I’m Susanne. I was born in the Rhineland, but I have been living in beautiful Munich for 15 years now. I love travelling and am always exploring new places with my whole family, true to the motto: The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been and all the memories we’ve made along the way!
But it’s just as nice to come back home again. Together with my passion for interior design, I also share my own personal travel inspiration in my #traveldiaries in my blog Sweetlivinginterior.de and on my Instagram account @sweetlivinginterior. This ‘Travel like a local’ guide therefore includes my personal favourite spots in my chosen home of Munich!

Our Motel One in Munich

The English Garden is more than just a city park, it’s a true green oasis. It’s not only loved by local residents, it is also a popular spot for visitors to Munich from all around the world. Close to the Eisbach river, by the Eisbachwelle wave, is one of the most beautiful entrances to the English Garden, and just a few steps away is the Fräulein Grüneis kiosk. Fräulein Grüneis is an enchanting little house with lots of small, charmingly designed spots to while away some time. The quaint park café serves healthy soups, home-made cakes and all kinds of drinks. Regional organic products are the order of the day here. Fräulein Grüneis is a great tip for the whole year round, as the ice cream freezer is swapped for a wood-fired oven in the colder months.

Right in the middle of the city, in the Fünf Höfe shopping complex (a perfect place to stroll and window-shop) between Odeonsplatz and Marienplatz, is the Kunsthalle München. This internationally renowned art gallery presents a fantastic programme of three to four temporary exhibitions every year. It has up to 300,000 visitors a year, making it one of the most popular galleries in the whole of Germany. On ‘cheap’ Tuesday, there is a 50% discount on all admission fees. There are plenty of different genres covered that are worth a look, from Auguste Rodin and Walt Disney to Thierry Mugler and Helmut Newton.

The best way to explore a city is on foot, and you can do just that starting from Motel One Munich-Deutsches Museum, for example, and heading towards Viktualienmarkt. And that is precisely where Lea Zapf has been based for around a year now with her fantastic stand ‘Lea Zapf Marktpatisserie’. Lea’s patisserie creations are just heavenly. Everything tastes uniquely delicious, fresh and always has a special twist. You can enjoy delicious drinks or Lea’s sweet delights here on the black and white seating and then continue your walk with a very contented stomach.

Modern European cuisine, topped off with impressive design. Hip retro style is mixed here with a cosy kitchen atmosphere. The side dishes alone are so delicious that you could enjoy them as either a starter or a main course. There’s something for everyone: meat, fish and a vegetarian dish. The interior design for the Theresa Grill Restaurant was devised and realised by Stephanie Thatenhorst. There is a showroom and shop just next door in the former Theresa Bar.

The Kaisergarten restaurant in Kaiserstrasse is the place to go for good, regional cuisine with an air of sophistication. The small beer garden is one of the most beautiful in the city. It’s compact but cosy and, just like all of the Thatenhorst family’s restaurants, it never disappoints! The breakfast outside at the weekend or lunch/dinner is always to be recommended. The lovely décor inside also continues into the outdoor area.

Just a short walk away from the Kunsthalle München is the Nicole Mohrmann concept store. As well as unusual basics, you will also find feminine casual and evening looks here, plus quirky gift ideas and home and living accessories in every price range. Every woman will find her personal favourite look at Mohrmann Basics in Munich – innovative, unique and ideal for mixing and matching.

Finally, another sweet must for chocoholics. Priti Henseler’s Götterspeise café and chocolaterie will take you to seventh heaven. But you can buy more than just sweet things here. It also sells all sorts of beautiful things for the kitchen, children and so on, all truly special and selected with great attention to detail. The café and shop are great places to relax and enjoy the mix of French and East Asian influences with home-made cakes and the best pralines, and to experience the atmosphere of the beautiful Glockenbach district.

The soundtrack to your city break

More city tips from locals