The Isar River and English Gardens

By Jenn Ghelardini

One of the most alluring aspects of Munich its varying landscapes. Munich is nestled not too far from the bottom of the Alps, allowing for a picturesque view of the mountain peaks in the distance anywhere in the city. Along with the mountains, the Isar River runs through the heart of the city. This resulted in many beautiful and exquisite bridges. The river also dictates the layout of the city as well as the lifestyles of many of its inhabitants and visitors.



When the weather is pleasent everyone in Munich heads to the riverbansks of the Isar. It is a favorite amound Munich residents and Germans from nearby smaller towns. There are many places along the river for people to relax and enjoy, but the most popular location is in the idyllic English Gardens, located near the city's center. It is quite popular for local University students, since it is right beside one of Munich's larger Universities.


You can find just about everyone and everything happenign in the English Gardens on a sunny day. The activities are endless and range from people sunbathing, picknicking, practicing rock-climbing techniques, swimming in the river, playing music and even surfing.

I was quite surprised to witness surfing in Munich, no less in a river, so I asked local surfers about thier sport.

Many Munich surfers spend a great deal of their vacation time traveling around Europe, away from Munich. In this time they are able to visit countries on the beach, such as Spain. This is where they do most of their traditional surfing (in the ocean) and perfect their techniques.

However, when in Munich, they are still able to practice their sport. They go to a man-created wave under a bridge. It is very dangerous because the wave was created from the build up of rocks, so the surfers are surfing right on top of huge rocks. A few people have died river surfing and there is a sign posting that surfing and swimming is prohibited. I found this interesting, because in America, one would get in a lot of trouble for disregarding a federal sign.

In conclusion, I found that the Munich river surfers, as they are known to the Munich community, really just love surfing, and enjoy the opportunity to do so- whenever, wherever, no matter what the risk.