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Englischer Garten (English Garden)

Englischer Garten (English Garden)

Europe´s largest public park and one of the world´s largest urban public parks begins right behind the Haus der Kunst (House of art) in the city centre of Munich. The Englischer Garten continues parallel to Ludwig and Leopoldstraße and ends in the north of Munich in the southern parts of the borough Oberföhring. The park has a size of 3,74 square kilometres with several streams that are connected to the river Isar. In the nothern part of park is an artificial lake (Kleinhesseloher See).

Worth seeing

Apart from the Chinesischen Turm (Chinese Tower), a wooden construction in the shape of a pagoda which today belongs to a big beer garden, there are the Monopteros, the Japanese tea house and the Amphitheratre in the Englischer Garten.

The Monopteros is situated in the southern part of the park on a small hill in honor of Bavarian personalities. There is also a nice view of the city skyline from the Monopteros.

The Japanese tea house is right behind the Haus of Kunst (house of art) in the Englischer Gartern. It was built due to the town twinning with the Japanese city Sapporo in 1972, in the year of the Olympic summer games. In the tea house there are regular tea ceremonies. The Japanese festival is celebrated here, too, the third Sunday in July.

The Amphitheratre is right in the north of the park. Every year in July on a nice day classic comedy will be performed – entrance free.

A park for everyone

The Englischer Garten has something to offer for all ages and all sorts of interests. Unsusual are e.g. the surfer on the small stream Eisbach, which turns in one part of the Englischer Garden into a torrent. The surfers ride on one big wave and brave the elements. There also a lot of ball games going on in the Englischer Garten. Even those who enjoy nudism will find an area in the Englischer Garten. Locals call that group of people “die Nackerten”, officially the area is called FKK (Freikörperkultur).

The history of Englischer Garten

In 1789 the elector Carl Theodor converted the military gardens of the Bavarian Army into public gardens. He was advised by his secretary of war Benjamin Thompson from Massachusettes. Benjamin Thompson also was in charge of the reorganisation of the park. In 1792 the gardens were opened to the public. At that time it was called Theodors Park. Shortly after the name Englischer Garten was established.

Photos

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