OT: Travel Help - Guide To Munich

Submitted by brewandbluesaturdays on

Way OT: I am traveling to Munich for work in June. It will be my first time Munich and I will be there for a week.

I was hoping the board could steer me in the right direction on restaurants/pubs to check out or any other cool things to do/quick sites to see when not at the office?

Thanks in advance.

MMB 82

May 14th, 2018 at 4:52 PM ^

...easier to access in daytime for lunch.

BMW Welt if you happen to be an enthusaist of a particular German Sports Sedan- the museum (which also contains Rolls Royce) is pretty fascinating. If you are interested in the Factory Tour, you have to reserve weeks in advance.

Otherwise, a nice city to walk around. FWIW, I prefer Berlin...

MGlobules

May 14th, 2018 at 9:21 PM ^

in the world, a new global Silicon Valley now emerging there. Hipsters from around the world flock. Munich is very staid--good for tourists looking for a certain idea of (Bavarian) Germanness. I was not so taken, though I loved the cities along the Danube. It wasn't until I got there that I could see what people mean when they say how relaxed Bavarians are in comparison to people in the north. . . 

WindyCityBlue

May 14th, 2018 at 9:46 PM ^

But with regards to being a tourist, which is what the OP is and why the OP posted this, Munich is far and away better for a tourist.



Ive been to Berlin several times (going back there in August this year). I lived in Europe as a child and saw Berlin pre-wall collapse. I got to see checkpoint Charlie. I’ve see Berlin grow since. Like Munich, Berlin was decimated because of the war. Munich did a much better job rebuilding recapturing it’s original charm. Although, as mentioned in another post, I think Munich could have done a better job doing so.

rockydude

May 14th, 2018 at 8:20 PM ^

I second the Hofbrauhaus recommendation. I’ll add the Augustiner Brewery as well as Mathaser if you like the beerhall kind of thing. If you want more of a restaurant, less of a berrhall, Wienerwald is good for roast chicken. The sausage is pretty good at most places as the German purity laws apply.



On a nice day, the English Gardens are a good place to stroll around. Not surprisingly, the U-barn is safe and well run. It’s pretty easy to navigate around on it. Also, it’s fun to go to the restaurant across from the Glickenspiel, as you can just get a dessert or whatever to watch it ring.

ChicagoBigHouse

May 14th, 2018 at 5:05 PM ^

Favorite beer hall is Augustiner Keller. Check that out for sure. It is the locals favorite as well.



There are many sites to see depending on your interest in history as well. Dachau is a sobering site that is done well and is on the train line.

scanner blue

May 14th, 2018 at 5:45 PM ^

Couldn't find it at first and asked a very old frauen for directions. She couldn't understand "concentration camp". Finally she got it and proclaimed "Oh, the Ovens" and guided us there. Sobering is an understatement. 

Andechs Monastery and Brewery outside of Munich. Brewing the same beer since 1455. It's zehr guten. ( haven't butchered the German language since 1980 either).

ZooWolverine

May 14th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^

Dachau is so powerful, and I definitely recommend it as well.

Though when I went as a teenager, I had the most searing ugly American experience of my life. This asshole speaking American English pointed his camcorder at his toddler daughter in a stroller and said loudly, “and here’s Shelby in . . . some museum.” Seriously had no idea where he was. Ever since, when an anonymous person does something idiotic, my family just says “there goes Shelby’s dad.”

The Donger

May 14th, 2018 at 5:14 PM ^

had the most fun at Chinesischer Turm, huge beer garden with a great mix of people and terrific energy.

For a more laid back and cool watering hole, would recommend Zephyr Bar.

Have an awesome time!!!

In reply to by The Donger

yossarians tree

May 15th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^

I got into Munich the first time off a train at 6 in the morning. Checked into my pensione and took a nap. When I came out at 10 a.m. on a beautiful morning I was surrounded by bier gardens full of people with massive steins of beer before them. I knew I was going to like that town.

