Chocolate Walk Munich: A Self-Guided Tour Through Schwabing

A free, self-guided walk through Schwabing — Munich's old bohemian quarter. About three hours and roughly 4.5 km (2.8 miles) on flat, paved ground, from Odeonsplatz through the English Garden up to Münchner Freiheit: past river surfers in the middle of the city, a Greek temple on a hill, a 17-metre steel man — and a small chocolate studio where you can taste, shop, or make your own pralines.

At a glance

The route

1. Odeonsplatz & Hofgarten — the start
2. The Eisbach wave — 15 min walk
3. Monopteros — 10 min
4. Chinesischer Turm — 10 min
5. Kleinhesseloher See — 15 min
6. FERI Chocolate Studio — 10 min
7. Münchner Freiheit & Wedekindplatz — 3 min
8. Walking Man — 8 min
9. Siegestor & the University — 10 min, then 10 min back to Odeonsplatz

Stop 1 — Odeonsplatz and the Hofgarten

Start where the old town ends and the 19th-century boulevard begins. The yellow Theatinerkirche and the Feldherrnhalle frame the square; behind them lies the Hofgarten, a quiet Renaissance garden with a pavilion in the middle where, on most afternoons, someone is playing music or dancing tango. Cross it towards the north-east and pass under Prinzregentenstraße.

Stop 2 — The Eisbach wave

Just behind the Haus der Kunst, where the Eisbach stream enters the English Garden, a standing wave forms — and people surf it, all year round, in the middle of a landlocked city. It is Munich's most photographed everyday scene, and watching from the bridge costs nothing. In winter the surfers wear thick wetsuits, which arguably makes the photo better. Watching is free; surfing is for experienced surfers only, and swimming in the Eisbach is not allowed.

Stop 3 — Monopteros

Follow the stream north into the park. The English Garden is one of the largest city parks in the world — bigger than Central Park in New York — and from the Monopteros, the small Greek temple that Leo von Klenze placed on an artificial hill in 1836, you get the best free view of the old town skyline: the twin towers of the Frauenkirche, the town hall tower, and the Theatinerkirche you have just left.

Stop 4 — Chinesischer Turm

A wooden pagoda from 1790, and around it one of Munich's largest beer gardens. The rule worth knowing: at the self-service tables you may eat food you brought yourself — a Bavarian tradition and still perfectly legal — you just buy the drinks on site. If you need a pretzel and a radler before the second half of the walk, this is the place.

Stop 5 — Kleinhesseloher See

Ten minutes further north the park opens into a lake with three small islands. In summer you can rent a rowing boat; the terrace of the Seehaus on the eastern shore is a good coffee stop. From the western shore, leave the park at the Dietlindenstraße exit towards Schwabing.

Stop 6 — FERI Chocolate Studio

From the Dietlindenstraße park exit it is a good ten minutes west to Marktstraße 15 — the street runs between the English Garden and Leopoldstraße, so you pass it naturally on your way out of the park. FERI Chocolate Studio is a small chocolate manufactory with a shop, opened in spring 2026 in a historic Schwabing building — a painted ceiling, gold lettering, the tempering machine out in the open and trays of pralines being finished by hand while you stand there. Not a factory outlet and not a chain; everything sold here is made by hand, without artificial flavours or preservatives. Part of the range is organic and vegan.

Two ways to use the stop, depending on how much time you have:

Step in and take something home (10 minutes)

During opening hours you can simply walk in, no booking needed. Most of what is in the counter is not in the online shop — the range changes with the season and with whatever was made that morning. Two things are worth asking for by name:

• The Munich praline box — hand-made pralines in a box with a Munich motif. The souvenir version: you can tell where it came from.
• The plain FERI box — the same pralines without the city motif, in the studio's green-and-gold look, for when it is a gift rather than a holiday memory.

Beyond that: single pralines and truffles by the piece, chocolate-covered organic mango and rum dates, seasonal specialities, and gift vouchers. Boxes are filled to order, so you can pick the pieces yourself.

There is a large alcohol-free selection — more often relevant than people expect: for children, for pregnant travellers, and for anyone avoiding alcohol for religious reasons. Just ask at the counter. If you have an allergy, you can ask exactly what is in each piece.

Make your own pralines (about 2.5 hours)

The studio runs praline workshops for small groups. You temper chocolate, fill and decorate your own pralines, and take everything you make home, packed in a box. Aprons, ingredients, packaging and printed recipes are included, and on the day of your workshop you get 5 % off everything in the studio.

The workshop is held in German and English. Every step is explained in both languages — so there is no separate English date to hunt for, and nothing to arrange in advance. Mixed groups are expressly welcome; in our experience they make the best workshops.

Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the date; within 7 days you receive a transferable voucher for the full amount.

See available dates and book a praline workshop →

Stop 7 — Münchner Freiheit and Wedekindplatz

Three minutes further west lies Wedekindplatz, and just beyond it Münchner Freiheit. Schwabing was Munich's artists' quarter around 1900 — Kandinsky, Rilke and Thomas Mann all lived and worked within a few streets of here. Today Münchner Freiheit is the centre of the district, and at Wedekindplatz Schwabing still feels like a village: small squares, old trees, cafés with two tables outside. From here Leopoldstraße runs dead straight south — all the rest of the way.

Stop 8 — Walking Man

Walk south down Leopoldstraße and you cannot miss it: a 17-metre white figure striding out of the front of the Munich Re headquarters at Leopoldstraße 28. Jonathan Borofsky made it in 1995, and it has been the unofficial landmark of the boulevard ever since. Leopoldstraße itself is Munich's promenade — wide pavements, plane trees, ice cream, street painters in summer.

