MÚNICH “También el cauce del río Isar, que congrega en verano a miles de muniqueses que acuden a sus playas a tomar el sol y bañarse”, describe Orts. “La gente acude a refrescarse en los lagos, a hacer barbacoas, a jugar a la petanca…”. Ciervos, zorros y edelweiss La biodiversidad en todas estas islas verdes de Múnich es apa- bullante. “En los estanques y el canal de Nymphenburg habi- ta una majestuosa comunidad de patos, gansos y cisnes. Sus bosques dan cobijo a ciervos y zorros. Me encanta su jardín alpino que se cuaja de edelweiss en verano”, dice Orts. Recorrer las zonas boscosas del Jardín Inglés invita a mirar hacia arriba para admirar la belleza de sus árboles centena- rios (robles, arces, fresnos, sauces, abedules...). Incluso un jar- dín menos selvático como el Olympiapark esconde un inte- resante patrimonio forestal, con ejemplares de los países que participaron en los Juegos Olímpicos, desde cedros del Líba- no hasta ginkgos de Japón. Un espectáculo universal, con la naturaleza de testigo. ENG With 1.5 million inhabitants and the highest population density in Germany, Munich is a green city. ‘It is so because of its large number of natural spaces, with 2,300 hectares of public parks and gardens,’ says Jordi Orts, official guide and editor of Muniqueando, a digital guide to exploring the city in a different way. ‘Its climate favours alpine flora and fauna that are part of its identity,’ he adds. Both cosmopolitan and relaxed, Munich is much more than just beer, pretzels and baroque ornamentation. Its parks, which are authentic and varied, form a valuable and evoca- tive natural heritage. The English Garden, patronised by the Bavarian royal family in the 18th century, is one of the largest urban parks in the world, larger even than New York's Central Park. This landscaped space is home to unusual attractions such as Chinese Tower and the artificial wave of the Eisbach Canal, which attracts river surfers. Nymphenburg Park was created in the 17th century next to the baroque palace of the same name. In order to respect the peace and tranquility of the fauna here, cycling is prohib- ited. Hofgarten, meanwhile, is an Italian-style Renaissance garden, and Olympiapark is an urban park dedicated to sport, designed for the 1972 Summer Olympics. ‘It is built on the rubble generated by the bombing in the Second World War, which was piled up,’ explains Orts. Every district in Munich has a large park: Luitpoldpark, Hirschgarten - populated by beavers and deer -, Westpark... ‘Also the course of the river Isar, which attracts thousands of Munich residents to its beaches in summer for sunbathing and swimming’, explains Orts. ‘People come to cool off in the lakes, to have barbecues, to play petanque...’. deer, foxes and edelweiss The biodiversity on all of Munich's green islands is over- whelming. ‘The ponds and the Nymphenburg Canal are home to a majestic community of ducks, geese and swans. Its forests are home to deer and foxes. I love its alpine gar- den, which is full of edelweiss in summer,’ says Orts. Walking through the wooded areas of the English Garden invites you to look up and admire the beauty of its centu- ry-old trees (oaks, willows, birches...). Even a less jungle-like space such as the Olympiapark hides an interesting forest heritage, with specimens from the countries that took part in the Olympic Games, from Lebanese cedars to Japanese gingkos. A universal spectacle, with nature as its witness. El lago de Nymphenburg // The Nymphenburg lake Fluffandshutter/Getty Images Un petirrojo en el Jardín Inglés, que también acoge una pagoda china. // A robin in the English Garden, which also houses a Chinese pagoda. Anderm/Getty Images