One of my family’s favorite international stopovers is in Munich, Germany. Munich is a vibrant and clean city that offers an intriguing mix of old and new architecture as well as a first-rate public transport system to explore the city’s offerings.
Last month, we planned a day-and-a-half Munich stopover en route to leading a hiking trip in Italy’s Dolomites. Our destination in the Dolomites is easily accessible by flying into Munich or Venice, but we prefer to take our group via Munich for its ease of access, cleanliness and Bavarian charm.
Our Iceland Air flight landed at the Munich International Airport at 1 p.m. We descended the escalators down to the S Bahn and waited for the train to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station). From the Hauptbahnhof, we walked a few short blocks to our hotel. After checking in with our friends at the front desk of this urban hotel, where my family has visited many times over the last two decades, we set out to enjoy the city.
Wanting to tick off the ‘must-see’, ‘low-hanging fruit’ of attractions first, we set out on foot heading east toward the Marienplatz (St. Mary’s Square), the city’s main square. We joined the droves of international tourists as we first approached Karlsplatz, in central Munich. The breeze-blown overspray from the fountain cooled us as we approached this robust pedestrian zone that serves as a gateway to the heart of the city’s main shopping axis. From Karlsplatz, we continued east while soaking up the architectural interest of the buildings’ Baroque and Gothic styles, many of which were rebuilt over the centuries after being destroyed by fire or war.
Walking down wide streets full of pedestrians on Munich’s Fußgängerzone (pedestrian zone), we eyed the trendy shops and people-watched as we made our way to the Neues Rathaus, or new town hall. The hordes of tourists gathered at the base of the Rathaus indicated the clock bells would soon chime and the Glockenspiel would spring to life. We joined the crowds and waited for the show to ensue. Soon the bells began to chime and the lively, life-sized dancers of the Glockenspiel played out a 1568 duke’s wedding, then a knights’ jousting match followed by the twirling dancers’ reenactment of the Schäfferltanz, a dance first performed to signify the end of the plague in 1517.
Standing shoulder to shoulder in the heat of Munich’s main square was thirsty business. It was time to introduce the group to the Hofbräuhaus, Munich’s most famous beer hall that dates back to 1589. We jockeyed for position for an empty wooden table in the crowded beer hall and settled in to enjoy a crisp Weissbier (Hefeweizen) with pretzel accompaniment. We laughed and drank to the noisy bustle, oom-pa music and singing patrons.
As we made our way back to the hotel, we meandered through the cobblestone streets and hit a few of our Munich favorites. I couldn’t wait to revisit my favorite sports store, the Sport Schuster. Located just around the corner from the Rathaus, the multi-story Sport Schuster is an REI-on-steroids type of outdoor shop. Riding the elevator from floor to floor we relished the brands of gear that can’t be purchased in the U.S. and delighted in the brightly colored apparel.
Story continues after a quick message from our sponsor below.
Last stop before retreating to our hotel was to the Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s bustling open-air market. We feasted our eyes on the vendors’ fresh offerings from wild mushrooms and berries to fresh meats and cheeses, butters and honey, veggies and fruits. My only purchase was a handful of beautiful green, garlic stuffed olives the size of walnuts. They tasted so salty, nutty and fresh… I reluctantly shared them with the group but was glad I did when they savored and devoured them. Parched from our wandering, we fortified ourselves with more German beer, this time a Helles Bier, (helles literally means light and bright) which Germans refer to as ‘normal beer’.
We dined that evening in a boisterous German beer hall that we walked to from our hotel. So noisy was this establishment that our ears were ringing until we fell asleep that night! Next morning, we arose to partake in the hotel’s impressive smorgasbord breakfast of fresh yogurt and muesli, cold cuts, cheeses, fruits and savory breads with espresso drinks to order. It is typical in Bavaria to receive a fresh breakfast buffet included with the price of your lodging, even at affordable hotels such as ours.
Setting out early, we did a morning walking tour of some of Munich’s historic and ornate churches that ranged from the 13th to 18th century construction. Inside these beautifully preserved sanctuaries, morning light filtered through the stained glass and danced across the painted walls and wooden pews. We traversed the city, touring Saint Michael Kirche (church), Frauenkirche and Peterskirche. Our final church tour was of Asamkirche, a painted masterpiece built by the Asam brothers from 1733-1746. This Baroque beauty was intended to be the private place of worship and final resting place for the Asam brothers, but was eventually opened to the public. We marveled at the lavish rococo finishes and took in the ostentatious gilded accoutrements in the church’s hushed silence.
We exited Asamkirche, amazed and, well….thirsty! I proposed beer and lunch near the tea house in Englischer Garten. We had purchased passes for the bus and subway for the day and were conveniently only a few short blocks from the Sendlinger Tor S Bahn stop. We snapped a quick photo at Sendlinger Tor, the 14th century arched, brick gate and twin towers that were part of the original city’s wall, then remembered our thirst and caught the S Bahn across the city to the south entrance of the Englischer Garten.
Much larger than New York’s Central Park, the Englischer Garten (English Garden) is one of the largest park, basking in its urban beauty, along with the collections of families gathered, couples picnicking, nude sunbathers, and kids floating the river. Hopping the U Bahn back to the Hauptbahnhof, we returned to the hotel to settle in, having arranged to meet later that evening for dinner.
I was excited to try a new restaurant near our hotel that was receiving rave reviews. Albeit daunting to take a group of 12 to a restaurant that you haven’t tried, the website, reviews and email communications with the staff convinced me it was a good idea. After a short bus ride from the hotel, we landed at Servus Heidi, my new find that proved to be a good gamble. The staff had us in stitches throughout the evening as we dined al fresco in the gentle evening air. The food offered a fresh and modern take on traditional Bavarian cuisine and we even sampled a few cocktails at our feisty server’s assertion. We were pleasantly surprised by the reasonable bill and will be making a visit to Servus Heidi a standard part of our Munich stopover itinerary.
In effort to burn off a portion of the calories consumed and sleep better, we elected to walk back to our hotel rather than ride the bus.
The morning would bring another delectable breakfast buffet followed by packing up to head south over Brenner Pass to the mountains that called us here on our holiday. We would bid adieu to this fair city, knowing that we will be back again soon.
Our Munich stopover proved to be a fantastic start to a great vacation with wonderful new friends.
Servus and Prost! N
By Denise Lundy
Photography By David Ronalds
As Featured In: 2018 Summer/Fall CDA Edition
