Munich, Germany
Munich — the largest city in Bavaria, and a vibrant hub of art, culture, cuisine, and so much more. Renowned for the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, Munich has much more to offer besides a never-ending selection of beer — though that is certainly one of its perks. Whether you’re a car enthusiast admiring the exhibits in the BMW museum, an architecture aficionado engrossed in the Strassen of the Altstadt, or simply a casual tourist taking in the sights, Munich has plenty to show you.
Things to Do
One of the famed European town squares, Marienplatz impresses all. A massive cobblestone square, it is in the heart of Munich’s pedestrian zone and was host to weekly markets and tournaments in the Middle Ages. Marienplatz is surrounded by two imposing edifices: Altes Rathaus and Neues Rathaus, respectively the Old City Hall and New City Hall. The centerpiece of many photographs of Marienplatz, Neues Rathaus is built in the neo-Gothic style and enthralls many with its elaborate exterior. Its prominent Glockenspiel, or clock tower, put on a show every day at 11 am, noon, and 5 pm from March through October. When the bells start ringing, an assortment of 30 figures is displayed dancing, fighting, and entertaining. It’s certainly the cherry on top of this spectacular building. After admiring the Neues Rathaus, head over one block behind Marienplatz to St. Peter’s Church, and for a fee of two euros, climb up a narrow staircase to the top of the church tower, where you will be rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view of Munich.
Not your typical botanical garden, the Englischer Garten, or the English Garden, contains a broad range of activities to engage in and sights to see. It’s one of Europe’s biggest parks, stretching nearly five kilometers long with walking paths lined with oak and maple trees. At the park’s center lies the Kleinhesseloher See, a calm lake where you can relax by the water and have a nice picnic. Later, head over to the rapids on the Eisbachwelle, a manmade river where you can catch surfers shred some rough waters. Even in the frigid German winters, you will still catch folks suiting up to tackle the icy and thundering Eisbach — truly a testament to German grit and efficiency. A late 18th-century fascination with the Far East left behind two iconic Asian remnants in the park: Chinesischer Turm and the Japanische Teehaus. All in all, you’ll find yourself traipsing around this large park discovering new activities and sights to keep you engaged for hours.
Experience the power of German engineering at the BMW headquarters and museum. Designed to bear a strong resemblance to a four-cylinder engine, the headquarters tower will catch your eye — but the main attractions lie in the neighboring BMW Welt and BMW Museum. The Welt is an active distribution facility and showroom, housing some of the latest and high-end models. The Museum, known colloquially as the “Salad Bowl”, chronicles the history of the company and its cars over the decades, and documents its technological developments. Gearhead or not, the museum’s displays and exhibits will grab your attention and actively pique your interest.
After, explore a less technologically adept form of human excellence: athletics. The BMW complex borders the Olympiapark, home of the 1972 Olympics. Swing by the swimming complex where American swimmer Mark Spitz set the long-standing record for most Olympic gold medals won in a single Olympics (7) — before it was broken in 2008 by Michael Phelps. The park itself contains the remnants of athletic facilities built for the 1972 edition of the games, many of which have been repurposed for public use today.
Almost Disney-like in appearance, Nymphenburg Palace and its gardens were a favorite for generations of Bavarian royalty. Stroll through its expansive gardens, which are planned and maintained down to the smallest detail, from the fountains to the well-trimmed hedges. Its interior is just as magnificent, from the marble floors and painted ceilings of grand halls to the luxuriously designed bedrooms of the royals.
Munich is also well known for its wide selection of museums. Perhaps its most favorite museum, the Deutsches Museum is the largest science and technology museum in the world. With over 1.5 million visitors a year exploring (or going through some fraction of) 28,000 exhibits, consider it impossible to cover most of it in a single day — it’s really that big. You can think of it as about five of Washington DC’s Smithsonian museums under one roof. It boasts extensive air & space, mining, marine navigation, and even paper exhibits, just to name a few. The exhibits will keep you engaged and interested for at least a few hours, and you’re guaranteed to leave the museum more enriched than when you entered it. Then, switch gears from science and technology and head over to the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich’s second most popular museum and home to a vast collection of modern art. Opened in 2002, it’s a fairly recent addition to the city’s cultural landscape and is one of Europe’s largest collections of contemporary artwork. It houses four different art forms inside — 20th-century artwork, a graphics collection, an architecture museum, and applied design post-18th century.
Further Exploration
Munich is a gateway to spectacular adventures, vibrant cities, and much more. Two hours away is Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for the Disneyland Castle. Or, take a day trip across the Austrian border to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and journey through the Austrian Alps. Fly north to the great German cities of Hamburg and Berlin, which provide a huge contrast to Bavarian Munich. Munich is a great entry point for a multi-destination vacation — with many cities and destinations just a stone’s throw away.
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