{"id":2813,"date":"2019-06-26T15:56:21","date_gmt":"2019-06-26T15:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/com.sx-magazine-wp.sixt.io\/magazine\/?p=2813"},"modified":"2026-03-16T13:10:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:10:03","slug":"best-small-towns-near-munich","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/travel\/best-small-towns-near-munich\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Best Scenic Small Towns Near Munich"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Munich is situated in the heart of Bavaria with its stunning countryside,&nbsp;Alpine vistas, and epic lakes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/car-rental\/germany\/bavaria\/\">Bavaria<\/a>\u2019s fairytale small towns are an excellent destination year-round, offering easy access to the great outdoors and hosting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/car-rental\/germany\/\">Germany<\/a>\u2019s famous Christmas markets in the winter months. Here&nbsp;are&nbsp;our top&nbsp;five&nbsp;small-town&nbsp;recommendations&nbsp;near <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/car-rental\/germany\/munich\/\">Munich<\/a> that are excellent options for day trips.<\/p>\n<h2><b>1. Freising<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/car-rental\/germany\/freising\/freising\/\">Freising&nbsp;<\/a>is just a short drive out of Munich to the north, next to the city\u2019s&nbsp;international airport. This charming town is one of the oldest settlements in Bavaria. The&nbsp;Freising&nbsp;Cathedral is famous for its rococo interior and sits atop one of the town\u2019s two main hills above the Isar River. The other hill is home to the world\u2019s oldest continuously operating brewery, housed in the&nbsp;Weihenstephan&nbsp;Abbey, and you can order a&nbsp;Weihenstephaner&nbsp;weissbier&nbsp;in the town.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2817\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2817\" style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2817 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/com.sx-magazine-wp.sixt.io\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Freising.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"729\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Freising.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Freising-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Freising-768x491.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Freising-1024x655.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1140px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1140\/729;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2817\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A street in the Freising old town<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>2. Lindau<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Drive just 2 hours west of Munich and you can reach the spectacular Lake Constance and the town and island of Lindau. Lake Constance is a fantastic summer destination offering watersports, boat tours, and hiking. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/car-rental\/germany\/lindau\/\">Lindau<\/a> is full of historical buildings including the 12th&nbsp;Century&nbsp;Mangturm&nbsp;tower, the iconic Lindau Lighthouse at the harbor entrance to the town,&nbsp;and the turreted&nbsp;Diebsturm&nbsp;tower. We also recommend&nbsp;taking a look&nbsp;at the old town hall, though&nbsp;all of Lindau&nbsp;is impressive to stroll through.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2818\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2818\" style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2818 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/com.sx-magazine-wp.sixt.io\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Lindau.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"729\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Lindau.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Lindau-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Lindau-768x491.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Lindau-1024x655.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1140px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1140\/729;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2818\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The harbor in Lindau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>3. Mindelheim<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Mindelheim&nbsp;is another fairytale historic town with painted stucco houses and many towers. The whole town was enclosed by fortified walls and today many parts are still intact. The&nbsp;Mindelburg&nbsp;Castle now houses a restaurant and&nbsp;the building is&nbsp;well-&nbsp;preserved. There are some excellent bike trails and hikes from the town and you often have stunning views of the Alps to the south. To reach&nbsp;Mindelheim&nbsp;from Munich head directly west on the A96 for 60 miles&nbsp;(97 kilometers).<\/p>\n<h2><b>4. Herrsching<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Herrsching&nbsp;is on the&nbsp;Amersee, one of the two fantastic lakes near Munich. The&nbsp;Amersee&nbsp;is a fantastic lake for watersports and great for swimming, with views of the Alps as you look over the lake to the south. This small lakeside town has a great promenade and plenty of restaurants as well as regular paddle&nbsp;wheel steamship trips across the lake in the summer.&nbsp;Herrsching&nbsp;is just 28 miles&nbsp;(45 km)&nbsp;southwest of Munich on the A96.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2822\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2822\" style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2822 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/com.sx-magazine-wp.sixt.io\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Herrsching.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"729\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Herrsching.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Herrsching-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Herrsching-768x491.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Herrsching-1024x655.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1140px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1140\/729;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2822\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view over the Amersee in Herrsching<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>5. Garmisch-Partenkirchen<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Thanks to Munich\u2019s fantastic location, you can easily&nbsp;drive&nbsp;south to this popular German ski resort in a day. Garmisch-Partenkirchen offers nature opportunities&nbsp;such as Germany\u2019s highest peak,&nbsp;the Zugspitze, the&nbsp;Eibsee&nbsp;mountain lake and&nbsp;Partnach&nbsp;Gorge is nearby with its scenic hiking. In ski season the Zugspitze resort links up the&nbsp;Hausberg,&nbsp;Kreuzeck&nbsp;and&nbsp;Alpspitze&nbsp;mountains and offers&nbsp;more than&nbsp;30 miles of slopes. If skiing isn\u2019t your sport, you can reach the peak and glaciers by taking a combination of cable car and cogwheel trains. The 360-degree panoramas from the summit are&nbsp;worth the ascent.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2830\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2830\" style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2830 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/com.sx-magazine-wp.sixt.io\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"728\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Garmisch-Partenkirchen.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Garmisch-Partenkirchen-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Garmisch-Partenkirchen-768x490.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/sites\/6\/2019\/03\/Garmisch-Partenkirchen-1024x654.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1140px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1140\/728;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view over Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the summer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-left wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sixt.com\/car-rental\/germany\/munich\/munich-airport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Book in from Munich Airport<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Munich is situated in the heart of Bavaria with its stunning countryside,&nbsp;Alpine vistas, and epic lakes. Bavaria\u2019s fairytale small towns are an excellent destination year-round, offering easy access to the great outdoors and hosting Germany\u2019s famous Christmas markets in the winter months. Here&nbsp;are&nbsp;our top&nbsp;five&nbsp;small-town&nbsp;recommendations&nbsp;near Munich that are excellent options for day trips. 1. Freising Freising&nbsp;is&#8230;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":2817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2813","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Top 5 Best Scenic Small Towns Near Munich | SIXT rent a car 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