'No curiosity from locals': Is Munich really an unfriendly city for foreigners?
As The Local recently reported, the latest 'Expat City Ranking' by InterNations found that several major German cities were ranked as the least welcoming cities for foreigners to move and live in.
Out of 53 cities worldwide, Munich ranked dead last, effectively making it
the 'unfriendliest' city in the world
for foreign residents, according to the survey which was based on responses from 12,500 expats.
Germany overall has earned a reputation for being a difficult place to get adjusted, with incoming foreign residents often citing the language barrier and cold or closed-off locals among the bigger barriers to settling into a fulfilling social life in the country. But opinions differ on which German cities are more or less welcoming than the others.
Given Munich's new and unflattering title, we thought it'd be worth checking in on how unfriendly it really is - so we asked readers of The Local for their thoughts on life in the Bavaria capital in a survey of our own.
Most readers don't agree that Munich is so unfriendly
Asked if they agree that Munich is an unfriendly city toward foreigners and newcomers, a little over 60 percent of respondents said they disagree, whereas a little under 30 percent agreed that Munich is unfriendly, and around ten percent of respondents said they weren't sure.
For what it's worth, that result largely aligns with reactions to a
Facebook post
about The Local's survey, where the majority of commenters wrote that Munich was actually friendly – and a couple refuted that Berlin was actually Germany's least friendly city.
Almost every respondent to our survey said they thought that Munich was a good place to live as a foreigner. Just two respondents didn't think so, with one writing that it was 'not the best,' and the other saying, 'absolutely not.'
Hundreds of sun-seekers populate the large meadow in the English Garden below the Monopteros in Munich. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel
'More collegial than California'
Overall, The Local readers who live (or have lived) in Munich suggest that the city is actually quite welcoming. A few respondents even went as far as saying that people there are more friendly than those in other German – or even other international – cities.
'The people are direct, but not unfriendly,' said Jeff, a 62-year-old American who lives in the city's Maxvorstadt district. 'I've lived in both Berlin and Munich and I generally feel that people are more welcoming in Munich.'
Adi, a 35-year-old Munich resident of more than six years, goes a step further: 'I find the vibe much more collegial here than where I was before [in California]'.
He said it 'boggles' him where Munich's bad reputation comes from, adding that his neighbours being helpful and community oriented has helped him feel at home.
READ ALSO:
'Beautiful city, unfriendly people' - How foreigners feel about living in Hamburg
Advertisement
Language issues and an expat bubble
Of course not every foreign resident in Munich finds the city to be welcoming and friendly, especially not immediately from the start.
Among those who said they agree that Munich is unfriendly, many respondents highlighted not knowing German as being a major issue.
'They treat anyone whose German is less than perfect with disdain,' noted Lisa, 50, from the US and living in the city's Obermenzing district.
Similarly, some noted that simply not being German could be an obstacle to feeling integrated.
Ms. Roberta, from the UK who has been living in Munich for more than eleven years, said that the city can feel friendly to foreigners thanks largely to its large expat community. 'However, it is virtually impossible to break through the 'expat bubble' and integrate into the local German communities, unless you are dating or married to a German,' she said.
Another respondent, who didn't give her name but noted that she was from India and lived in Munich, said, 'There is no curiosity from the locals about non-white cultures, so they make no effort to meet and even sometimes actively avoid non-Germans.'
READ ALSO:
'World's largest village' - How foreigners in Germany feel about Munich
Guests raise their beer mugs at the Giesinger Brewery's strong beer tasting in Munich. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel
Most readers would recommend moving to Munich
Asked if they would recommend moving to Munich, most respondents to our survey said they would, but many added caveats.
The general consensus was that Munich offers a high quality of life but that the cost of living can be a bit expensive.
For example, Hans Averdung from Mexico City said he would recommend moving to Munich 'if you can afford it.' (The InterNations survey also saw the city rank toward the bottom for personal finance.)
Advertisement
Another reader noted that living expenses here 'are higher than other places in Germany', but they also praised the city for being walkable/bikeable and offering a good quality of life.
Indeed, another recent survey
actually ranked Munich as the
most 'pedestrian-friendly' city
in the world.
Francisco, 46, from Argentina, says his recommendation would depend on your age and social needs. In his opinion Munich is a great city 'if you are over 35, professional, family-oriented and love nature.'
Larry Schulz, 78 from the US, who has been living in Munich since 1985 – 'and loving it!' – thinks Munich and Vienna are the two best non-English speaking cities in Europe.
He recommends Munich for its parks, historical and cultural attractions, extensive international community and also its "vibrant innovation ecosystem".
READ ALSO"
Munich, Vienna or Salzburg: Which is the best airport to fly from?
Advertisement
Taken altogether, out survey seems to suggest that most foreigners who live in Munich think it's a pretty good place to live, and don't find it particularly unfriendly.
That said, foreigners may struggle with the language barrier and with culture shocks -- like
being confronted by German directness
-- when they first arrive.
