München · Bavaria, Germany · October 2025
Bayern's home, the Marienplatz, a giant pretzel, and Der Klassiker live: Bayern 2, Dortmund 1.
GERMANYSome days on a trip are nice. This one was a dream come true. On October 18, 2025, Philipp and I spent the day in München, and in the evening we were in the Allianz Arena for Der Klassiker: FC Bayern München vs. Borussia Dortmund, the biggest game in German football. Bayern won 2–1, and we got to see it live.
Our day, step by step
- Visit FC Bayern headquarters at Säbener Straße
- Walk Through the Karlstor into the old town
- See The Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus
- Beer halls The Hofbräuhaus and an Augustiner Gasthaus
- Ride The U6 out to the stadium
- Game Bayern 2–1 Dortmund at the Allianz Arena
FC Bayern headquarters
For a Bayern fan, the day had to start at Säbener Straße, the club's headquarters and training ground in the south of the city. The buildings are white and red with the big club crest in the windows, and there's a fan shop and the service center right there. Standing in front of the entrance where the stars come and go to work was a great way to get in the mood for the evening.
Karlstor and the Marienplatz
Then we headed into the center. We walked in through the Karlstor, one of the old city gates, and down the busy pedestrian street to the Marienplatz, the heart of München. The Neues Rathaus, the new town hall, is massive: dark Gothic stone, towers and spires, flower boxes on every balcony and the famous Glockenspiel in the tower. With game day around the corner, red Bayern jackets were everywhere. On the square we even met a golden "living statue," and of course I had to get a picture with him.
The Hofbräuhaus and the Festwiese
You can't visit München without stepping into the Hofbräuhaus. Look up: the vaulted ceiling is painted with Bavarian blue-and-white diamonds, pigs, fish, vegetables and hops, and big iron lanterns hang over the long tables. The sign over the arch says "Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh": thirst is worse than homesickness. Near the Theresienwiese, where the Oktoberfest happens, we also passed the Gasthaus "Zur Festwiese," a yellow corner pub serving Augustiner, the city's oldest brewery, founded in 1328.
Der Klassiker at the Allianz Arena
In the afternoon we put on our scarves and took the U6 north toward Fröttmaning. The train was packed with red, and the closer we got, the louder it got. Our seats were high up in the upper tier, with the whole stadium below us: red seats, the club crest in the stands, and the pitch glowing green. I had a giant Bavarian pretzel in my hand before kickoff, because that's what you do.
And the game delivered. Harry Kane headed Bayern in front after 22 minutes from a Joshua Kimmich corner. Michael Olise made it 2–0 in the 79th minute, and the stadium exploded. Dortmund's Julian Brandt pulled one back late, which made the last minutes nervous, but Bayern held on: 2–1. Walking out under the glowing Allianz Arena with thousands of happy fans was the perfect ending to the day.
The final score
- FC Bayern München 2, Borussia Dortmund 1
- 22' Harry Kane (header)
- 79' Michael Olise
- Late goal for Dortmund: Julian Brandt
- Bundesliga, matchday 7, October 18, 2025
Tip: leave plenty of time for the U6 before and after the game. It's crowded, but it's part of the experience, and the walk from the station to the arena takes about 15 minutes.
Good to know
- FC Bayern HQ
- Säbener Straße, in the south of München. Fan shop, tours and service center on site.
- Allianz Arena
- Take the U6 to Fröttmaning, then walk about 15 minutes
- Tickets
- Bayern home games sell out fast, especially Der Klassiker. Plan far ahead.
- Old town
- Karlstor, the pedestrian street and the Marienplatz are an easy walk
- Eat
- A Bavarian pretzel at the stadium, and a beer hall in town
- Wear
- Red! And a scarf. October evenings in the stadium get cold.
Have you seen a game at the Allianz Arena?
Tell me in the comments, or send me a question if you're planning a football trip to München.
