Source: pressedienst-fahrrad, Thomas Geisler
As well as cycling, the Dutch love football. It is therefore no surprise that Amsterdam has its own themed trail in honour of the country’s greatest footballer, Johan Cruijff. Cruijff’s influence in the Netherlands is comparable to that of Franz Beckenbauer in Germany. Germany’s most famous footballer was born in Munich and continues to shape the city through his work to this day – even beyond his death in 2024. However, you’ll search in vain for an official cycle tour of the places where Beckenbauer made his mark. It’s time to change that – and, whilst you’re at it, to explore key locations linked to three other World Cup-winning footballers who were also born in Munich.
Starting point in Giesing
I’m starting my tour in the Giesing district at the Ostfriedhof. It was in the area bounded by Zugspitzstraße, Watzmannstraße and St.-Bonifatius-Straße that Beckenbauer took the first steps in his career. Not far from his family home, he used to play football with the neighbourhood children, usually barefoot and initially with a large ball of wool. I cycle down Zugspitzstraße in the hope of finding a sign marking his birthplace – but to no avail. Presumably to protect the residents, there’s nothing to be seen. When his older playmates turned their attention to other activities, the talented young footballer decided to join SC 1906 München, whose pitch was right next to his family home. Back then, the long-established Giesing club was one of the best-known in the city. It is now solely a strength and conditioning club; the football section merged with SpVgg 1906 Haidhausen, which now runs the training ground. On the artificial turf pitch, young people of various age groups are passing the ball around, whilst a little further away a boy of about ten is receiving one-to-one training. Such training facilities were certainly not available to Beckenbauer. Back then, cinder pitches were the norm, where you’d end up with bloody knees.
Hundreds of metres of FC Bayern Munich
At the age of 13, Beckenbauer then moved to what was already one of the city’s biggest clubs: FC Bayern Munich. I hop on my bike and set off for Säbener Straße. FC Bayern has had its training ground there since 1949. The route there takes me through side streets and parks. I wonder whether the young Beckenbauer also used to cycle to training. Did he even have a bike? If so, it certainly wasn’t a carbon bike with wide tyres like the ‘Terra’ from Orbea, which rolls carefree through the streets of Munich. Along the route, there’s a constant alternation between old residential buildings and modern office complexes with green spaces. Tradition meets modernity. This is also evident on Säbener Straße. FC Bayern’s huge training and administrative complex is a few hundred metres long. Several training pitches are available, and the professionals’ main pitch can be screened off by a large curtain. Secrecy is common in modern professional football. Right next to it stands a small, wooden clubhouse by an artificial-turf pitch. This is where FC Sportfreunde München play. The club is known for its youth work in the neighbourhood. Around 300 young people are currently said to be training here – it serves as a hub for children from the surrounding area. A certain Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, known as ‘Katsche’, also took his first steps in football with the Sportfreunde in the 1950s, before moving one house down at the age of 13 and going on to celebrate successes with FC Bayern and the national team alongside Beckenbauer.
Shortly before moving to the rival club
I cycle past the Bayern complex and then turn off towards Grünwalder Straße to catch a glimpse of the training ground of the city’s biggest rivals, TSV 1860 Munich. Beckenbauer had actually preferred to move from SC 1906 to the ‘Sechzgern’, but shortly before the planned move, he was given a “slap” by a 1860 player at a youth tournament – the decision went in favour of FC Bayern, and Beckenbauer went on to become a club legend in red. My route continues along the high bank of the Isar. The wide cycle path is completely shaded, which helps me cool down on this hot day. My next destination is the Städtische Stadion on Grünwalder Straße. It was there that Franz Beckenbauer played his first Bundesliga match and spent many years playing alongside Katsche Schwarzenbeck. Whilst it used to be the home ground for both of Munich’s big clubs, after some back-and-forth it is now the home ground for the “Sechzger” and FC Bayern’s reserve team. The cycle path runs right past the stadium’s west stand. I take a look at the walls on the outside, which are decorated with stickers, and take a few photos of the legendary stadium. The route heads downhill towards Candidplatz and then turns right into Pilgersheimer Straße. Number 38 was home to the Karl Thiemig printing works. That’s where Katsche Schwarzenbeck did his apprenticeship during his early years at Bayern – something probably unimaginable for a young professional today. The printing works went into administration in the 1980s; today, the premises house a discount store and an office complex. I stop briefly to stock up on a few supplies for the rest of the tour. A fizzy drink, some gummy bears and a chocolate bar find a spot in my frame bag alongside my wallet, smartphone and keys.
