One of the hottest residential areas lies in the south of Munich which shows in the rents. Harlaching, Solln, Grünwald and Pullach are particularly pricy. The closer to the Isar banks the more expensive it gets. Famous FC Bayern München owns a property in the midst of a Harlaching residential area in Säbener Strasse: on 70.000 sqm the German record champion trains on four pitches, one of which is even heated! The "Sechzger", which is 1860 München, train almost within eyespot in Grünwalder Strasse.

Leaving football towards nature, of which there is an abundance in Munich. Two large state forests, the "Perlacher Forst" and the "Forstenrieder Park" are perfect recreation areas for stressed out city dwellers. Heart of the Forstenrieder Park is a deer park of 20.000 sqm. which deer like rabbits, foxes, badgers, martens, deer, polecats and squirrels, red and fallow deer as well as wild boarse call their home. Find Roman legacy with a Roman road (built around 50 AD) leading from Augsburg (Augusta Vindelicorum) to Salzburg (Juvavum) through the park as well as cairns close to the boroughs of Baierbrunn and Oberdill.

Thalkirchen is a major Munich leisure area being located along the renatured river Isar. "Flaucher" with its shingle beaches is not only reserved for sun worshippers during the summer, but mostly for hundreds of barbecue fans in the evening hours. Across the zoo Hellabrunn you find one of the best open air baths of Munich, the "Maria Einsiedel". Right next door "Floßlände" (raft landing stage) serves not only as the name of a yummy fish restaurant with a small beer garden. It is mainly the stage for the popular raft rides along the Isar river that take place during the summer leading from Wolfratshausen to Munich. One of the rare examples of elaborate facade painting in Munich can be admired at "Asam-Schlössl" (Asam castle). Meanwhile having become an eatery with yummy meals and a beer garden with trees up to 300 years old, since 1724 it was the country house of the painter Cosmas Damian Asam.

Pullach, renown as seat of the German secret service BND, is a quiet borough on the west banks of the Isar river. Großhesselohe as part of Pullach is even more popular, at least when it comes to beer garden lovers: the "Waldwirtschaft" with its famous Jazz brunches as well as the "Isartaler Bahnhof" at the S7 local train stop are best places to experience Bavarian tavern culture live.

East of the Isar river lies Grünwald, by the way as the only non-Munich borough connected to the city's tram network since 1910. Grünwald is famous for its many prominent residents from branches like film, TV and industry as well as for its marvellous castle. The castle's museum is part of Munich's archaeological state collection and always worth a visit.

by Dietmar Stanka