As former captain of both Bayern Munich and the German national team, and later tournament director for UEFA Euro 2024.
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As former captain of both Bayern Munich and the German national team, and later tournament director for UEFA Euro 2024.
Every September, millions pour into Munich for the world’s biggest beer celebration — Oktoberfest. What began in 1810 as a royal wedding party hosted by Bavaria’s Prince Ludwig has grown into a global cultural phenomenon, drawing nearly six million visitors each year. But to Munich legend Philipp Lahm, the city is far more than overflowing steins and festival tents.
Lahm, one of football’s greatest fullbacks and a lifelong Münchner, believes that Munich’s charm lies in its balance — a city rich in heritage, yet relaxed and welcoming; bustling in spirit, yet intimate in feeling. “It’s a big city, but it’s not too big,” he says. “And it shaped my football career because I had a world-class club in my hometown.”
As former captain of both Bayern Munich and the German national team, and later tournament director for UEFA Euro 2024, Lahm knows Munich better than most. He embraces Oktoberfest as a symbol of the city’s generous spirit, but he also wants visitors to explore beyond the Theresienwiese fairgrounds.
His first advice? Respect the tradition. To blend in, wear the classic attire — Lederhosen for men, dirndl for women — and follow local customs. And instead of sticking to the massive, tourist-packed festival tents, Lahm recommends venturing into the smaller ones, where locals gather and the authentic atmosphere shines through.
But the true soul of Munich, he says, lives in its neighbourhoods, markets, parks and historic venues — including the stadium where he spent more than a decade playing at the top level.
For Lahm, the best introduction to Munich’s cultural flavour is the Viktualienmarkt, a 200-year-old marketplace in the city’s medieval quarter. Once a humble farmer’s market, it has transformed into a gourmet hub with more than 100 stalls offering artisanal breads, Bavarian cream doughnuts, cheese spreads like Obatzda, and Munich’s iconic white sausage — Münchner Weißwurst — often hailed as the ultimate hangover remedy.
“It’s a lovely atmosphere in the centre of town,” Lahm says. “You can get the whole idea of what Munich is about.”
Between quaint fountains, flower stands, beer pavilions, fruit vendors and specialty delicacies, the Viktualienmarkt remains one of Munich’s most beloved communal spaces — a perfect stop between festival outings or for anyone wanting to taste the city’s everyday rhythm.
Lahm hopes Oktoberfest visitors will go deeper — to stroll through the English Garden, explore bustling neighbourhoods, admire Baroque architecture, and visit the iconic Allianz Arena, where he played over ten seasons. These corners, he believes, reveal the Munich that residents love: elegant, grounded, quietly beautiful.
Oktoberfest may be the headline, but to Lahm, Munich’s true appeal lives in its traditions, its people and its understated, timeless charm.
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