Is Munich safe?
Yes! In my personal experience of living in Munich for over ten years I can, without a doubt, say that Munich is safe. It may be one of the safest cities in the world.
But don’t just take my word for it. According to Bavarian Police reports there has been a steady decrease in overall crime for many years.
Of course you need to keep your eyes open. Munich is still a city after-all. The area around the Main Train Station (Hauptbahnhof) can be a little dangerous especially at night. People dependent on drugs and alcohol often hang around here and trouble can break out - but usually amongst themselves.
A common sight are people begging around this area. Some will be homeless people, others are from organised groups.
Pick-pocketing is rare in Munich. In all my years of guiding groups of visitors around the city I have never met anyone who was pick-pocketed.
Two notable exceptions - the Oktoberfest and the Christmas Markets.
Munich has a population of about 1.5 million. During the Oktoberfest between 6 and 7 million people descend on the city. If you visit at this time of the year you may have a few (too many) litres of wonderful Munich beer and of course be somewhat less aware of your surroundings. Stick with your friends and you’ll be fine.
Although nowhere near as big as the Oktoberfest, the Munich Christmas Markets still draw huge numbers of visitors to the city. The busiest Christmas Market is at Marienplatz with 3 million visitors over four weeks. There are so many distractions at these markets from beautiful handmade wooden ornaments to wonderful Christmas lights at the countless stalls. Thousands of visitors and locals alike crowd into these markets. Just be careful of your bags and pockets and you will be okay.
Overall, Munich is an incredibly safe city where you will usually not feel threatened or targeted. Local kids safely cycle and use public transport alone getting to and from school everyday.
With all that said, if something does happen then call the police (Polizei).
The police number to call is 110
The medical emergency number is 112
Did you feel secure in Munich?
Let me know in the comments below!