European City Tour: Munich, Germany

Part of my 2011 European travel adventures

Munich (German München) is the 3rd biggest German city and the cultural and economic center of Southern Germany. It's also the capital of the German Bundesland Bavaria. Munich is famous for so many things, that I don't know where to start: The Oktoberfest, the beer, the weisswurst, the pretzel, the dirndl, the lederhosen, Bayern München soccer club, BMW, Frauenkirche, schiki-miki and much more. Munich is for me culturally closer to Austria and Switzerland instead of middle and northern Germany. One thing, that makes people of Munich very different from the rest of Germans is the colorful Bavarian dialect, spoken in and around the city. Germany's southern metropolis has so much to offer, that I'd need days, maybe even weeks, to explore most of it. My focus was on the historic center, I spend one morning to walk around and take photos.

1. My impression of Munich

Munich seemed quite big to me. The center is truly located in the very middle part of the city, which is very convenient. The Hauptbahnhof, Munich's main station, is located right next to it and can be reached by foot. Therefore almost all roads lead to there, be it the railway, the U-Bahn, the S-Bahn, the buses or the cabs. You can't miss the place. Getting around is a little confusing at first, because there are really so many means of transportation. You'll need some time to comprehend that maze. Munich center is interesting, in parts. It's very diverse, from old churches to modern buildings: You have everything you want. The most beautiful part is the Marienplatz with the old and new City Hall, as well as the famous Frauenkirche, the onion-shaped tips of two identical towers that form Munich's most notable landmark. But of course Munich also has few ugly sides, especially the main station and some quarters nearby. I wasn't too eager to walk around there at night, but yeah: I survived.

2. My photos of Munich

The area south of Hauptbahnhof is dominated by immigrants.

The tram slowly passing by.

Few meters inside the old town and I already saw a church.

A Bavarian restaurant.

Beautiful old house, which is today a museum.

The new synagogue.

Walking deeper into the central part.

Vegetable market called Viktualienmarkt.

Alter Peter Church and the Old City Hall.

People strolling around.

Old City Hall or Altes Rathaus.

Alter Peter or St. Peter's church.

The old City Hall again.

The new City Hall or Rathaus at the Marienplatz.

The right side.

The tip of the tower.

The coat of arms.

The left side.

The trapped dragon.

The busy Weinstraße.

The famous Frauenkirche or Cathedral of Our Dear Lady.

This is Munich's most famous landmark.

Each tower is 99m tall and built with bricks. Amazing.

National theatre of Munich on the right. On the left is the Munich Palace in renovation.

The posh Maximilianstraße, full of luxury brands. This is where the posh hang out.

The Upper Bavaria governmental building.

Statue of Maximilian II of Bavaria.

Maximilianeum, a palace in use for the Bavarian Landtag.

Walking back in the central part of the center.

I saw a BMW near the synagogue.

The Old Peter again.

This is the Hauptbahnhof.

A very big station, but not as big as the one in Frankfurt.

Off to the trains.

This is where my Munich tour ended.

3. Munich in conclusion

Munich is one of those cities, that are huge by size and importance, yet they still retain that small town feeling, the ambiance of the old times long past. Bavarians are very down to earth and make every visitor feel like home. At least that's how I felt during my (now already) second visit. Munich has a lot to offer, it's definitely worth a few days long stay, but I'm sure that it's even more interesting to travel around Bavaria, see the beautiful landscape and stroll through picturesque small towns. That will need to wait for some other time, because my next destination is Basel, Switzerland.