Munich in Spring: Weather, Festivals, Biergartens & Things to Do (2026 Guide)

Spring is one of the best times to visit Munich if you want mild weather, blooming gardens, beer festivals, and smaller crowds than the Oktoberfest season. From March through May, the city slowly reawakens after winter with biergartens reopening, cherry blossoms appearing across the parks, and major events like Frühlingsfest and Auer Dult returning to the calendar.

If you’re planning a broader trip, check out my Munich travel guide for neighborhood tips, itineraries, food recommendations, day trips, and practical advice for visiting the city.

Is Spring a Good Time to Visit Munich?

Yes — especially if you want Munich at its most relaxed and local-feeling. The city is spectacular at any time of the year. But Munich in spring is especially lovely.

• Spring weather is warm enough for a light jacket and perfect for outdoor activities, but cold snaps can bring snow and freezing temperatures
• The crowds are manageable, especially if you want to experience a German beer festival
• Prices for travel, accommodations, and food are lower than peak season, but there are still some deals to be had

Why Spring Is One of the Best Times to Visit Munich

Spring is one of Munich’s most underrated seasons — a sweet spot between the quiet winter months and the intense crowds of summer and Oktoberfest. The city begins to move outdoors again after winter, beer gardens reopen beneath blooming chestnut trees, and festivals return without the overwhelming crowds of peak tourist season.

• Biergartens reopen for the season beneath blooming chestnut trees across the city
• Frühlingsfest brings Oktoberfest energy with fewer crowds and a more local atmosphere
• Munich’s parks and palace gardens bloom with tulips, cherry blossoms, and spring flowers
• Outdoor café culture returns as locals fill sunny terraces and riverbanks
• Seasonal Bavarian specialties appear on menus, including white asparagus (Spargel) and Maibock beer
• Hotel prices are often lower than during summer and Oktoberfest season

Munich Weather in Spring

Spring in Germany is notoriously unpredictable. So much so that there’s a saying! April, April, der macht was er will. (“April, April, it does what it wants.”) Keep that in mind and try to embrace the uncertainty.

Munich in March

March is the first time that the city starts to venture back outdoors. But it’s still a bit slow. As the city begins to shed winter, flowers start to emerge, and cafes put blankets out for those brave enough to sip coffee or the ever-popular Aperol Spritz outdoors.

In Munich, spring usually starts cold, and there’s even a chance of snow. Average highes reaches the high 40s F, while the average minimum temperatures in early spring will not get out of the 30s F.

Throughout the year, Munich averages a relatively steady number of days each month with precipitation. But March sees a below-average amount of precipitation.

Munich in April

By April, the weather typically becomes milder. The month serves as a bit of a turning point where you really feel that warmer days are ahead. Expect suddenly warm afternoons and the reappearance of fountains as the water starts to flow once concerns of freezing temperatures are past.

Average daily lows are still in the 30s F, but average daily highs reach the high 50s F.

Munich in May

May is one of the best times to visit Munich and spring in all its glory. By late May, the average high temperatures have increased to the low 60s F. While Munich is fairly wet throughout the year, May is the beginning of the rainy season that runs through summer. Despite the threat of rain, the outdoor spots along the Isar River quickly fill with locals picnicking, grilling, and enjoying the first consistently warm days of the year.

By May, longer daylight hours make it easier to enjoy biergartens, parks, and evening walks along the Isar.

If you’re looking for the best balance of weather, festivals, and outdoor life, late April and May are usually the ideal time to visit Munich in spring.

Best Things to Do in Munich in Spring

Spring marks the renewal of Munich. It’s the beginning of festival season in Munich, and the city quickly fills with outdoor events, beer gardens, and locals enjoying the warmer weather.

Visit Munich’s Parks and Gardens

During the cold months of winter and after the quiet autumn, Munich turns off many of the city’s nearly 700 water fountains and boards up some works of art and sculptures that sit in the open-air in parks and squares. You can expect the Brunnensaison, or fountain season, to begin around Gründonnerstag, or Maundy Thursday, in mid-April. The fountains at the Hofgarten and at Karlsplatz are some of the city’s most iconic fountains.

Along with those fountains being turned on and the statues being unboxed, you can also experience the palaces, castles, gardens, and museums across Bavaria with extended hours. Schloss Nymphenburg, for example, opens earlier and closes later.

