The legendary Schwabing begins to the north of the Siegestor (Victory gate) (1843-1852) which forms the border between two centers of Munich which are completely different in character. For a long time it was just an ordinary village outside of the gates of Munich.Then in 1887 it became an independent town and in 1890 part of the city of Munich. The wide and spacious Leopoldstraße has true boulevard character and almost the flair of Paris. There are all types of shops and boutiques lined up, with restaurants, cinemas, ice-cream parlours and street cafes in between. Amongst all this, in the summer months, Schwabing artists put their work out on display-some quite remarkable, some not. As compared with the old part of the city, Schwabing is not interesting due to places of interest, rather its the people who live and work here.
Schwabing is a world of artists, writers, philosophers, musicians, students and people who make the best out of life. These and others - those who wish they were artists and intellectuals-enjoy seeing and being seen indulging in deep conversation with others of their kind. Here you also frequently come across interesting people who have not been so successful in life and whose good ideas have since been taken over by others. At the Munchener Freiheit the Leopoldstraße widens out to a form a large area, the Forum with terraces and fountains. Here again there is a colourful range of tables and chairs for sitting outside. Moving in the direction of the English Garden there is a network of small roads and alleyways lit up with coloured neon lighting and filled with fragments of music pouring out of the various pubs. You have now arrived at Munich's hotspot for pubs, bars, amusement houses, discotheques, cabarets-it's never ending... Have a good time!
