Veröffentlicht von The 1972 Summer Olympic Games were held in Munich. Between 1968 and 1972 the Olympic Park was built for this purpose. In it one finds the most important sports facilities of the Olympics. The park, which was planned by the architectural office of G. Behnisch & Partner, is today, after the English Garden, the most important city park and the most famous recreation area in Munich.
Olympiapark Munich: left Olympic Stadium, right Olympic Tower
The large sports facilities quickly became world-famous because of their revolutionary and modern architecture of the time. Above all, the lightness of the so-called tent construction method convinced experts and laymen alike. The three large buildings (the Olympic Stadium of Munich, the Olympic Hall and the Olympic Swimming Hall) were built in this new architectural style. The metal construction appears light and reminds the observer of tents.
The sights in the Olympic Park can be explored on foot if you take some hours. Who has little time: There is a small train that runs through the park, which takes you to the most important sights in a quick walk. The round trip through the park with the train „Emma“ takes 15 min. Costs: 3,50 € for adults, 2,50 € for children, infants under 4 years don’t need a ticket (prices year 2017).
Popular city tour with the hop on / hop off bus: This way of seeing Munich is becoming increasingly popular. The provider’s buses run often and regularly, all day long. You can get off at any of the stops at the sights and continue on with a later bus. A great thing, you can see a lot in a short time. The open-topped double-decker buses are also great: More information and booking
How to get to the Olympiapark: The best way is by underground: U3 Olympiazentrum or U1 Olympiaeinkaufszentrum. Many parking spaces in the area. Most sights are closer from the U3.
Opening hours Olympiapark Munich: The park is of course always accessible. Some sights, such as the Olympic Tower, are only accessible at certain times. To avoid large crowds, the Olympic Park is ideally visited during the week. Nice weather is an advantage, especially good view on the television tower is important.
Our recommendation: Best city tours in Munich
3 bus-lines, all with one ticket: Be sure to buy tickets for CitySightseeing Munich cheaply online using this link
You can get out on the way and continue on the next bus (hop-on hop-off)
Bookable online with a discount using using this link
All 3 lines depart directly opposite Munich main station
Sights in the Olympic Park
>>>>> We have written our own article on the Olympic Stadium: Description of the Olympiastadion
>>>>> To the television tower Olympaturm we have also an own page: Description of the Olympiaturm
Olympic Swimming Hall: For many Munich residents still the best public swimming pool in Munich. It is primarily an indoor swimming pool, but also an outdoor pool. The legendary American Mark Spitz started in the 50-metre main pool in 1972 and won gold seven times. In the indoor swimming pool (7,000 seats on the grandstand) there are five pools, a sauna and the Olympic diving board. The fitness area is unfortunately only accessible to members.
The 50-meter swimming pool in the Olympic Swimming Hall
There is an outside area and an inside area. In summer you can lie outside on the meadow and in winter you can at least swim outside. Unfortunately, the swimming facility cannot be visited. But on the left side of the cash desk one has a view to large parts of the hall without paying. The best is to simply go swimming: On many weekdays, the swimming complex is even opened until 10 p.m. in the evening. More information: Indoor swimming pools in Munich
Olympiahalle: This is a very large multi-purpose hall. Events with up to 14,000 visitors are possible. Today, the hall is mainly used for large events such as concerts, parties, shareholder meetings, six-day races, congresses or, in winter, the Holiday-on-Ice.
Ice sports stadium: built in 1967, expanded to 7,000 seats in 1972. Best known public ice rink in Munich in the Olympic Park.
Bike station: This was renamed a few years ago to München-Arena and now serves as a hall for various events (about 5,000 seats)
Olympiaberg: This mountain consists of ruins of the 2nd world war and is 60 meters high. From the top you have a wonderful block over the whole Olympic area. The ascent is worthwhile if you do not go to the Olympic Tower. You also have a view over large parts of Munich.
Olympic lake: The beautiful lake and some side water areas are located in the middle of the Olympic Park. You can rent pedal boats and rowing boats (costs in summer 2020: pedal boat: 1 hour 15 €, rowing boat 13 €). Next to the lake there is an open-air stage (called theatron or lake stage) where free rock concerts take place daily in summer.
Olympic Village: Today a part is a sought-after student residence. In the other part are condominiums and rental apartments. Although the village at the Olympic Park consists mainly of high-rise buildings, it is one of the most popular residential areas in Munich. Many student bungalows are painted, especially the doors. A memorial plaque (Connolystraße 31) commemorates the killing of Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists during the Olympics on 5.9.1972.
Tollwood-Festival: Larger very international festival mostly in early summer. Many stalls, concerts, beer tent, beer gardens etc. Once the festival was quite alternative, especially dedicated to the poor countries of the world. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly commercial and expensive. Nevertheless it is still worth a visit.
Soccer Five Arena: Soccer (indoor football) is very trendy. The first building coming from the subway stadium „Olympiazentrum“, in the Olympic Park is the SoccaFive Arena. There are several modern indoor soccer fields in the hall, which can be rented by the hour.
Soccer Five Arena
Tours in Olympia Park
Adventure tour (new name Tour de Park)
A tour across the park. The tour starts with a short train ride in the park, you also visit the stadium with the changing rooms, the Olympic lobby (original exhibits of the Olympic Games, championship trophy of FC Bayern and the DFB cup) and the guest of honour tribune. Afterwards, there will also be a visit to the Olympic Hall and the Olympic Swimming Hall.
Prices: adults 10,50 Euro, students 7,50 Euro (prices year 2017)
Time: daily 14 o’clock
Duration: 90 minutes
The tour with the City-Tour-Card is cheaper.
Stadium tour
Like the stadium part of the adventure tour
Prices: Adults 8 Euro, pupils/students 6 Euro (prices from 2017)
Time: several times on most days
Tent roof tour
A hike over the Olympia tent roof in the stadium. As you walk from one end of the tent roof to the other and enjoy the fantastic view, you will learn all kinds of interesting facts about the construction and architecture of the Olympic buildings and especially the tent roof, the Olympic Games and the Olympic Park in general.
Prices: Adults 43 Euro, students 33 Euro
Time: daily 14:30 and in the evening (shifts with sunset)
Duration: 2 hours
Abseiling tour
Also here you climb up to the roof and get interesting background knowledge, but this part is shorter than the tent roof tour, because at the end you can abseil down 40 m from the roof into the stadium
Prices: Adults 53 Euro, pupils/students 43 Euro
Time: on many days, usually 16:00
Duration: 2 hours
Tent roof tour with Flying Fox
Like the abseiling tour, only instead of abseiling, you try the Flying Fox at the end of the tour. This is a steel rope that is stretched across the Olympia Stadium and you hook on to it to fly over the stadium (the longest rope slide in Europe!).
Prices: Adults 73 Euro, Pupils/Students 63 Euro
Time: usually 1-2 times a day
Minimum age 10 years and minimum weight 40 kg!
Duration: 2 hours
Status of information on the tours: spring in 2016, some prices and other dates were updated at the beginning of 2023.