When the weather is sunny and warm, Englischer Garten will be the focal point of the city. Locals will flock there to stroll the paths, while you’ll also see university students partying with music and crates of beer or Spezi.

Experience Munich Frühlingsfest

You know spring has arrived in the city with the start of Munich Frühlingsfest, or Springfest, on the Theresienwiese. With two beer tents, carnival rides, and games, plus food and drink, the two-week-long festival is so much fun. A smaller version of Oktoberfest, Frühlingsfest, includes a kick-off parade where you can see horses pull in carts for each of the city’s six breweries. The festivities continue with a classic car show, Bavaria’s largest flea market, two firework shows, and more.

Don’t miss the car show or the flea market. They’re a lot of fun and usually full of locals enjoying a day out.

Visit Auer Dult

Spring festival season doesn’t stop with Frühlingsfest. In eastern Munich, you’ll find the spring Auer Dult. The festival takes place three times a year in the shadow of the church at Mariahilfplatz. Not as large or as flashy as Frühlingsfest, it has a more family-friendly community vibe.

You’ll find all the typical carnival rides and food at Auer Dult, but it’s famous for its large marketplace that’s a mixture of new items, crafts, and a flea market. Vintage kitchenware and traditional Bavarian ceramics are especially popular with shoppers.

Be sure to check out the Glasierte Früchte, or chocolate-covered fruit. It’s a festival staple!

Enjoy Biergarten Season

In Munich, biergartens traditionally sit beneath chestnut trees because their broad leaves historically helped keep beer cellars cool. As the weather gets warmer and the leaves start to appear on the chestnut trees, thoughts inevitably turn to the Biergarten. You can usually find the odd Biergarten open towards the end of winter (especially in tourist-friendly spots like Chinesischer Turm in Englischer Garten). By late spring, they are open more regularly. This is heavily weather-dependent, though.

With that said, hours may be limited. Food and drink selection may also be. Some spots, expecting minimal crowds, may only sell beer.

On the first truly warm weekends of spring, Munich’s biergartens fill quickly as locals reclaim outdoor life after the long Bavarian winter. You can expect to share the biergartens with the crows as they do their own sort of people watching from chestnut trees, heavy with flowers.

See Spring Blossoms in Munich

Awakening from winter, flowers appear all over the city as the trees start to turn green. Some of the best places to see spring flowers in Munich include the Munich Botanical Garden in Nymphenburg and the Hofgarten near the Residenz. There are dozens of spring flowers on display, including a remarkable number of varieties of tulips in a rainbow of colors at the heart of the garden.

For cherry blossoms, head to the Olympiapark. The cherry trees there were a gift in the 1970s from the Japanese city of Sapporo. The trees, which are in the eastern part of the park, typically bloom in late March or early April.

Experience Bavarian May Day Traditions

There are also a number of holidays throughout the spring. In Bavaria, many of these holidays are religious. Among those holidays is a federal holiday known as the first of May. In other parts of Germany, it’s largely recognized as International Workers’ Day. And you will see demonstrations for workers’ rights in Munich. But May Day, which shares the date, is extremely popular.

In Bavaria, the festivities include, among other things, the raising of the blue-and-white swirled Maypoles.

Spring Foods and Drinks in Munich

Spargel Season

Bavarians love to eat fresh, seasonal food. Spring is Spargelsaison, the period from, roughly, Easter until St. John’s Eve (Johannistag)! And during Spargelzeit you can expect nearly every German restaurant to include white asparagus, or Spargel, amongst the daily specials. Or they may even have a dedicated Spargel menu altogether! This is one seasonal tradition worth experiencing.

In the Munich region, the vegetable largely comes from the Schrobenhauser and Abensberg regions. You’ll find it on menus in a variety of ways. But the simplest, and most delectable in my opinion, is poached white asparagus with melted butter or Hollandaise sauce, along with pan-roasted potatoes. If you’re feeling extra hungry, you can usually add a “small” Schnitzel on the side.

Maibock Beer

If you’re heading to a Biergarten, you’re probably looking for something special to drink. During the spring months, that usually means Maibock or Heller Bock beers.

In fact, you’ll find this to be the typical beer on offer at the festivals and in restaurants. The beer is richer and stronger than standard lagers while still feeling refreshing in warmer weather. They’re especially satisfying on those longer spring evenings as Munich shifts back outdoors.

Look for seasonal releases from Munich breweries like Paulaner and Augustiner.

