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3-2-1- It’s time to light up Munich (literally)
Sana Ahmad
January 29, 2026
In partnership with
Servus an Alle!
Welcome back to the Munich Post! The purpose of this newsletter is to share: 3 bits of news, 2 upcoming events, and 1 amazing restaurant/café for expats living in and around Munich. This way, you have a pulse on what’s going on without scrolling through thousands of pages.
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Here’s what we’ve got for you this week:
Commuters, heads up.
Public transport in Bavaria could soon face warning strikes.
After the first round of wage talks, the Verdi union says negotiations with municipal transport companies aren’t moving fast enough. Warning strikes affecting buses, trams, and U-Bahns are on the table, with the next talks set for February 13. No strike date yet, but checking your route before leaving home is officially back in fashion.
And while you’re already thinking about mobility… There’s also a quiet deadline creeping up for drivers. If your license was issued between 2002 and 2004, you’ll need to swap it for the new EU card format by January 19, 2027. No test, no drama, just paperwork. But skip it, and you risk fines (and rental-car chaos abroad).
3 bits of news
Town Hall, but make it sneakers
Munich’s town hall just got a glow-up. On Dienerstraße, a new pop-up experience space has moved in: Ra(r)thouse Sixteen – where art, fashion, and tech collide for at least the next year.
At the center of it all: custom 3D-printed sneakers by Munich startup Sneakprint. Your feet get scanned. Your shoe shape gets built. Traditional craftsmanship meets sci-fi printer noises. You can even watch parts of the process on site.
The space itself is designed by local visual artist Dinomaat who’s also launching the opening exhibition “Welcome” – a new portrait series plus a limited-edition sneaker drop made especially for this collaboration. And it won’t stay the same for long: rotating installations and product releases will keep changing the look and feel of the shop.
It’s not just for browsing either. Workshops, live printing demos, and interactive formats are planned, so you can do more than just stare at cool shoes and leave (although that’s also allowed).
The project is backed by Kreativ München, and the retail space is provided by the City of Munich to support creative businesses right in the city center.
Find more information here (in German).
Poccistraße is getting its train moment
The southern ring line is about to change jobs – from mostly freight to more passenger-friendly.
Right now, tracks between Ostbahnhof and Hauptbahnhof are packed with freight trains. Deutsche Bahn plans to shift most of that traffic to the northern ring, freeing up space for regional trains in the south. And that makes one big upgrade possible: a new regional train stop at Poccistraße, with direct transfers to U3 and U6.
For commuters from Rosenheim, Mühldorf, and the Chiemgau, this means faster routes and fewer transfers. It should also take some pressure off Marienplatz, Hauptbahnhof, and Ostbahnhof.
What’s planned? A 340-meter platform, elevators, stairs, and barrier-free access from Lindwurmstraße – basically, an easy hop from train to U-Bahn.
The project is currently in the approval phase, with planning expected to wrap up in early 2026. After that, construction can start (yes, while trains keep running) and is planned for the early 2030s.
Short version: fewer freight trains in the south, more convenient train stops for people.
The part-time debate is heating up
The CDU’s business wing wants to limit the legal right to part-time work, arguing that Germany needs more full-time workers to tackle the skilled labor shortage. According to them, part-time work will only be possible if there is a special reason or occasion, such as raising children or caring for dependents. They’ve even coined a term for it: lifestyle part-time. And that’s where the backlash starts.
Nurses, teachers, and unions say this framing completely misses reality. A Bavarian nurse told BR24: “I can’t manage full-time nursing, physically or mentally.” She says working conditions are getting tougher, not easier and part-time is often the only way to stay in the job at all.
It’s similar in schools. The Bavarian Teachers’ Association warns that part-time work is often self-protection against burnout, especially in primary schools, where many teachers also juggle family care. Less about wanting to work less, more about surviving the workload.
Verdi agrees: if you restrict part-time rights without fixing conditions, you risk pushing even more people out of essential jobs. Many would actually work more hours, they say – if schedules were reliable and workloads manageable.