The early career of world champion Hans Bauer
I head towards the Isar via Schyrenstraße and continue south along the Isar Cycle Path to the Brudermühl Bridge. I cross the bridge and cycle into the Sendling district. Somewhat tucked away between residential buildings and a school complex is the home of FC Wacker Munich. For many years, the club was the third force in Munich football. Today, the first team plays in the Landesliga. Small stands bear witness to its glorious past. For a short time, a future World Cup winner also played for the club before he too moved to FC Bayern: Hans Bauer. Munich’s first World Cup winner made just five international appearances, two of which came at the legendary 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Hans Bauer’s story only really becomes interesting after the World Cup: to capitalise on his popularity, an oil company offered him a lease on a petrol station in Munich-Pasing. Bauer worked at the petrol station in the mornings and went to training in the evenings, though this did not have a negative impact on his career. Bauer became captain of FC Bayern and was the one to lift the trophy when the club won its first cup in 1957. He brought his successful playing career to an end in 1959; unlike Beckenbauer, he had no desire to pursue a career in club administration.
A detour to Philipp Lahm’s footballing home
From Sendling, my route takes me northwards through side streets to the Theresienwiese, which I cross at a leisurely pace. On the horizon, I can already make out the Olympic Tower, which marks my next destination. Passing the first outskirts of the major construction site at the main station, I turn off towards Stiglmaierplatz. I’m not in the mood for a stop at the Löwenbräukeller – where Bayern Munich players used to love celebrating their victories – in the early afternoon, so I carry on out of town towards the Olympic Park via Dachauer Straße. At the junction by the Bundeswehr grounds, I turn left for a short detour. At the end of the road, a footbridge crosses the Mittlerer Ring; at its foot lies the football ground of FT Gern, the home club of Philipp Lahm, captain of the 2014 World Cup-winning team. Young Philipp grew up right around the sports ground before moving to Säbener Straße at the age of twelve. Since retiring, the World Cup winner still pops into the club grounds from time to time; for example, he took part in a veterans’ tournament. The sports complex, with its two pitches, looks well-maintained. Three lads are kicking a few balls about at the entrance. The district league club now places a strong emphasis on inclusion. Since May 2025, it has had its own inclusion section to enable children and young people, with and without disabilities, to play football.
Through the Olympic Park
I turn back, and it’s now only about a kilometre to the Olympic Park. Passing the SAP Arena, home to ice hockey and basketball, I reach the extensive park, which opened in 1972 for the Summer Olympics in Munich. The site’s iconic roof structure remains one of Munich’s landmarks to this day. For over 30 years, the stadium hosted major football matches. Philipp Lahm made his professional debut for FC Bayern there in 2002. But the most famous match played here was undoubtedly the 1974 World Cup final between Germany and the Netherlands. Superstar Johan Cruijff was confident of victory beforehand, but found his match in Katsche Schwarzenbeck. Germany eventually won 2–1, and captain Franz Beckenbauer was able to lift the trophy high into the Munich sky. Schwarzenbeck and Beckenbauer were the cornerstones of the team and have since been among the few footballers worldwide to have celebrated the World Cup title in their hometown. Unfortunately, the site’s history is evident not only in its history but also in its state of disrepair. Where concerts by international artists would normally take place, modernisation work has been underway for several years, and much of the area is closed off due to construction work. I take a short detour up the Olympiaberg to at least catch a glimpse of the inside of the stadium.
