Seven new trees planted on Sendlinger Straße as first step towards a greener Altstadt

Seven new trees have been planted on Sendlinger Straße in Munich's Altstadt, between Hackenstraße and Färbergraben. The city's building department (Baureferat) has put in four plane trees, two elms and a pagoda tree, which are intended to bring shade, cooling and a more pleasant atmosphere to the pedestrian zone.

The planting is the first step in the city's overall plan for around 150 new tree sites in the Altstadt. In April 2024 the city council asked the Baureferat to examine further tree planting in the old town's pedestrian zones in more detail. The aim is to prepare the city centre for hotter summers and to create places where people enjoy spending time. The trees were also funded in part by numerous individual donations from Munich residents through the "Schatten Spenden" ("Donate Shade") campaign.

Dr.-Ing. Jeanne-Marie Ehbauer, head of the Baureferat, was on site at night as the trees went in. She said: "Every new tree in the densely built-up city centre needs careful planning. Many utility lines run beneath Sendlinger Straße. Above ground, shoppers, visitors and restaurants share the limited space." She added that the trees would provide shade and cool the heavily paved street on hot days.

The work began on 31 August and is expected to be completed by 12 November. Planners had to take account of underground utilities, fire brigade access, deliveries, accessibility and heritage protection, as well as events, the Munich Marathon and the setting up of the Christkindlmarkt. Work was therefore carried out in small sections to keep disruption to shops, restaurants and passers-by to a minimum, and outdoor seating areas could largely remain in use.

The Baureferat's horticulture division will look after and water the young trees until their roots are established enough for them to sustain themselves. The areas around the trunks are being paved so that they can be walked on and are protected from heavy delivery vehicles, while leaving room for growth and allowing rainwater to soak into the ground.

More trees are planned for the Altstadt. The next stage includes one tree on Frauenplatz, five near Alter Peter and ten on Marienplatz and Dienerstraße. Excavation of the tree pits is due to begin in spring 2027, with planting scheduled between November 2027 and March 2028.