Surfing like in California, stand-up paddling like in the Mediterranean or kayaking like in Canadian white water: Munich residents don’t have to leave their city for water sports. After all, there is the Isar on the doorstep, its branches and the bathing lakes. An overview of where you can practice which water sport:
kayak
Markus Schmid heads the Club Münchener Kajakfahrer (CMK) and has been a member of this Thalkirchner club for 23 years. Schmid used to go slalom races with his kayak. What fascinates him about the sport: “That very specific feeling on the water. There is something calming about it.” The Isar Canal is easy to navigate. There is white water training in the raft channel – and real Isar white water in the Karwendel Mountains.
Boating is allowed on the Isar from the south to Munich from the weir Großhesselohe up to 100 meters after the Thalkirchner bridge – with the exception of the weir and the raft slide at the Marienklause. In the north you can paddle from the Max-Joseph-Brücke up to 200 meters in front of the Oberföhringer weir. The Isar canal can be used from the southern city limits to the junction of the raft canal in Hinterbrühl and from 50 meters north of the footbridge at the Auer culvert to 100 meters north of the Thalkirchner bridge. The Maria-Einsiedel-Mühlbach is open from Bad Maria Einsiedel to the confluence with the Isar Canal. Boating is also allowed on the raft canal from its junction from the Isar canal in Hinterbrühl to the exit of the central area on the central country road.
“Kayakers must be trained,” warns Schmid. “You deal with the water. You can’t just step into the Isar at high tide.” You have to have respect for the forces that rule there, he says.
On the Munich bathing lakes, where kayakers can take it easy than on the Isar, unpowered boats and surfboards are only allowed outside the bathing season, which runs from May 15 to September 15.
The kayak club CMK currently has around 250 members, is one of several kayak clubs in Munich-Thalkirchen and is mostly perceived as “the Munich kayak club” because of its location: It is located directly on the Tierparkbrücke on an idyllic peninsula.
During the peak of the corona pandemic, Schmid reports, he noticed a “certain hype” about kayaking. After all, the sport takes place outdoors and is contactless. But this hype didn’t last long.
Stand-up paddling
In June 2020, Henry Grote stood on his own stand-up paddling board for the first time. The sport, abbreviated to SUP, has become more and more of a trend in recent years. You can sit comfortably on the boards, do yoga or maneuver past obstacles while standing.
“The adventurous is a lot of fun,” enthuses Grote, “to work out for hours or just to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.” Until recently he lived in Freising, used the Freising Weiher and the Isar for standing paddling. “Munich and the surrounding area are the most beautiful areas in Germany for this,” says Grote, who now lives in Hanover.
If you want to paddle standing up on the Isar, you should already be familiar with the board. “For example, you should first test in the Isar Canal and get a feel for flowing water.” Only then should you venture out onto the free Isar – and only in pairs. On the Isar and its branches, the same rules apply to stand-up paddlers that boaters must also adhere to.
Those who prefer standing water can do a lap on the Olympic lake – but not with a private board. The board must be rented from the local rental company Sayaq Adventures. The ban on boats on Munich’s swimming lakes during the swimming season also applies to SUP sport.
surfing
Pascal Schichor has been a keen surfer for 25 years. He started at the Floßlände in Thalkirchen, “I trained there for almost two years before I went to the Eisbach”. After a while on the Eisbachwelle, he went to the Isar for high water surfing for the first time. “The special thing about the Isar is that you can only surf there two or three times a year,” he explains. Only at high tide. The waves are constantly changing, the requirements are never the same. The greatest fun is when the wave breaks and opens up over the entire width of the Isar.
However, the Munich Department for Climate and Environmental Protection, which is responsible for the Isar, recently closed the Isar to all traffic during floods, the river simply became too dangerous. Water sports enthusiasts can find out about the current situation on the Internet.
So far, only a few people have surfed on the Isar. Since the renaturation, there has been a lack of good waves, says Schichor. But he warns: The Isar is not for beginners. “It takes a lot of experience to be able to surf on the Isar,” says the professional. If you want to start surfing, you should rather switch to the raft landing. This is specially designed for beginners.
swim
Caution should also be exercised when swimming, says Nils Neumann. The press spokesman for the German Lifesaving Society (DLRG) in Munich advises only getting into the river at the designated bathing areas. “In general, only experienced swimmers should go into the Isar.” If you are unsure, you should switch to swimming lakes or outdoor pools. “The current is just too strong in some places,” says Neumann. “It’s particularly dangerous at the weirs,” as a fatal accident recently showed.
Whether surfing or kayaking, stand-up paddling or swimming – all experts agree: You should only practice water sports in the Isar if you have already mastered it well. If you are inexperienced, you should switch to calmer or still waters.