A superb gravel track leading to the Allianz Arena
From the Olympiaberg, I can see my next, more modern destination to the north: the Allianz Arena, which is about ten kilometres away. Thanks to my wide gravel tyres, I cycle north along the gravel paths of the Olympic Park to Moosacher Straße, which I then follow eastwards along wide cycle paths. At Frankfurter Ring, I head north again onto Ingolstädter Straße. Partly under a tree-lined avenue, I cycle in the shade through an industrial estate to the northern edge of the city, where the new FC Bayern Campus is located – the large training ground for the women’s and youth teams. In front of the campus entrance, I follow a small footpath that leads me into the Fröttmaninger Heide. As I round a right-hand bend, a “Awesome!” slips out of my mouth, and even the Terra seems to leap for joy: ahead of us, bathed in glorious sunshine, lies around three kilometres of the finest gravel track – with a view of the Allianz Arena. I shift onto the big chainring, start pedalling and enjoy the ride through the countryside, away from the city traffic and its traffic lights.
Commemorating the Emperor
Unfortunately, the gravel fun is over far too quickly. The route leads over a bridge at the Fröttmaning underground station towards the Allianz Arena. The Arena was built for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Germany won the World Cup opening match here against Costa Rica 4–2. Philipp Lahm scored the first goal, and the Munich native was thus one of the architects of the so-called ‘Summer Fairy Tale’. For Beckenbauer, who – by fair or foul means, as is widely believed but has never been conclusively clarified – had brought the World Cup to Germany, the construction of the Arena was also a matter close to his heart. As then-president of FC Bayern, he championed the new stadium at a political level. Since his death in 2024, the few official memorials to the city’s famous son have been located in the surrounding area. The square by the underground station bears his name, and a statue in front of the stadium commemorates what is arguably the country’s greatest footballer. In addition, Beckenbauer’s number 5 shirt hangs from the roof of the Allianz Arena. I stop by the statue and let my thoughts wander. Although it’s not a match day, there are a few people about. Many of them are tourists who’ve been on a stadium tour and are now happily strolling towards the underground, decked out in Bayern fan gear. I’m too late to join one of the two-and-a-half-hour tours, but I find myself thinking back to the many matches I’ve been lucky enough to watch here.
A few metres of elevation gain on the way back
Enough of the football history: it’s time for a cycle ride. The route so far has been lovely, but flat. I need a bit of a climb, so I head up Fröttmaninger Berg. At the top, I enjoy the view over Munich as far as the Alps, whose peaks are still snow-capped. After that, I head back towards the city centre, following the signs to Marienplatz. First, I cycle through the Isar floodplains, back onto lovely gravel tracks. The route continues through the English Garden. There’s not much going on in the northern part of the park; the kilometres just fly by. But time is also passing quickly. I’ve now been on the go for almost four hours, and my stomach is telling me it’s time for a break.
A stop at the beer garden
I cycle to the beer garden by the Chinese Tower in the south of the park and treat myself to a light snack and a drink. Just a two-minute cycle away stands the Hilton Hotel Am Tucherpark. It was in this hotel that the team’s victory dinner with officials from the German Football Association (DFB) was due to take place in 1974 to mark their World Cup triumph. However, as the DFB had not invited the players’ partners to the dinner, the world champions decided to boycott the event and celebrate in the streets of Munich instead. What had been planned as the biggest celebration in the association’s history ended in a fiasco. My tour then continues through the southern part of the English Garden to Marienplatz, home to Munich Town Hall. It was on the balcony and by the Mariensäule that the teams celebrated their great World Cup triumphs in 1954 and 1974 with the public. In particular, the 1954 team’s march through Munich’s city centre – still scarred by the war – led by Hans Bauer was a groundbreaking experience at the time. Hundreds of thousands are said to have cheered on the ‘Heroes of Bern’. One of them was the young Franz Beckenbauer, who, according to legend, decided at that time to become a professional footballer himself.