Hail-Storm

May 14th, 2018 at 5:17 PM ^

and also get to go back in June too.  I had a free day 1st time, getting in at around 9:30 to my hotel on the northeast side of the city.  I had time to walk to the park, walk around the park, which was beautiful and has some cool archetcture things too, walk into the city sseing churches and cool buildings and some cool memorials and statues.  I got lunch at the restaurant mentioned above, and continued sight seeing until about 3:30 when I think I took the train back to the hotel.  I think I had a map of the city from the hotel that had some tourist points on it.  Make sure to stop in random churches.  I found it to be a relatively small city, so it was great to see a lot just on foot.  Hoping to see some more this time.  Maybe get into the countryside to see some more, but I don't think I will have a car. 

Catherine St

May 14th, 2018 at 5:18 PM ^

Munich is a great city. If you have nice weather try to hit a beergarden. It makes Bill's in Ann Arbor look like a hole in the wall. Hirschgarten, Augustiner beer garden, or the Englischer Garden are my top 3.



The Deutsches Museum is pretty cool as is walking around Marienplatz downtown. If you see a doner kebab place stop and have one. Man I miss that city. Have a liter of Augustiner Helles for me!

SalvatoreQuattro

May 14th, 2018 at 5:24 PM ^

If you are interested in WWII history Munich has special importance as it is the birthplace of Nazism. Check out the Feldherrnhalle a memorial that is also where the Beer Hall Putsch came to a bloody climax.

UNCWolverine

May 14th, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^

I was going to mention the Kunstpark Ost area but thought I'd double check it first. Apparently that area is now called Kultfabrik. It's the biggest nightlife area in Munich. I spent a week there one night.

http://www.cityscouter.com/travelguides/munich/Kultfabrik-Kunstpark-Ost…

 

Also, not sure if you have time for a day trip, but this is an absolute must if you have time. The Neuschwanstein Castle in Füssen is fantastic. It's a 4 hour train ride away though so it would be a full day trip.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle

Sideways_Rain

May 14th, 2018 at 6:01 PM ^

Excellent suggestion; one of the best castles in the entire world. Beware though, you are not allowed to enter the castle unless you book a guided tour.



Also be sure to check out Hohenschwanstein, which is the castle down the hill Ludwig II lived in while he watched them build Neuschwanstein

Sideways_Rain

May 14th, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^

First of all, enjoy! Munich is an amazing city. Here are some of my favorite spots (some of which will echo other folks):



Pub/Brewery: Head to the Augustiner Bräustuben. This is the actual brewery/restaurant of the Augustiner brand. It is different than the augustiner beer garden (also wonderful). They serve the beer straight out of the barrel, which they bring up from the basement using an old fashioned platform pully system. Freshest beer in the city.

 

Beer garden: Really all wonderful, but I am partial to Chinesichen Turm. It can be pretty busy but it's right in the middle of the English Garden (their version of central park) which makes for a wonderful stroll after a few brews. I also love Hirschgarten, which is a little off the beaten path, but won't attract nearly as many tourists

 

English Garden itself is a must. There are many options for bike rentals if you're into that or just to walk around/picnic. Remember, it's always acceptable to bring beer.

 

Nymphenburg Castle: This castle is on the west side of the city. It was the "summer home" of the bavarian royal family who lived in Munich. It has a couple small museums and a really nice park surrounding it.





Deutsches Museum: This is a museum of science/technology and it is outstanding. One of those muesums where a lot of it is pseudo hands-on. Too much there to see everything in one day



Viktualienmarkt: Big market near the city center (Marienplatz)

Rochester Blue

May 14th, 2018 at 7:51 PM ^

Try Mike’s Bike Tour. Been on it twice and you hit he highlights with English speaking tour guides who, most of the time, are pretty funny. Starts at the old center by the glockenspiel.

