Hallo alle zusammen! Wie gehts dir so? Yes, I would love to visit Germany. The first city that I would visit, would be Munich! Yes, not Berlim, but Munich. Although known worldwide for Oktoberfest, the annual beer festival held since 1810, Munich offers a number of attractions that make this one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. Full of beauty and untold riches, the capital of the Bavarian region also draws attention for being a place where history and tradition coexist with the modernity of a potentially industrial city. Deshalb fangen wir?
1. Marienplatz and Neue Rathaus – The heart of Munich (because it has a lot of tourist attractions near it), Marienplatz is a beautiful square, located in Altstadt neighborhood. In the north of the square, you will find the Neue Rathaus (the new town hall), a gothic building built in the 19th century. Ace 11, 12 and 17 hours, the Carillon, in the one of the towers, plays a dance with miniatures. That time, everybody stop to catch the moment with their cameras. Especially on a sunny day, it’s said that you must visit the tower of the Neue Rathaus to get a wonderful view of Munich and the Altes Rathaus (the old town hall).
2. Frauenkirche (Munich Cathedral) – This is one of the most important sights of the city. The cathedral was built in 20 years (a record for that time) and it was started in 1468. It has two towers and both are 99 meters high (nothing, in the city, can be higher than these two towers). The cathedral is known for the “Devil’s footprint”. It’s said, to the tourists: “The architect, when he was building the church, he was being pressed for it to be completed soon. The devil, knowing this, went to church one night and looked at him and said, ‘Look, I’ll help you build this church with the condition that you will not build anymore windows’. By the entrance of the church, he could only see only a window, which is the stained glass. This way the church would be known as the Dark Church (Devil’s Church). The problem is that the devil did not know that behind every pillar, there was a window. So, one day, he went to church, in the morning, and saw all the windows and that it was very clear. He became very angry and hit his foot very strong on the floor. And since then there is the footprint of the devil in the church.” Other thing to see there is the beautiful tomb of Emperor Ludwig IV of Bavaria.
3. Shopping Streets – Every place you can go, you should visit the shopping streets. The department stores, the regional stores and the small stores of the city are different and it makes you see and understand the “culture”. Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufinger Strasse are popular streets, where you can find stores as Zara, H&M, Mango and others; Maximilianstrasse and Residenzstrasse are more glamorous streets, where you can find expensive stores and cafes.
4. Viktualienmarkt and Englischer Garten – Viktualienmarkt is a place where you will see people coming and going and small tents placed side by side selling fruit, breads, cheese, wine and candies. It’s in this square that you can find one of the most popular ‘biergartens’. Biergartens are gardens facing the tasting of beer, where you can experience the drink, in addition to various types of sausage that are part of the cuisine of the area. The fair is near to Marienplatz (550 meters of it). The Englischer Garten is a park where you can also find biergartens. The most famous there, is the one located near the Chinesischer Turm, a sculpture 25 meters high. In this park, people usually go to the Monopteros to watch the sunset.
5. Hofbrauhaus – It’s brewery worldwide known. It was opened in 1589 by Duque William V. Located in the heart o f Munich, near Marienplatz, is place is obligatory stop for those who want to try a good quality of a beer. The place is very thematic: with rustic decor, waiters and waitresses dressed up, a lot of German music and animation. In the list of famous people who visited it, are Mozart and Lenin, amazing, no?. The food is also good. The famous dishes as Weisswurst and Sucling Pig are very affordable. The beer has seven types and, if you want, you can buy a traditional mug where the beer is served. If I went there, I would like to try the traditional Bavarian breakfast (sausages with sweet mustard).
6. Dachau Concentration Camp – 20 kilometers from Munich, in the small city Dachau, you will do a dip in the more sad and gloomy part of German history, but people said that worth it. During the visit, you can see how the prisoners were treated, objects of that time and a testimony of the survivors. Temples of some religions were built there to honor that ones who died there. Everyone that go there say that it has a heavy energy, but worth it, as I said before.
7. Neuschwanstein (A fairy tale castle) – The view seems to be a piece of art. Near a forest and a cascade in the city of Füssen, the castle built by the King Ludwig II in the middle of 19th century. The king could only use it for 170 days till his death. The castle was opened to the public in 1886 and, nowadays, Neuschwanstein receives 1.3 million visitors each year. The tour, in the castle that inspired Walt Disney to build the Cinderella Castle, takes 35 minutes. The tickets costs 12€ for adults over 18 years.
8. Alter Peter (St. Peter church’s) – More than 300 steps can take you to the top of the church. It’s like the Eiffel tour of Munich (no, better not compare haha). But, when you are on the top of the tower, you have a full view of Munich and is also possible to see the region of the Bavarian Alps (Zugspitze). It’s said that it’s good to arrive early to avoid lines. To see the schedule of the church click here.
9. Nymphenburg Palace – Schloss Nymphenburg in German is a baroque palace in Germany, located in Munich. Served as the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Inside the palace, they try to keep with the original decoration: baroque, neoclassical and rococo. Among the museum’s main attractions are the magnificent carriages and sleighs of King Ludwig II.
10. Oktoberfest – It is the world’s largest beer festival in the city of Munich. He appeared in October 17, 1810 as the Prince Ludwig von Bayern wedding party with Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, who offered to their guests food and typical drinks of the state of Bavaria. In these 200 years of Oktoberfest, drunkenness only stopped because of major problems such as wars and diseases. Despite its name, the Oktoberfest now starts in mid-September, when there is little rain and does so cold, and extends to the very beginning of October. Every year, the mayor of Munich opens the festival with a hammer in the first keg of beer to be consumed. In 2010, it had 6,4 million visitors who consumed 7 million litters of beer and it moved a lot of money: 830 million euros.
Well guys, another Top 10 for you. The next week, I’ll be back with another wonderful city that I love to meet. So, if you like this post, leave a comment below! See you next week!