Can You Drink Alcohol in Munich?
Can you drink alcohol in Munich? Yes, that’s the answer, the main answer, but there are some places where you can’t. Let’s discover them. It’s completely normal to see in Munich people drinking some beers in the park, in a picnic, and in terraces, public terraces or parks, and also on the way to the bar.
Where You Can and Cannot Drink Alcohol in Munich
But there are places where you can’t bring your beer nor any other kind of alcohol. Mainly it is around the metro, bus, tram, or train stations. Over there, consuming alcohol is forbidden, and it is even forbidden to bring alcohol, so just don’t do it. You can see in the municipal webpage of the city, they have a defined perimeter where you can and where you cannot drink, and not even carry alcohol to drink there.
Public Order, Police Controls, and Drinking in Public Spaces
Police can make a platztarben, which is if you’re making too much noise, drinking in the public space, or if people get into a fight or it gets noisy, they can ask you to leave or give you directly a fine. It is not a forbidden drink, but it’s a don’t don’t make a disorder out of it.
Legal Drinking Age and ID Checks in Munich
So yeah, so other other things that are important to know is that in Germany, the legal age of drinking is 16, just for beer and wine. And with 18, you can drink whatever you want, even absinthe. But if you look really young um and you’re drinking in a public space, be sure to have your ID with you because they can ask you for it.
Buying Alcohol at Night and Special Event Restrictions
Regarding to if you want to buy alcohol in the night, there’s only one place that opens late, it’s called Leden Sluz. Oh, forget that. In some big events like, I don’t know, New Year’s Eve. Or something like that, the authorities can get temporary prohibitions for certain places that can help manage some order in those places. Those are called Allgemeinverfügung.
Drinking and Riding a Bike in Munich
Be careful with driving also your bike after drinking. Just don’t do it because they can ask you for your ID in the night and if they make an alcohol test, then you can get a big fine if you are drunk.
Glass Bottles, Cleanliness, and Drinking Responsibly
Something also that’s important to know is that you should prefer bringing your beers in a can instead of glass to public spaces because in some parks or in special areas, they are concerned about the… actually forbid taking your beer on a glass bottle. Munich is also very strict regarding to, as you would expect, regarding to cleanliness. So if you drink in the street, please pick up the cans, the cigarette leftovers. You can enjoy a relaxing time outside, but stay mindful and leave the place better than you found it.
The English Garden and Open-Air Drinking Culture
The English garden is mythical for taking your beer and drinking in an open air, as an open air space. But if there’s excessive noise or trash or complaints from the neighbors, the party can end very fast. Is important to know what is the drinking culture in Munich to prevent any issue. Take it easy—that’s a general rule for everything in Munich.
Oktoberfest and Walking With Alcohol in Munich
Another important thing is to talk about Oktoberfest. That’s like an exception of the rules of the city for the rest of the year. There’s a lot of security schedules, way more controls, everything gets stricter. So, yeah, have a bit chilled and you won’t have any problem.
You can drink while you walk and even more if you are part of our pub crawl Munchen. It’s not forbidden, but it is better seen that you drink chilled in a park or sitting in a bench or with your small group of friends. That’s better seen. You will find more tips about Munich nightlife in our blog.