Fortunately, a vibrant community of foreigners, world-famous breweries and beer festivals, and breath-taking nature around the city are all there to help get you through the sometime rocky transition to life in Germany.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Germany
2 days ago
- Local Germany
German word of the day: Freimütig
Why do I need to know freimütig ? Arguably, there isn't another word in German with the same ability to go straight to the heart of why German speakers and English speakers occasionally rub each other up the wrong way. So this is a good term to understand when you're discussing cultural differences, or even while navigating them yourself. What does it mean? The literal translation for freimütig – pronounced like this – is frank, candid, or unreserved. The word fr eimütig (from der Freimut ) is comprised of the German words for 'free' and 'courageous'. The Duden German language dictionary defines it as follows: Adjective: expressing one's opinion without fear or false consideration; open . Superficially, the meaning of freimütig and 'frank' may be identical, but the respective images they conjure could hardly be more different – and these differences are crucial to understanding why conversations between German speakers and English speakers can end with both participants lost in a maze of baffled frustration. In Germany, freimütig conjures an image of selfless, disinterested heroism. 'Frank', on the other hand, carries connotations of overstepping in English. The word is really only used when a person wants to invite someone to 'be frank' – with the implication that this is something which should never be attempted without prior encouragement. Anyone who has spent time in both Germany and Britain will know that most Germans are f reimütig as a matter of course, whereas most Brits are only ever reluctantly and cautiously frank. Which is why a conversation with a German can feel like being kicked in the balls to someone from Britain. And why a conversation with a Brit can feel like being stroked to death with an overpriced and soft toy to someone from Germany. It's also why I've been told – frankly und mit Freimut – that I'm a terrible person for failing to attend a party I said I would attend. Whereas, for my part, I was left confused and mortified, because I was certain I had declined the invitation. After all, any self-respecting Englishman would have understood the phrase: 'I hope to be there, but I'm not 100% sure I'll make it,' as a clear and unequivocal 'No!' Advertisement Interestingly, the English word 'frank' actually derives from the name of the Germanic tribe, the Franks, who lived around the lower Rhine from the 3rd century CE and later conquered much of what is now France and western Germany. While the origin of the tribal name is debated, one theory suggests it came from frankon , the Germanic name for their weapon of choice, a javelin or lance – which seems perfectly on point. Use it like this: Sie hat sich sehr freimütig geäußert. She expressed herself very frankly. Er antwortete freimütig auf meine Fragen, ohne etwas zu verheimlichen. He answered my questions frankly, without hiding anything. Advertisement Die freimütige Diskussion über die politischen Probleme führte zu einem besseren Verständnis. The frank discussion about the political problems led to a better understanding. Warum reden die Engländer immer um den heißen Brei herum? Warum können sie nicht freimütiger sein? Why do the English always beat around the bush? Why can't they be franker?
DW
2 days ago
- DW
Germany: Cologne evacuation lifted after WWII bombs defused
Large areas of the city center of Cologne were closed off on Wednesday as experts defused three bombs left over from World War II, which ended 80 years ago. The evacuation operation in Cologne, which has seen plenty of them over the years, was one of the largest to ever be carried out in the city since World War II, with some 20,000 people ordered to leave the affected area. What do we know about the evacuation? The process of defusing the bombs had to be delayed at one point because of a resident refusing to evacuate, according to a city spokesperson. An individual living in the old town resisted orders to leave their apartment, with public order officials, police, and the fire department enforcing removal measures. Kai Kulschewski, head of explosive ordnance disposal in the nearby city of Düsseldorf, who is coordinating the disposal, had earlier said everything was going to plan. He had added that the defusing operation had yet to begin as of the afternoon because not everyone had been evacuated yet. "We can only start when the last person is out," he said. Hotels, care homes evacuated The evacuated area included the entire old part of the city, 58 hotels, three Rhine bridges, the town hall, the railway station in the district of Deutz, which lies across the Rhine from the city center, museums, a hospital and two care homes. The city's major landmark, Cologne Cathedral, was, however, situated just outside the danger area. Germany's national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, had warned that many trains will be diverted or even canceled, and road traffic has was severely disrupted. The weapons — two 2000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and one 1000-pound bomb, all manufactured in the US — were discovered in Deutz on Monday. In a statement on its website, the City of Cologne said, "The evacuation is the largest such measure since the end of World War II. Everyone involved hopes that the defusal can be completed in the course of Wednesday." Bomb defusals are nothing new in Cologne, as it was one of the major bombing targets for Allied forces during the Second World War. Among other attacks, the British Royal Air Force targeted Cologne with its first "thousand-bomber raid" on a German city overnight to May 31, 1942, dropping 1,455 tons of bombs and destroying or damaging thousands of buildings.