Stop 9 — Siegestor and the University

The Siegestor is a triumphal arch from 1852, modelled on the Arch of Constantine in Rome. After the Second World War it was deliberately restored only halfway; the inscription on the south side reads: dedicated to victory, destroyed by war, urging peace.

One block further, at Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, the atrium of Ludwig Maximilian University holds the memorial to the White Rose — the student resistance group who threw leaflets from the gallery in 1943 and were executed for it. Bronze copies of the leaflets are set into the pavement in front of the entrance. A two-minute stop, and the most serious thing on this walk.

From here it is ten minutes down Ludwigstraße back to Odeonsplatz.

Shorter versions and wet weather

The 90-minute version

Start at Münchner Freiheit instead (U3/U6): Wedekindplatz → FERI Chocolate Studio → back onto Leopoldstraße → Walking Man → Siegestor → University → Odeonsplatz. You skip the park and keep the neighbourhood.

If it rains

Do the 90-minute version and put a two-and-a-half-hour praline workshop in the middle — indoors, warm, and you come out with something. Rain also improves stop 2: the Eisbach surfers are there in any weather, and the bridge is far less crowded.

With children

The whole route works with a stroller. The surfers, the boats on the Kleinhesseloher See and the chocolate reliably go down well, and the studio also runs its own workshops for children.

Taking chocolate home

A few practical points, because chocolate is a more delicate souvenir than it looks:

• Shelf life. Pralines and truffles are made with fresh cream and butter and without preservatives, so they keep for about four weeks. Broken chocolate keeps around eight weeks, hand-poured bars around nine months.
• Heat is the enemy. Store between 15 and 20 °C (59–68 °F). Do not leave it in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill — and not in the fridge either, the cold changes the texture and dulls the aroma.
• On the plane. Chocolate does not count as a liquid and can go in hand luggage without restriction. In summer that is the better choice anyway: the cabin stays cool, the hold does not always.
• Summer. From June to August the studio does not ship at all, because chocolate does not survive a delivery van in the heat. In those months the only way is the shop on Marktstraße.
• Shipping within Germany. €5.90, free from €69, outside the summer months — handy if you would rather not carry the box for the rest of your trip.

When the walk is worth it

• Spring and autumn give the best conditions for the full route: the park is at its finest and the beer gardens are open without being packed.
• Summer means boats on the lake, sunbathers on every lawn — and chocolate that belongs straight in your hotel room rather than in your bag all day.
• Oktoberfest (mid-September to early October) takes place on the other side of the city, at the Theresienwiese. Schwabing stays comparatively calm — a good morning before an afternoon at the festival.
• December brings a small Christmas market at Münchner Freiheit, and the whole of Leopoldstraße is lit.
• Winter is the underrated season: without leaves the view from the Monopteros is much better, and the surfers are still there.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the walk take?

About three hours at a relaxed pace over roughly 4.5 km (2.8 miles). Add an hour for a beer garden break, or two and a half hours if you book a praline workshop. A 90-minute version without the English Garden is described above.

Does the walk cost anything?

No. The route is free and self-guided — no guide, no ticket, no booking. You only pay for what you eat, drink or buy along the way.

Where does the walk start and how do I get there?

At Odeonsplatz in the city centre, served by U-Bahn lines U3, U4, U5 and U6. It is a ten-minute walk from Marienplatz, and three stops from the main station. The route ends back at Odeonsplatz, so it works as a loop.

Where can I buy chocolate in Munich as a gift to take home?

At FERI Chocolate Studio, Marktstraße 15 in Schwabing, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00. The pralines are made by hand. For a souvenir there are praline boxes with a Munich motif; boxes are also filled to order. No booking is needed to shop.

Can I do a praline workshop in Munich — in English too?

Yes. FERI Chocolate Studio runs praline workshops of about 2.5 hours for €69 per person. The workshop is held in German and English: every step is explained in both languages, so you can book any date in the calendar without arranging anything in advance. You make and decorate your own pralines and take everything home.

Do I need to book the workshop in advance?

Yes. Workshops run on fixed dates and are booked online in advance; you cannot join spontaneously. The shop itself is open without booking during opening hours. Cancellation is free up to seven days before the date.

Is the route suitable for children and strollers?

Yes. The path is flat and step-free throughout, with some gravel inside the English Garden. The surfers, the rowing boats and the chocolate studio all work well with children, and the studio runs its own workshops for children.

What can you do in Munich when it rains?

Do the 90-minute version of this walk and put a two-and-a-half-hour praline workshop in the middle — that is indoors. The Eisbach surfers are there in any weather, and in the rain you have the bridge almost to yourself.

Will the chocolate survive the journey home?

Usually yes, if it stays cool. Pralines keep for about four weeks and should be stored between 15 and 20 °C (59–68 °F) — never in a hot car and not in the fridge. Chocolate does not count as a liquid and can travel in hand luggage, which is the safer option in summer.

Are there alcohol-free pralines?

Yes, the alcohol-free selection is large and the staff are happy to point it out at the counter. If you have an allergy or any special requirement, just ask in the studio.

Can I combine this with Oktoberfest or the Christmas market?

Easily. Oktoberfest is at the Theresienwiese on the other side of the city centre, and Schwabing stays comparatively quiet during it — a good morning before an afternoon at the festival. In December there is a small Christmas market at Münchner Freiheit, directly on the route.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The Kunstareal museum quarter with the three Pinakothek galleries is a 15-minute walk west of the Siegestor. The Bavarian National Museum and the Haus der Kunst are on Prinzregentenstraße, right at stop 2.

The chocolate stop in detail

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Book a praline workshop → · About the studio →

The range in the counter is larger than the online shop — online you see only part of it.