Cheap Flights To Munich (MUC)

Summer in Munich is high season and comes with a wealth of outdoor events. However, summer is also the season with the most rain showers, so always be prepared by packing an umbrella along with your Ray-Bans. Weissbier, or wheat beer, served in tall glasses is the signature summer beer. Sample it at a pub or during a festival, such as the two-week-long Sommerfest at Olympiapark (the park built for the ill-fated 1972 Summer Olympics).

The shoulder seasons are autumn (September and October) and spring (April and May). During these sweater-weather months, Munich is at its driest and most temperate, and the sunlight often has a special golden glow. The most famous event is Oktoberfest, which—despite the name—happens mostly in late September and involves about five million visitors packing the Theresienwiese district for 16 days of drinking. Meanwhile, in the spring, the same Theresienwiese district hosts the Münchner Frühlingsfest (Munich Spring Festival) for about two weeks in late April to early May; this funfair entertains children with a pop-up theme park and market stalls. Adults will be eager to know that the spring beer of choice is maibock, a relatively light, golden-hued beer.

Except during Christmastime, winter is a low point for visitors to Munich because of the overcast skies and chill in the air. Given its high altitude, it’s as cold as more northerly (and more sea-level) cities like Berlin, London, and Seattle, though snowfall is similarly light. That said, December is a fantastic time to visit because this über-Catholic city (whose name means "monk") goes all-out in its celebration of Christmas. An equally fun time is the period from January 7 to Shrove Tuesday , when this Alpine city holds Fasching, its pre-Lenten Carnival, with about 2,000 costume balls and parades. The hallmark winter beer is doppelbock, a high-alcohol, dark, almost syrupy beer.