DW
2 days ago
- DW
The world is full of unexploded bombs – DW – 06/04/2025
Three bombs dating back to World War II were defused in Cologne this week. Evacuations to allow ordnance disposal experts to defuse bombs are a frequent occurrence in Germany, as well as all over the world. Fifteen couples had been looking forward to the special moment when they would say "I do" for weeks. But their weddings at Cologne's historic town hall on June 4 were cancelled, since the building was right in the middle of an evacuation zone. But they were still able to get married, in a district town hall instead. Three bombs left over from World War II were responsible for the massive evacuation, the biggest since 1945. They were found during preparations for construction work on the city's Deutz Bridge. The US-made bombs — one 100-pound (45-kilogram) and two 200-pound bombs — both had impact fuses and could not be moved for safety reasons. They had to be defused on site, and thus it was necessary to evacuate several districts of the city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. Thousands evacuated Around 20,500 people had to leave their homes on Wednesday. Hospitals and retirement homes were evacuated, with people being moved to other facilities. Almost 60 hotels shut down, with guests being accommodated elsewhere. Bomb disposal is a mammoth logistical task, but Germany is very familiar with it. More than 1,600 bombs were defused last year in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. As construction work increases in the city, for example to put in new fiber optic cables, renovate bridges or improve the road network, excavations are bringing to light unexploded aerial ordnance that dates back to the 1930s and '40s. Major problem in Hamburg, Verdun, Poland Metropolitan regions such as Hamburg and Berlin were some of the main targets of Allied bombing during World War II. These places also saw civilian infrastructure targeted and so are particularly affected. In addition to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg is heavily contaminated. In 2024, explosive ordnance clearers found 90 mines, 48,000 grenades, 500 firebombs and 450 bombs weighing more than 11 pounds, as well as around 330,000 shells. The problem is also omnipresent in many neighboring countries. Unexploded ordnance from the two world wars is often found in France and Belgium, and particularly from World War I in the regions of Verdun and the Somme. Three years ago, the drought in Italy's Po Valley revealed unexploded bombs. In the UK in 2021, a German 2,200-pound aerial bomb was detonated in a controlled explosion in the southwestern city of Exeter and more than 250 buildings were damaged. The situation in Poland and the Czech Republic, where there are tons of unexploded ordnance from the two world wars in the ground, is also critical. In 2020, a 5-ton British-made Tallboy bomb was defused in the northwestern Polish town of Swinoujscie. Recently, there have even been fatal accidents in the Czech Republic. And in the Balkans, lives are in danger from unexploded ordnance that dates back to the wars of the 1990s and evacuations are a frequent occurrence. Deadly hazards in Vietnam, Laos, Gaza On the world's other continents, the situation is also critical. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, people continue to be killed by US-made cluster bombs that were used in the 1960s and '70s. According to the UN, 80 million unexploded ordnances remain in the ground in Laos, from 500,000 US attacks conducted covertly between 1964 and 1973. There are also tons of unexploded ordnance in Syria and Iraq, where masses of people are at risk of being killed or wounded. In neither country have ordnance disposal structures been developed sufficiently. The UN says that unexploded ordnance in the war-torn Palestinian territory of Gaza has already left behind deadly hazards, even as Israel continues to bomb the strip. Cluster bombs remain a deadly hazard in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Image: Sebastian Bozada/dpa/picture alliance A quarter of Ukraine contaminated The situation in Ukraine is dramatic. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of 2022, about a quarter of the country is thought to be contaminated with mines, cluster bombs and other explosive devices. Over half a million explosive devices have already been defused, but millions more remain. The humanitarian and economic consequences are enormous: hundreds of civilians have died, large areas of agricultural land are unusable, and crop failures are exacerbating the economic crisis. When the war ends, demining will be one of the tasks of the coming years. The munition searchers combing North Sea sands for WWII duds , To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German federal states bear brunt of costs In Germany, where most of the bombs that are defused are from World War II and were made by the Allies, it is the federal states that bear the majority of the costs of their disposal. It is the German state that is responsible for German-made bombs going back to the era of the German Reich (1871 – 1945). Attempts to make it responsible for all the unexploded bombs in Germany have so far been unsuccessful. Last year, explosive ordnance disposal cost North Rhine-Westphalia €20 million ($23 million). While the costs rise, the technology used for bomb disposal has evolved. While in the 1990s, clearers still used their own hands, hammers, chisels and water pump pliers, today abrasive waterjet cutting is used to neutralize explosive devices. A waterjet cutter that is operated at a safe distance can cut through the explosive device and remove its fuse. Experts believe that there are tens of thousands of unexploded explosive devices, weighing up to 100,000 tons, in Germany alone. Cologne residents were forced to leave their homes in the biggest evacuation of the city since 1945 Image: Björn Kietzmann/DW Even though modern probing and detection techniques and digitized aerial photographs can help to minimize the risk, every bomb disposal operation is a race against time. The older a bomb is, the greater the risk of corrosion and explosion. It is also more difficult to defuse an older bomb because of the chemical changes that occur over time inside the bomb itself, between the casing and the fuse. The defusing of the three bombs in Cologne is not just an operation that has disrupted weddings and people's daily routines but it bears witness once again to the destruction of war, whether in Germany or France, Vietnam or Laos, Syria, Ukraine or Gaza. This article was translated from German.
