History and description

The inaugural match was played on 1 October 1913 against FC Wacker München with 1860 winning 3-2. The stadium originally seated 50,000 spectators and underwent several expansions. It became known as the home of football in Munich after it hosted the 1974 FIFA World Cup final between FC Bayern Munich and Brazilian team AC Milan which Bayern won 2–1. Today, the stadium has a capacity of 74,445 and is used mainly for football matches, but can be used for other events as well. Grünwalder Stadion (Städtische Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße), often nicknamed Sechzgerstadion (/ˌsɛxzərˈdʒer ˈstaðiən/, German pronunciation: [ˈʃaxtər ˈstaðiən ʔan ˈdeːɡroːv ʃtafjæraː(n)]) was for a long time Munich's largest stadium. The stadium was built by TSV 1860 in the 1910s as the club lacked their own ground. The inaugural match was played on 1 October 1913 against FC Wacker München with 1860 winning 3-2. The stadium originally seated 50,000 spectators and underwent several expansions. It became known as the home of football in Munich after it hosted the 1974 FIFA World Cup final between FC Bayern Munich and Brazilian team AC Milan which Bayern won 2–1. Today, the stadium has a capacity of 74,445 and is used mainly for football matches, but can be used for other events as well. Today, it is one of the most prestigious stadiums in Europe and is home to a number of top-flight clubs. The Grunwalder Stadion opened on 21 May 1911 with a match between TSV 1860 and MTV Munich (4-0). It initially had a rather modest capacity, but quickly expanded in the 1920s to accommodate over 40,000 spectators. Today, it is one of the most prestigious stadiums in Europe and is home to a number of top-flight clubs.

In 1937, the city of Munich acquired the land on which the stadium sits. During World War 2, the stadium was heavily damaged during air raids; however, it was rebuilt and rapidly expanded after.

In 1958, 58,000 spectators attended a match between 1860 Munich and FC Nurnberg at the stadium. Around the same time, the stadium underwent a large redevelopment including the construction of a new main stand. In 1978, another new stand got built opposite the main stand.

The two clubs switched stadiums several times over the next two decades until they settled in 1995 at the newly built Olympiastadion. In 2005, they would move to the newly opened Allianz Arena.

However, TSV 1860 never warmed up to the much too large Allianz Arena, and sold their share in the stadium a decade after moving in. In 2017, the club decided to move back into Grunwalder Stadion.

The state of the stadium had slowly deteriorated over the years, and its capacity had been reduced to around 10,000 places. Following the construction of the Allianz Arena, plans were made to demolish the ground; however, in the end it was decided to patch up the stadium. Various refurbishments in 2010s opened up all stands again, increasing capacity to 15,000.

However, the stadium is not yet adequate to host matches in 2. Bundesliga level, and renovation plans exist to increase the stadium's capacity to 18,000 and provide cover for all stands.

Grünwalder Stadion is also the home of Bayern München's reserve team, which plays in the 3. Liga. In 2020, Türkgücü Munich decided to play their home games at the stadium following their promotion to 3. Liga. The club will also play a number of home games at the Olympiastadion.

How to get to Grunwalder Stadion

The Grunwalder Stadion is located in the Giesing area of Munich in the south of the city. It is just over 3 kilometers from Munich's city center. The stadium can easily be reached by public transport. The Metro (U-Bahn) station Wettersteinplatz lies a few blocks from the stadium. Wettersteinplatz is on Metro line U1 which runs past the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) and a few stops just south of the city centre (e.g. Sendlinger Tor). It's a short journey of less than 10 minutes.

An alternative is that one takes metro line U2 to stop at Silberhornstraße. The metro stops at the same stops in the city centre, but walking to the stadium will take a few minutes longer.

It is quickest to catch tram 15 or 25 from the east of the city centre, which will take about 15 minutes. Get off at stop Tegernseer Landstraße.

TSV 1860 Munich Tickets

Tickets for the 1860 Munich games can be bought online or at the ticket office at the club's training ground at Grünwalder Straße 114 (further south from the stadium). The ticket-selling company, TSV, often sells out regularly and recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

Please expect to pay from 25.00 to 33.00 for a seat at one of the sides and 16.00 for standing behind the goal.

Email ticke[email protected] for more information.

Useful Internet links

The official website of TSV 1860 Munich is tsv1860.de. The website provides information about the team and the city of Munich, including links to city services and public transport information. MVV-Muenchen.de is a public transport information and journey planner for the Munich area. Photo credits: el loko

The singing was continual and the terrace bouncing - it was like England used to be thirty years ago but probably more good-natured. 1860 won 3-1 and my mate managed to miss 3 goals during one trip to the toilet. The best day out I've had at a football ground in years.

The singing was continuous and the terrace bouncing - it seemed as though England had been thirty years ago, but probably more good natured. 1860 managed to win 3-1 and my mate missed 3 goals during one trip to the bathroom. The best day out I've had at a football ground in years.