Englischer Garten

The city’s large green playground is bigger than Central Park and encompasses a lake, large meadows and such attractions as a Japanese teahouse and a Chinese pagoda (modeled after the Great Pagoda found in London’s Royal Botanic Gardens). A whimsical spot to find is the Eisbach junction. It takes some German engineering to surf in land-locked Bavaria. But endless rides are possible on the Eisbach wave, a man-made, standing curl in the middle of a narrow artificial stream that runs through the Englischer Garten. It has drawn both international river surfers—even in winter—and gawking crowds since soon after the wave was created in 2000. The Eisbach wave is located at the southern edge of the English Garden park, near the Haus der Kunst art museum. There are also several beer gardens in the Englischer Garten, including the one at the Seehaus, which is one of the best spots in the city for lunch or an afternoon beer with beautiful views.