Crowds and Prices in Spring

Hotel prices and crowds gradually increase throughout spring, especially during Frühlingsfest and holiday weekends in May. Prices are usually highest during major festival weekends and around public holidays like Easter and May Day. But compared to the summer and Oktoberfest season, spring still offers a much calmer and often more affordable experience.

How Many Days Do You Need in Munich in Spring?

If you’re short on time, a 24-hour itinerary can help you experience Munich’s highlights quickly. But with three days or more, you can slow down and experience Munich beyond the highlights — lingering in biergartens, exploring museums, and taking day trips into Bavaria.

Spring is also one of the best times for day trips from Munich, especially to places like Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, or the Bavarian Alps before peak summer crowds arrive.

For more ideas, including neighborhood recommendations, sightseeing highlights, and day trip inspiration, see my complete Munich travel guide.

Where to Stay in Munich in Spring

Picking the right spot to stay is all about priorities. If you’re short on time, staying centrally makes sightseeing much easier. If you’re looking for a quieter experience away from nightlife and tourist crowds, consider neighborhoods farther from the center.

For first-time visitors to Munich with limited time, stay centrally in the Altstadt. You’ll wake up and be able to experience the old town immediately.

Schwabing and Maxvorstadt are also great neighborhoods for their access to cafes, parks, and museums.

If you want a quieter stay and to immerse yourself in local life, try Nymphenburg-Neuhausen area.

The area around Hackerbrücke is also ideal for visiting Frühlingsfest on the Wiesn. If you’re visiting during Frühlingsfest or around holiday weekends in May, book accommodations earlier than you might expect — especially near the Hauptbahnhof and Theresienwiese areas.

What to Pack for Munich in Spring

Packing for Munich during spring can be a bit of a puzzle.

If you’re visiting in early spring (March or April), consider slightly warmer clothes, such as a sweater and even a scarf. If you’re visiting in late spring, lighter-weight items may be sufficient, like a light jacket and T-shirt.

Regardless, I recommend dressing in layers and having a lightweight raincoat. A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes are also helpful. Sunglasses, even in the cool weather, are good to have on hand, too.

I also always travel with a reusable tote bag. Many shops no longer provide bags for free, and if you head to a festival or flea market, it’s especially useful to have them.

Tips for Visiting Munich in Spring

• Keep an eye on the calendar. Some spots may be closed for Easter. This can also impact public transit
• Weekends in May tend to book faster.
• Accommodations near Frühlingsfest can book up quickly, especially on weekends
• Cash is still king in Bavaria, especially at festivals
• Sunny spring weekends can feel surprisingly crowded in parks and biergartens — especially in May — so arrive early if you want a good table.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Munich in Spring

When the stars align, Munich in spring is unbeatable. With mild, sunny weather and the enthusiasm of the return of spring, the city feels fresh and renewed. It’s a great time to experience the city and all the wonderful things it offers: from biergartens to Frühlingsfest.

While Oktoberfest and Christmas markets often get the attention, spring may actually be Munich’s sweet spot — a season when the city feels lively, local, and full of renewed energy.

Munich in Spring FAQs

Is spring a good time to visit Munich?

Spring is one of the best times to visit Munich, thanks to blooming parks, beer festivals, and fewer crowds than summer or the Oktoberfest season. The weather can be unpredictable, though!

What is the weather like in Munich in spring?

Spring weather in Munich can feel like all four seasons! It typically starts cold, and you may even see some snow! By the end of spring, temperatures are warm and it can be rainy.

When do biergartens open in Munich?

Officially, most biergartens are open in clear weather with warm temperatures. But it can be difficult to give an exact date. In questionable conditions, you’re more likely to find popular spots like Chinesischer Turm in Englischer Garten.

What festivals happen in Munich in spring?

The most popular spring festivals in Munich include Frühlingsfest, Auer Dult, and May Day celebrations featuring traditional Maibaum (Maypole) raisings.

Does it rain a lot in Munich in spring?

Spring weather in Munich is unpredictable. Rain is possible, but not guaranteed, especially in early spring. But May is one of the city’s rainiest months.

What should I wear in Munich in spring?

Dressing in layers is your best bet for Munich in spring. A light jacket, preferably waterproof, is also good to have on hand.

Is May a good time to visit Munich?

May is one of the best months to visit Munich thanks to warmer weather, biergarten season, spring festivals, and blooming parks. It can also be one of the busiest spring months, especially on weekends.

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All photos and opinions are my own.