English Garden and the Eisbach Wave

What it is

The Eisbach is an arm of the Isar that enters the English Garden at its southern end. Just as it emerges from under the Prinzregentenstraße bridge, beside the Haus der Kunst, the water forms a standing wave. It formed in the 1970s because of works on the channel, and it has been surfed all year round ever since. Watching the surfers take turns on the wave from the bridge, in the very centre of Munich, is one of the city's signature sights. Watching is free and you can do it any day.

Afterwards, the plan continues in the English Garden: about 3.75 km² of meadows and woodland along the Isar, open to the public since 1792.

The wave today

Since 8 May 2026 surfing is allowed again, under a new municipal regulation. The rules, so you know what you are seeing:

• Only people with experience of river waves may surf, from age 16, or from 14 with an adult who is also an expert surfer.
• It is allowed from 5:30 to 22:00, with someone watching from the bank, only one person on the wave at a time and a leash that releases if it snags.
• Surfing is forbidden in storms or strong wind, and surfing courses and any commercial use are forbidden.
• Swimming is forbidden. The current is strong, the water is shallow and there are blocks of stone in the channel.

It is not a wave for learning: if you want to try river surfing, look elsewhere, because there are no schools or rental here.

How to get there

The wave is on Prinzregentenstraße, at the southern edge of the English Garden.

• Tram 16 or bus 100: Nationalmuseum/Haus der Kunst stop, right beside it.
• Metro: U4 and U5 to Lehel, or U3 and U6 to Odeonsplatz, and 10 to 15 minutes on foot.

There is little parking: go by public transport or on foot from the centre. If you come by bike, do not leave it next to the wave.

Where to watch

The best place is the Prinzregentenstraße bridge itself, looking north. Keep your distance and do not go down to the banks: they are steep, with roots and unmaintained.

A walk through the English Garden

From the wave, follow the Eisbach north through the park. In an hour or two on foot, unhurried, you see the main sights of the southern part, which is about 2 km long:

1. The Monopteros, a classical little temple by Leo von Klenze on a hill.
2. The Chinese Tower, a 25 m wooden pagoda with an open-air beer garden with about 7,000 seats.
3. The Kleinhesseloher See lake, dug in 1803.
4. The Japanese Tea House, built for the 1972 Olympic Games.

The park is run by the Bavarian Administration of Palaces, Gardens and Lakes, the same one that runs Nymphenburg Palace.

When to go

The wave is surfed all year, provided the flow forms a surfable wave, from 5:30 to 22:00. For the English Garden, spring and summer are the season for the Chinese Tower beer garden and the meadows; in autumn, with the trees changing colour, the walk is quieter.

With children and with a dog

Children love watching the wave, but keep an eye on them on the bridge and away from the bank. In the park there is plenty of space to run. If you go with a dog, keep it on a lead by the wave and on the bridge, where people gather.