded the English Garden and got to know each other while dancing.

 It's fun to dance in traditional costume, prese photo archive: Helga Waess

 

Someone thought there was a “lack of morality” here

... and so the traditional servants' ball was banned in 1904.

The ball was only resumed in 1989 at the 200th anniversary of the English Garden and has since taken place annually on a Sunday in July.

Tip “Japanfest Munich in the English Garden”. The same day

#Chinese Tower, #Chinese Tower beer garden

Munich: Relaxation in the English Garden in the heart of the city

 The English Garden in Munich 

Cycling through the English Garden, sitting in the beer garden, surfing on the Eisbachwelle or taking a pedal boat across the lake - this is where Munich relaxes

The English Garden is a recreational area for everyone 

Munich. The Bavarian capital has the largest inner-city park in the world. The English Garden stretches from the old town ring up to the northeast of the city and is bordered on the side by the west bank with the Isar meadows. If you need a little relaxation after a walk through the beautiful old town of Munich with all the cafes and shops, then you just have to walk from Odeonsplatz through the Hofgarten with the residence of the Bavarian kings and from here via Prinzregentenstrasse to the "Haus der Kunst". Behind the museum building, visitors to Munich will find the English Garden, which is five and a half kilometers long (at 375 hectares, it even exceeds Central Park - 335 hectares) in New York. The English Garden, the green lung of Munich, was designed by Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell designed and modeled on the famous English landscape gardens. The plan was to create a recreational area for everyone. And that's how it happened: today, young and old relax in the Munich landscape garden --- In this blog: ENGLISH GARDEN - Impressions of a bike tour - Idyllic, green and relaxed people - that's Munich too! - From Haidhausen to Oberföhring and back through the English Garden (GERMAN: ENGLISCHER GARTEN - Impressionen einer Fahrradtour  - Idylle, grün und entspannte Menschen - auch das ist München! - Von Haidhausen nach Oberföhring und zurück durch den Englischen Garten

Spacious lawn in the English Garden with a panoramic view of the dome of the State Chancellery and the Frauenkirche in Munich's old town, photo: Helga Waess

Sights and beer gardens in the English Garden in Munich

With extensive meadows and old trees, the park offers relaxation in every season. Today you can even find relaxation here as a cyclist and can relax in the beer garden at the famous Chinese Tower (pagoda building in the imperial Chinese style) with live Bavarian music or relax on one of the 1,800 seats in the Hirschau Beer Garden. And as if that weren't enough, the “Aumeister Beer Garden” is waiting at the northern end of the English Garden and is popular with Munich residents.

With the Pakka bike through the English Garden, photo: Helga Waess

Sights in the English Garden

You can enjoy the panorama of the city with all its towers from the Monopteros Temple (the hill with the temple structure was built in 1836), marvel at the surfers on the wave from the Eisbach, hear the sound of the waterfalls from the Schwabinger Bach, visit the Japanese tea house (m South end of the park), marvel at the Rumfordschlössl (built in 1791) or watch the many ducks and geese at Kleinhesseloher Lake and go rowing or pedal boating. Photo opportunities can be found everywhere, including in the northern English Garden, where the Isar gets loud at the dam or the natural trees look downright wild.

Geese at Kleinhesseloher See - Photo: Helga Waess

Surfing on the Eisbachwelle at the Haus der Kunst 

The Eisbach wave is only permitted for experienced surfers. If you don't have much practice yet, you can try out the rafting area - always "at your own risk"!
By the way, swimming and bathing are not permitted on the Eisbach and the Floßlände.

DIRECTIONS to the English Garden in Munich

The best subway stations to visit the English Garden are:

• “Odeonsplatz” – line U3/U6 or U4/U5 
•  “University” – line U3/U6

Ducks in the lake, photo: Helga Waess