Munich : the spirit of Germany !
Here’s what we know about Germany: Lederhosen, severe moustaches, yodeling, sausages, beer, cars, and football. All these things are distinctly Bavarian and no city represents them better than Munich, home of the Weisswurst, busty girls in folksy dresses, white beer, BMW, and Bayern München.
Germany's third biggest city
Even though it has 1.3m citizens, Germany’s third biggest city feels like a big village, as everything is being slowed down slightly by the locals’ relaxed attitude towards anything you throw their way. Nothing feels more Munich than sitting in a beer garden, drinking a Maß (double pint) of beer, and reminiscing about life. Maybe it is because they are so far south that they seem a bit isolated from the rest of the country, or maybe the air on the foothills of the Alps is just a bit thinner, whatever the reason, a day in the city lowers your heart rate and charges your batteries for your upcoming night out.
In the historical city centre
Before you hit the pubs you should have a look around. The historical centre of town revolves around the Residenz, an enormous palace complex and former residence of the Bavarian kings, comprising gardens, museums, a country house, and the Hofbräuhaus, sort of the royal pub. After the Residenz the other representational centre of town is the Marienplatz, where the city hall provides the backdrop to the annual Christmas market, called Christkindlmarkt. On Marienplatz you will also find the cathedral (Frauenkirche), built from 1240 onwards. South of the Marienplatz you can visit the Sendlinger Tor, the southern entrance into the formerly fortified city. This area is just perfect for a little stroll, as you will find numerous small cafes, local boutiques, and picturesque churches like the baroque Asam Church.
The English Gardens
Apart from the Old Town much of Munich’s public life takes place in one of the parks, mostly in the English Gardens. This is an inner-city park more than twice as big as London’s Hyde Park, featuring lakes and streams, a Japanese tea house, a Greek temple, a Chinese tower, open-air stages, and various beer gardens. For over 200 years now locals and tourists have spent afternoons tanning, drinking beer, and chatting away in one of the world’s biggest urban green areas.
Oktoberfest
Despite the overall tranquility of the city Munich is known throughout the world for one of the biggest parties on the planet. The Wiesn (officially Oktoberfest, though taking place during September) is the biggest beer festival there is, entertaining about 6m visitors annually. Children love the outdoor fair ground, adults the huge party tents where the beer is cold and the music odd. The locals still dress up in traditional lederhosen and dirndl, and men are supposed to buy gingerbread hearts decorated with cheesy pet names in sugar for their sweethearts. The food is traditionally Backhendl (spit roasted chicken), pretzels, and Weisswurst, a boiled sausage which you will have to peel from its skin. Note that asking for cutlery is about as cool as demanding a fork in a sushi restaurant, as locals eat the steaming hot meat with their fingers.
As interesting as Munich is you should make use of the fact that you are on the foothills of the Alps, putting a huge number of great sights within close reach and can be easily reached in your car hire. The most frequented is Schloss Neuschwanstein, a two hour drive from Munich in your car hire and supposedly the inspiration for the Disney castle. Naturally it is immensely popular, particularly among American and Japanese tourists. Locals prefer the large Alpine lakes like Lake Starnberg, the Tegernsee, and Chiemsee, or Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitze- again a great way to spend your day with your car hire. For information on hiking tours you can best contact the Deutscher Alpenverein which runs most of the mountain huts and cottages along the trails.
