Munich's Top Walking Trails Rated by Distance and Difficulty

Munich residents this summer have access to ten mapped walking trails inside city limits that the parks department has graded by exact distance and elevation gain.

The listings arrive as daytime temperatures regularly exceed 28 degrees and more people seek shaded, measured routes close to public transport instead of driving to the Alps.

Short flat routes in central parks

The English Garden’s Kleinhesseloher See circuit covers 2.4 kilometres on level gravel and finishes at the Seehaus beer garden. A second option starts at the Nymphenburg Palace canal and follows the western edge of the palace grounds for 3.1 kilometres before returning through the Hirschgarten. Both paths stay under 30 metres of climb and connect directly to U-Bahn stops at Münchner Freiheit and Rotkreuzplatz.

Longer graded climbs on the city’s edge

The Isar trail from the Wittelsbacherbrücke to the Hellabrunn Zoo entrance measures 5.8 kilometres one way with 85 metres of ascent on compacted dirt. For a tougher outing the Forstenrieder Park loop runs 8.9 kilometres and gains 210 metres, crossing two short forest ridges before dropping back to the Fürstenried West S-Bahn station. City records show 1.8 million recorded entries at the English Garden gates in 2025, with the new grading signs installed in March this year at no charge to users.

Walkers can download the free München Trails app or pick up printed maps at district offices on Orleansplatz and at the main tourist information point on Marienplatz. Most routes remain open until 10 p.m. during July, though sections near the Eisbach wave close after heavy rain. Residents are advised to carry water and check the daily pollen count posted by the city health department before setting out.