Goes through Englischer Garden, the Olympic Park, a bunch of WWII spots, other scenic locations, lunch at the world’s largest beer garden. Finishes at Hofbrau Haus.

Great few hours if you have the time, where you can take in a lot. Easy ride. Then you can go back and visit “if needed”, some of the spots. They actually stop for 10-15 minutes a couple of places so you can go inside or take pics. I highly recommend it.

wile_e8

May 14th, 2018 at 8:34 PM ^

I was just a tourist visiting for a week, but I'll second Augustiner Bräustuben. It was recommended to us by locals, it's outside of the Altstadt and popular among locals We were planning on stopping there for a beer before going on to other places, but we ended up staying there the rest of the night for reasons I can't remember but probably made sense after enough beer.

Also, I managed to register with Call A Bike, they have very visible bikes all over the place in case you just want to pick one up and go for a ride. I ended up grabbing one just outside my hotel and riding around Englischer Garten with a beer stop at Chinesischer Turm, and then just dropping it off on my way to more tourist stops. 

Also: Olympic Park / BMW World was a nice afternoon trip. Fraunhofer was a nice local hole in the wall restaurant. I suppose you have to visit Hofbrauhaus once, but nothing about it made us want to go back. There is a rooftop coffee shop on one of the buildings at the Technical University that is a nice place for an afternoon coffee with a view of the skyline. 

Zoltanrules

May 14th, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^

This board is great for suggestions!

Traveling to a soccer mad country during the World Cup can be an unforgetable experience, especially if you know a little bit about the home side. Massive public gatherings involving beer to watch these games is an experience. Hopefully your visit is on the 17th or after.

Google German soccer chants and national team and you will quickly be embraced in Bavaria.

Study this: http://www.espn.com/soccer/team/_/id/481

rockediny

May 14th, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^

I had a picnic with a friend at English Garden and had a blast! We brought our own beers and just lay by a stream. You can also swim if you want and just a heads up, it's nbd but there'll be people swimming in the nude. The BMW museum was interesting and right down the street is where they hold the Tollwood Festival, which I unfortunately didn't get to experience because I had to leave the day I found out about it. 

WindyCityBlue

May 14th, 2018 at 6:39 PM ^

You’ll get a lot of good suggestions inside Munich, but Bavaria is absolutely gorgeous in the summer. You can rent a nice bmw (or German equivalent) and see some of best parts of Bavaria in a day. You could even head south and check out some beautiful parts of the alps in Austria, like Innsbruck.



Munich is great. Great food, beer and people. The city was bombed pretty bad during WWII, so it lost a lot of its charm IMO.

reshp1

May 15th, 2018 at 12:24 PM ^

I'm actually in Regensburg right now for work. It's really a cool place. It's a smaller and more accessible city, and people here are really down to earth. The downtown is unreal. Every corner is a postcard view and the cathedral is amazing.

alttjs16

May 14th, 2018 at 6:57 PM ^

You'll have a great time. We went last summer with the kids, and they talk about wanting to move there. I echo earlier comments about drinking beer at the English Garden and the Augustiner Keller. We decided to name our puppy Auggie after the latter.

USA2018

May 14th, 2018 at 7:56 PM ^

München macht spaß!
If you're a soccer fan you should check out the Allainz Arena. It's outside the city but the tours are well done.You can also see the Bayern Munich hall of fame, which has a katrillion-zillion trophies.
If you're into hiking then I would take a day trip into the Alps.
Munich is also really really close to Salzburg, so if you're bored you can take the commuter train over there

Rubberband

May 14th, 2018 at 8:42 PM ^

I will second the Chineschen Tuerm and Englisches Garten.  There is so much to do in Munich and southern Bavaria, you will certainly feel a need to go back after a 1 week visit.

The Haxen is a pork knuckle that they will roast or boil, I prefer roasted,   They are my absolute favorite German specialty.  If you do make it to Andechs, then you have to try their Haxen, it's best in Germany in my opinion.  Gute Reise!