Munich – Bavaria’s Capital City is my favorite large city in Germany…and possibly of any that I have visited in my travels. Munich is such a great destination city. It has more than 60 museums, a number of historic churches, and a diverse culinary scene. It is far more than just the Oktoberfest.
The Bavarian capital city has a population of more than 1.5 million, and the larger metro area is approaching 6 million. The history of settlements in the Munich area stretches back beyond the official founding day of the city, listed as June 14, 1158. The history of the city since the Founding Day has been colorful. Of course, the darkest attributed to the Nazi period. Post WWII, Munich has become an economic and cultural success story in Germany, boasting the largest economy of any large city in the country. Munich has become a hub of manufacturing and technology.
Getting To Munich
Whether you want to leverage the German rail, or the Autobahn network, land travel to Munich is an easy undertaking (traffic jams aside). Franz Josef Strauss International airport in Freising supports the Munich area. The airport is about 20 miles from the city center. The Airport is the 2nd largest in Germany. The airport is connected to the city center by the S1 and S8 rail lines. The trip into the city costs 8.80 Euro each way. The train ride will take about a half hour. There is also a bus service that will take you to the Hauptbahnhof, with a stop in Schwabing for 11 Euro one way, 17.50 round trip if purchased online. You can purchase the ticket from the bus driver, for an extra Euro. The bus takes about 45 minutes to get to the Hauptbahnhof, depending on traffic.
Things to see and do
Like most cities, the center of Munich is the place to be. In the Altstadt you will find a significant pedestrian zone with a wide array of stores and restaurants. The heart of the Altstadt is the Marienplatz.
The Neues Rathaus. Located in the Marienplatz, the Rathaus was pretty much destroyed during WWII. The city rebuilt it in its traditional gothic style. The main attraction for the Rathaus is the glockenspiel. The attraction has a 10-minute performance at 11AM and 12 noon daily. It’s fun to see, not just for the show, but to watch the Marienplatz fill up with thousands of onlookers transfixed on the tower with their smartphones filming the glockenspiel.
Viktualienmarkt. The Viktualienmarkt is an open-air market about 300 meters from the Neues Rathaus. This market is open daily, and hosts stands selling everything from fresh fish and meats to veggies to honey. The Viktualenmarkt also has its own beer garden that rotates the beer served among the Munich breweries on a daily basis.
Churches
Whether you are a devout individual, or just really enjoy looking at some amazing history and architecture, there are four churches in a half-mile radius from the Marienplatz that have their own unique vibe that are worth the time to investigate and enjoy.
Frauenkirche, also called the Münchner Dom, or Munich Cathedral. This Catholic church is located on the Frauen Platz about a block from the Marienplatz. This church, consecrated in 1494, is the symbol of the city of Munich. The twin onion dome towers top out at 109 meters and provide a unique contribution to the Munich skyline. The importance of the Frauenkirche as a symbol of Munich resulted in the city passing an ordinance that no building in the town center can exceed 99 Meters, assuring the Frauenkirche will be the tallest building in the Altstadt.
The Devils footprint, middle panel below, has a several stories associated with its creation. The information pamphlet from the cathedral tells of the devil helping the master builder, Jorg von Halspach, to build the church so long as the building would not have any windows. When the building was done, the devil stood at the porch and couldn’t see any windows because of the high altar and pillars. The devil was so happy that he stamped his foot in joy, leaving the print. The Devil took another step and saw the windows. He realized that he’d been tricked. In a rage, the devil turned himself into an icy wind that blows around the church from time to time. There are other stories of course. I guess you can research and pick your favorite.
St. Kajetan, also called the Theatinerkirche, is locate on Odeon Platz across from the Munich Residence. The church was built between 1663 and 1690. This is my favorite church in Munich. The exterior is done in the high Italian baroque style, with a soft yellow rococo façade. The interior predominantly white and grey relief. It’s amazing to explore the nave and many side altars. There are many artistic masterpieces, as well as the crypt for King Maximilian II of Bavaria nestled in the nooks and crannies of this amazing church.
St. Peter, also called Alter Peter, is in the center of the Altstadt next to the Viktualienmarkt. The church is older than the city of Munich, with Monks living on this site as early as the eighth century. The church has gone through a few iterations over the course of time since its establishment in 1368.
