While some Olympic cities fail to maximise the potential of their competition sites and facilities once the big event has taken place, Munich's Olympic legacy has been incorporated into daily life, and the area is now an integral part of the city's sporting, cultural, natural and entertainment life. Nowhere more so that the combination of lakes and greenery which make us Olympiapark, yet one more large mass of gorgeous open space available for Munich's citizens and visitors. A great introduction to the diversity of activity at Olympiapark is through this drone video below - spectacular!
And, in addition to everything that is happening on a daily basis, time your arrival well and you can enjoy the magic of the summer festival, which takes place for most of August. Catch a little of the atmosphere in the video below.
But really, where to start with the choice on offer at Olympiapark? What was once mere fallow ground changed completely when in 1966, Munich was awarded the 1972 Olympics. Looking to incorporate a more green and technological Games, and breaking with the memories of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a completely new complex was designed and constructed on Oberwiesenfeld, an area which had largely been used as an airfield until 1939.
Here is some coverage of the opening ceremony of the Munich Olympics in 1972.
More than 40 years later, Olympiapark remains a popular sporting and recreational destination, as well as an important large concert venue. The excellent Olympiapark website (also in English) gives a comprehensive breakdown of what is happening at the location, including concerts and events, indoor and outdoor sport, tours and sightseeing, other events and business possibilities. Check it out here.
To reach Olympiapark by U-Bahn, take the U3 to Olympiazentrum.