The proposal will be debated at the CDU party conference at the end of February. For now, one thing is clear: this isn’t just an economic debate. It’s about how sustainable key jobs in Bavaria actually are.
Bonus:
Discover how property can be used as a powerful tool to build long-term wealth while reducing taxes.
In this free educational webinar, Granite Financial will explain how investors can:
Make use of tax advantages in real estate
Structure mortgages and financing efficiently
Grow wealth sustainably through smart property strategies
About Granite Financial
Granite Financial is a financial advisory firm based in Munich, specialising in wealth planning for internationally minded professionals. The firm focuses on clear, transparent advice across investments, pensions, and property — helping clients make confident, well-informed financial decisions in Germany.
Who should attend?
Professionals and families interested in building wealth through real estate — whether buying their first investment property or optimising an existing portfolio.
Registration details: 4th February 2026, 7:30-8:30pm
2 upcoming events
A lake full of wishes (and lanterns)
On Saturday, Feb 14, Munich is getting its own Lantern Festival – yes, like the one in Tangled.
At sunset, hundreds of floating lanterns will be released onto the water, each one carrying a wish, a message, or just a very aesthetic scribble.
The gates open at 5pm with food, music, and small activities before the main event.
The lantern launch starts around 6:30pm and runs for about 1–2 hours, so everyone gets their turn. Plan to arrive at least an hour early if you want the full vibe (and more time to enjoy).
Tickets are €29.95 and include your lantern kit (lantern, tealight, pen), entry wristband and access to the grounds. Your ticket helps keep the festival eco-friendly, including full lantern collection and site cleanup after the event. Kids 8 and under enter free (but won’t get their own lantern).
The exact venue will be announced 14 days before, and organizers say Munich dates usually sell out early – so if this feels like your kind of date night, don’t wait too long.
Find more information here (in English).
General information:
📍 Location to be announced on February 1
⏰ Saturday, February 14
🎟️ €29.95 | Kids under 8 are FREE
New exhibition opening at Bergson Gallery: Earth Matters
Art, nature, and tech walk into a gallery… and start a very serious (but very beautiful) conversation. On Saturday, January 24, Bergson Gallery in Aubing opens its new exhibition Earth Matters with a guided tour that gives behind-the-scenes insights into the artworks and the ideas behind them.
Five international artists, including Olaf Otto Becker and Tamiko Thiel explore how industrialization, optimization culture, and technology are reshaping our planet. You can expect digital works, photography, sculptures, and “nature anatomy” pieces that look at ecological systems from surprising angles. Thought-provoking, but not dry.
Find more information here (in English).
General information:
📍 Am Bergson Kunstkraftwerk 2, 81245 München
⏰ Thursday & Friday, 2–7pm Saturday & Sunday, 11am–7pm
🎟️ Adults: €17 | FREE from January 25
Bonus:
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1 new restaurant/café to try
Shokuji
If you’re like us and can never get enough of good sushi then this is the place for you. At Shokuji, you order everything straight from your phone; sushi, sashimi, grill, wok, and crispy tempura, all served as small, beautifully plated bites. Think of many little dishes instead of one giant plate. Great for sharing and trying lots of flavors.
How it works:
Order at the table via smartphone (up to 5 dishes per round)
New ordering round happens after 10 minutes and you can stay for a total of 2 hours
Leftovers cost €3 per portion (so order smart)
Drinks can be ordered or reordered at any time
Prices:
Lunch (Mon–Fri): €28 | Weekend lunch: €38
Dinner (daily): €45
Want something lighter? 5-course “Asian Kaiseki” menu that you create from their all-you-can-eat selection €15 (lunch) / €20 (dinner)
General information:
📍 Gollierstraße 4, 80339 München
🥘 Asian
⏰ Monday–Friday, 11:30am–4:30pm
Monday—Friday, 5:30pm–10:30pm
Saturday, 12 Noon–11pm
Sunday, 12 Noon–10:30pm
Visit Shokuji
Meme of the week 😂
Thanks for reading and sharing the Munich Post 3-2-1 newsletter.
Aazar, Christina, Heidi and Sana
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