For 3 Euro, you can go up the spire for a 360-degree view of Munich. It’s a 306 step climb up to the 56-meter-high viewing platform. The view is truly stunning. You look down onto the Marienplatz one side, directly opposite from the Viktualienmarkt On a clear day you can see the Alps.
Asam Kirche – this church is on Sendlinger Strasse just north of the Sendlinger Tor. Unlike the other churches mentioned here, the Asam Kirche doesn’t have a grand, stand-alone physical presence. If you aren’t paying attention, you could walk by it. The Asam Kirche is set into a line of store fronts. It blends in with its surroundings. If you need a benchmark, it is located across the street from a Starbucks.
The church is officially named St. Johann Nepomuk and was built in 1746. Despite its consecrated name, the church is more familiarly named after the Asam brothers who built it. While it is not as physically impressive as the other churches, the interior of the Asam Kirche is in a class of its own. In contrast with the subtle interior of the Theatinerkirche, the Asam Kirche’s interior is opulent with pink and orange marble, complemented by gold gilded statues and altars.
Restaurants
Munich boasts an amazing culinary scene. This ranges from the gourmet offerings of Dahlmeyer or Schuhmann’s, to window service for a sausage, or Doner. Many restaurants in the Altstadt are dedicated to the brew from a particular brewery in Munich or are directly owned by them. These include the Hofbraühaus, Der Pschorr, Schneider Weisse, Augustiner, etc. You can find offerings aside from the traditional German and Bavarian kitchens…pretty much a situation once you choose your cuisine, you can find a place that serves it.
Englisher Garten
Munich has a large collection of green space in the city limits. One of the largest central city parks in Europe is the Englisher Garten. This 910-acre park lies on the east side of the Altstadt. The Englisher Garten has miles of well-groomed trails for taking a stroll or jog.
Just a heads up, if its sunny and warm, you might experience a few sun worshipers au naturel. Public nudity is not against the law. No gawking, please. Be cool.
The beer garden at the Chinese tower is a wonderful place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Great food in a relaxed atmosphere under the trees. There will usually be a band playing.
Hellabrunn Zoo – The Zoo is in the Sendling suburb of Munich. The zoo is the home to over 750 animals. Tickets are 18 Euro for adults and 7 Euro for kids 4-14 with family discounts.
Homepage – Tierpark Hellabrunn
I know my mom will look at the third picture and ask why I posted a selfie.
Museums
As mentioned above, there are over 60 museums in Munich according to the www.Munich.de website. I’m not gonna highlight all of them. My favorites are the Deutsches Museum and the Alte Pinakotek.
The Deutsches Museum, Home – Deutsches Museum (deutsches-museum.de)
Formally named the German Museum for Masterpieces of Science and Technology…except in German (of course). It is located on Museum Island across the river from the Isar Tor. Nerds, like me, can get lost in this museum for hours. The collection has more than 25,000 static and hands-on exhibits that cover 50 topics in science and Technology.
Pinakotek complex, Home | DIE PINAKOTHEKEN
The Pinakotek museum complex was established in 1836. The museums are located in the Maxvorstadt neighborhood of Munich. There is an impressive collection of fine art that is distributed between the buildings according to particular periods through the centuries. Fees are 8 – 10 Euro depending on the museum:
Alte Pinakothek – artists from the 14th – 18th century
Neues Pinakothek – Nineteenth Century Artists
Pinakothek der Moderne – Modern Art
Now art is subjective to the individual. My tastes are more for the classics, so I prefer the Alte Pinakotek where they house and host traveling collections of art from: Rubens, Raffael, Dürer, the Dutch Masters and so on.
While you could spend weeks in Munich and not see everything, there are also a lot of day trips you can make from the city that are worth investigating, including:
- Castles of King Ludwig, such as Neu Schwanstein, Herrencheimsee, and Linderhof
- Dachau Memorial
- Bechtesgaden: Documentation center and Hitler’s Eagle Nest
- Salzburg Austria
- Zugspitze – highest peak in Germany
Munich is such a great destination, and I hope this blog has given you some ideas for your next trip…even if it’s not to attend the Oktoberfest.
Travel Well. Pursue Experiences.
O.M.I.A.H.