A career after a career
I carry on through the Gärtnerplatz district and then cross the Isar. Before I climb the Nockherberg to return to my starting point on the Giesinger Höhen, I stop briefly at 9 Ohlmüllerstraße. After retiring from football, Katsche Schwarzenbeck took over his aunts’ kiosk there and ran it until 2008. Whilst his footballing colleague Beckenbauer went on to conquer the world as a football official, Katsche regularly delivered office supplies to Säbener Straße and sold magazines. Career paths can be so different. I smile, as today the building houses a shop specialising in high-quality racing bikes – which somehow fits in with my tour. For my final stop, I cycle right across Giesing once more, past the SpVgg 1906 grounds and straight on to the southern outskirts of the city. At the Perlacher Forst cemetery, a little off the main paths and shaded by bushes and trees, Franz Beckenbauer rests in the family grave. After the hustle and bustle of Marienplatz and the city traffic, I’m enjoying the peace and quiet. I pay my respects to the Kaiser one last time and silently thank him for the brilliant tour through Munich. It’s around 55 kilometres in the end; with various stops and sightseeing, I’ve been on the go for just over five hours. Apart from a few hundred metres along Ohlmüllerstraße, the route takes me along cycle paths, gravel tracks, through parks or along side streets with little traffic. It’s already getting dark as I leave the cemetery. I attach my rechargeable lights to my bike and set off on the return journey.
Although I’ve lived in Munich – and even in Giesing – for years, I discovered some new places for myself on the tour. I was particularly impressed by the Fröttmaninger Heide – a real gravel paradise with a view of a football temple. - Thomas Geisler, Editor, Pressedienst-Fahrrad
Even more football tours
Johan Cruyff Tour in Amsterdam
The route winds its way through Amsterdam for over 18 kilometres, following in the footsteps of the world-class Dutch footballer Johan Cruijff. It begins at his birthplace, passes by the former De Mer stadium, and continues on to the Johan Cruijff Arena, Ajax Amsterdam’s current home ground. The tour was designed by the actor Tobias Nierot. He played the footballer in the musical ‘14’ – named after the exceptional player’s shirt number – which ran for three years at a theatre near Amsterdam. The tour can be completed either on foot or by bike.
A Philips tour of Eindhoven
When Gerard Philips founded the first Philips factory in Eindhoven in 1891, the city was transformed and experienced an economic boom. Philips quickly became the largest employer and built its own housing estates, schools and parks. PSV Eindhoven was founded in 1913 as a works football club. To this day, the club plays its home matches at the Philips Arena. Although Philips has since moved its headquarters to Amsterdam, the company’s legacy remains visible in Eindhoven. Using an app, you can navigate your way through the city on your own routes and learn a great deal about the history and present-day significance of Philips’ cultural heritage sites. A detour to the football stadium for a tour of the grounds and a visit to the museum is also well worth it.
German Football Route NRW
Arguably the most popular football-themed cycle route in Germany. The route stretches over 800 kilometres across North Rhine-Westphalia, from the edge of the Eifel to the Hermannshöhen in the Teutoburg Forest. This themed cycle route focuses on the places that have made their mark on national and international football history. Along the way, you’ll learn all sorts of interesting, in-depth and curious facts about the beautiful game. For example, how the football boots of global superstar Pelé ended up in Versmold, or where Helmut Rahn, the 1954 World Cup hero, worked and used to sit at the bar in Essen. You can also visit various football stadiums. The route starts in Aachen and ends in Bielefeld.
A cycling holiday without football in the Swabian Alb
“We can do anything – except speak Standard German… and go on football cycling tours,” writes the Swabian Alb Tourist Office. The only reference to the football stadium in Heidenheim is on the Brenz Cycle Route. Otherwise, those who aren’t keen on the World Cup and nature lovers can enjoy a peaceful cycling holiday here.
