Monday, May 18, 2015

Munich in a Day


It's been two years since I last did a post on visiting Munich. In 2013, I shared travel tips for those spending four days in and around this Bavarian city. But since European travel is usually a fast paced marathon for travelers from America, I thought I would give my guidelines for seeing Munich on a tight time frame.

This weekend we were so fortunate to have my brother Garrett and his girlfriend Margo visit. They arrived late Saturday afternoon and left early Monday morning. We had just a few short hours Saturday evening and all day Sunday to see the top highlights Munich has to offer.
Saturday Afternoon:
An important tip to remember when traveling to Bavaria, is that all the shops and stores are closed on Sundays. Ahead of time, Margo had compiled a list of three stores she wished to visit.
Since it was close to 6:00 p.m. when we made it to the city center, we stopped in the Dallmayr Coffee & Tea Shop first. There they were able to pick up a few gourmet goodies to take back home. On Saturdays most of the stores close at 7 p.m. so after Dallmayr, we stayed in the area and stopped inside Schuhbeck's spice shop. 

Now it's the time of year when the days are bright until around 10 p.m. each night. After our shopping and a walk thru at the Hofbrauhaus we still had a couple hours of daylight. We headed over for an evening  stroll in the English Garden. 

Originally, we had planned to eat dinner inside the English Garden but as the sunset it got a bit too cold. Instead of a beer garden dinner, we decided to head to Husband's favorite traditional German restaurant, Schneider Weisse. It was perfect for sharing some of the best foods and beverages known to the area!

Sunday:
Sunday was my brother and Margo's only full day in Munich. We had a full schedule to see all the major sights. We started with a walk from Stachus (the old city gate) down a pedestrian zone towards the city center, Marienplatz. There we looked at the glockenspiel and took a few photos in front of the town hall. 

From Marienplatz we headed towards one of my favorite plazas, Odeonsplatz. Along the way we took a minor detour and stopped at the Michael Jackson memorial. Yep, Munich has a MJ memorial still actively visited by visitors and locals. Always curious to see inside one of his favorite hotels, "Bayerishe Hof", we poked our heads inside one of the most glamorous hotels and bars in Munich. 
At Odeonsplatz, we took Garrett and Margo to my favorite cathedral, the Theatinekirche. The church is completely covered in white plaster moldings. It has been beautifully up-kept and is currently undergoing more restoration.

Lucky for us, Odeonsplatz was the start (or end) of a city wide "green initiative" outdoors festival. We picked up some cheesey-bratwurst sandwiches and sat at the beer tables listening to live music. It was the perfect spot for a quick bite surrounded by the Residenz, Theatine Church, and the famous Feldhernnhalle. 

After our quick snack, we walked inside the Residenz garden, headed by the Residenz theater, and finally ended up at the Monkey Tower. This tower is called the Monkey Tower because as a baby, King Ludwig almost fell out of the window but was pulled back by a pet monkey.

One of the most fun highlights of the afternoon was climbing to the top of the bell tower at St. Peter's Cathedral. It was the first time we have seen Munich from up above. Viewing a city from above really puts into perspective where each attraction is located, how far you have walked, and you see things you might not otherwise had seen from the ground level.
Our day ended with a trip to Nymphenburg Palace.  I have talked about this palace before and how quaint it is nestled in a residential part of Munich. Nymphenburg was originally built as a summer house outside of the city for the royal family. The architectural style is modeled after the famous Versailles in Paris.
We took a walk through the gardens, saw the hunting lodge, and walked through a field that made us feel as if we were out in the middle of nowhere. One of my friends highly recommended eating at the traditional German restaurant on the grounds of Nymphenburg. Nestled in a quiet alley to the side of the palace we found Schlosswirtschaft-Schwaige.
At first glance, we thought we were way under dressed in our tennis shoes and t-shirts for Schlosswirtschaft-Schwaige but... they let us in. We found an atmosphere full of class with white table clothes, elegant Bavarian decor, and a wine list that did not disappoint. Then we tasted the food and declared it the best of the entire weekend. Wonderful setting, fabulous food, and an affordable menu now makes Schlosswirtschaft-Schwaige a place that I must also recommend when you are visiting Munich.

Speaking of visiting Munich, if you are in town and looking for a great cup of coffee... you must check out My Fable. It is an art and coffee shop combination with entertainment some nights of the week. 

Last Friday, we kicked off a giveaway together for a pair of earrings sold inside My Fable's storefront and online shop. Don't forget to get yourself entered to win a new accessory perfect for summertime!

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Have a Fantastic Week,

2 comments:

  1. I absolutely love all the German words. I really want to visit Munich now!

    ReplyDelete
  2. When a wonderful trip to a great city Munich comes in I would love to enjoy that Munich tour. Amazing! long stay parking heathrow

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