MUNICH

After our one-night stay in Heidelberg, we transferred to Bavaria's capital city of Munich. It took us over five hours and three trains to get to this city, with the last train being necessary after our second ticket was booked for the wrong station (ugh). Despite the trouble getting here, Munich ranked high on our list of favorite places in Europe, mostly because of its mix of historic and modern buildings, its friendly people, and its love of beer.

Accommodation: Eden Hotel Wolff (highly recommended!)

Adventures: Frauenkirche - "The Devil's Footprint", Marienplatz, New Town Hall - the Glockenspiel, Old Town Hall, St. Peter's Church, Viktualienmarkt, Hofbräuhaus, English Garden, Biergarten Viktualienmarkt

Tours: Romantic Road / Rothenburg / Harburg Day Tour, Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site Tour, Hitler and the Third Reich Walking Tour, Bavarian Beer and Food Evening Tour, Neuschwanstein Castle

Takeaways: 1) We should have taken better advantage of the regional s-bahn trains from our hotel to Marienplatz. 2) The beers are big in Bavaria. 3) Bavarian meatloaf is like a super-sized slice of a hot dog. 4) Most restaurants have an English version of their menu. 5) Nude sunbathing is legal in some areas of the English Garden.

Memorable Moments: 1) Drinking beer at  Biergarten Viktualienmarkt while listening to the locals sing along with the band. 2) Watching the river surfers in the park. 3) Watching Marienplatz fill up with tourists at 11am to see the Glockenspiel play in the tower balcony. 4) Spotting a naked man in the park.

^^ The Glockenspiel on the front of the New Town Hall plays chimes and reenacts stories from the 16th century at 11am daily, with additional shows in the summertime at noon and 5pm. ^^

^^ "The Devil's Footprint" ^^

^^ Baked Bavarian meat loaf. ^^

Foodstuff:

• Weisswurst (white sausage), a Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork. Tradition dictates that it be eaten before noon with a pretzel.
• Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle)
• Radler (beer with lemonade) or Ruß'n (white beer with lemonade)
• Käsespätzle (Späetzle egg noodles with cheese). We decided it's the German equivalent of macaroni and cheese.

Restaurant Picks:
Biergarten Viktualienmarkt (self-service dishes in a fun atmosphere)
Viktualienmarkt 9

Hofbräuhaus (try the Ruß'n)

Platzl 9

Hofbräukeller am Wiener Platz
Innere Wiener Straße 19

Münchner Stubn (order the Allgäu Cheese Spätzle)
Bayerstraße 35

Wirtshaus Rechthaler Hof
Arnulfstraße 10

Note: Seat yourself unless posted otherwise. Restaurants typically serve one type of beer based on their brewery agreement. Order bottled water (not tap water). Pay the bill directly with the server. The tip is not included and should be added to the final price.

Also note: Munich does not have public bathrooms. All restaurants with beer on tap must allow the use of their bathrooms, even to non-customers. Just be prepared to leave some change to help with the maintenance/cleaning costs.

^^ Allgäu Cheese Spätzle ^^

^^ Weisswurst ^^

Recommendations: 1) Use Munich as a home base to see other areas in Bavaria. 2) Learn the local train system. 3) Although English is widely spoken, it's polite to try to use some basic German words and phrases. 

Next Time: 1) Climb the tower of St. Peter's Church for a view of the inner city (it was closed during our visit). 2) Enjoy more biergartens. 3) Visit the Deutsches Museum. 4) Check out the Royal Residenz. 5) Attend Oktoberfest? Maybe. 6) Take a day tour to Salzburg.

Helpful Reads:
16 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Munich by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers