Bavaria in Spring

A walking tour in the rain and cold can be downright dreary so hold off for a nice spring day to do a walking tour of Munich. There are several excellent options in English, German or a selection of other languages.

• Sandemans New Munich Tour
• City Walk

Remember that even a free tour requires a little monetary gratitude. Tip at least 5 euros for a good tour.

While you are out walking, try to time it so you are in Marienplatz at 11:00 and noon. On the hour for over 100 years, a traditional Glockenspiel chimes, with the three chirps of the golden bird signaling the end of each show.

Germany’s May Day usually has more to do with workers' rights than welcoming spring... but a Maypole (Maibaum) is still involved in Bavaria. Crafted from a single tree trunk and decorated with colorful ribbons, flowers, carved figures and a village insignia (Wappen). The creation and erection of the pole is a big deal with the constant threat of theft. Once the Maibaum has made its ascent, and often beforehand, the beer tent is open!

A full listing of May Day events in Munich can be found on the Munich city website (German), or discover events throughout Bavaria.

The English Garden might sound a little formal, but this sprawling green space is actually Munich's largest park and everyone's favorite destination in warm weather. Visitors can rent a paddle boat, walk the woods, drink their way through its beer gardens (below), check out German canal surfing (really) or even catch some rays in their nether regions. The area around the Universität is particularly notorious for FKK sunbathing.

Munich's popular outdoor market hosts close to 150 booths every day. Taste the flavor of the season from honey to spices to everything nice.

Germans wait all winter for the biergartens to re-open. The first signs of spring are good enough to throw on an extra sweater and make your way to the beer garden.

Munich alone has over 200 beer gardens serving the best in Bavarian beer.

• Beer Garden Hischgarten - This is the largest beer garden in the world and can seat 8,000 people.
• Beer Garden Augustiner Keller - Looking just as it did when it opened in 1812, this beer garden is the oldest in Munich with Augustiner beer served daily.
• Beer Garden at Viktualienmarkt - Grocery shopping is thirsty work and this biergarten offers the ideal respite. If you are in need of some sustenance, you can bring in your own food and enjoy whatever brewery is on tap that week. 
• Beer Garden at the Chinese Tower - Take a break from the English Garden to drink a Lowenbrau in the second largest biergarten in the city. You can't miss it as it is also the site of the giant Chinesischer Turm.
• Beer Garden Aumeister - Another location within the park is is Aumeister. Once the drinking hole for royals, commoners can drink their Hofbrau here today.

If you are around for Starkbierzeit (held after Karneval for about a month) take the time to find a beer hall and engage in the local's Oktoberfest.

Further afield? Locate Andechs Monastery and Brewery above Lake Ammersee to learn some rich area history and taste some truly holy beers.

Starnberg Lake is just south of Munich and a spring and summer destination for locals. Walk the promenade, swim in its waters or watch one of the April regattas.

After the snow has melted off the Bavarian Alps by the middle of May, it is time for the skiers to give way to the hikers. Take your pick of peaks and routes like Höhentalklamm, Oberstdorf and Roß and Buchstein.

Germans are serious about their spas and many of the best in the country are in Bavaria. What better way to enjoy the warmer weather and prepare for summer?

• Europa Therme Bad Füssing
• Johannesbad Bad Füssing
• Kaiser-Therme Bad Abbach
• Limes Therme in Bad Gögging
• Rottal Terme in Bad Birnbach
• Therme Bad Steben

When you say "drinking festival in Germany", most people in the world automatically think of Munich's Oktoberfest. Locals know that this phrase could refer to almost every weekend. At Münchner Frühlingsfest (Munich's Spring Festival) it is truly safe to take your drinking outside.