It is one of the wealthiest suburbs in Germany, a place of large villas hidden behind hedges, and also home to the Bavaria Film studios at Geiselgasteig, where films and television series have been made for over a century. The studio tour is a classic Munich day out, with sets from famous productions such as Das Boot.
Grünwald has a small medieval castle, perched above the Isar, which served the Wittelsbach dukes as a hunting seat. The river below is a playground for Munich: on summer weekends, wooden rafts carrying groups of revellers, a brass band and a lot of beer float down from Wolfratshausen to Thalkirchen, a tradition that goes back to the timber rafts that once supplied the city. The riverbanks are lined with gravel beaches, forests and walking paths.
As a starting point for rides south to the Alps, this area is ideal. It lies outside the city centre, with easy access to the roads south through the Isar valley and the forests of the Munich gravel plain. The quiet road through Straßlach and down towards Wolfratshausen and Bad Tölz is a pleasant way to warm up, avoiding the motorway, with forests, fields and occasional glimpses of the mountains on the horizon. From Bad Tölz, the German Alpine Road leads east towards Tegernsee, Schliersee and beyond.
There is fuel and food in Grünwald and the surrounding towns, and plenty of beer gardens for the end of the day. On a clear day, the Alps are visible from the high bank, especially when the föhn wind blows, bringing warm, dry air and unusually clear views, a phenomenon that Munich people both love and blame for headaches. Early morning on a summer weekend is the best time to leave, before the traffic builds up and the day-trippers head for the lakes.