I probably don’t need to tell you that any trip to Germany should include a stop in Munich. The city is the capital of the state of Bavaria, the source of most of our assumptions of what Germany is all about. Some come for the beer, some for the architecture, and some for the weather. Munich is deservedly a priority for most tourists in Germany.
Any visit should begin with a visit to the Marienplatz. The Gothic Revival city hall in front of you is called the New City Hall and was actually built between 1867 and 1909, when the Old City Hall to your right became too small. It’s best to be there at 11 am or 12 pm (or 5 pm in the summer) to hear the carillion and see the moving figures. Although they were only installed in 1908, they depict the 1568 wedding of Duke Wilhelm V and Renata von Lothringen (Lorraine). Circling in front of the happy couple are two knights, reenacting a joust perfomed on the Marienplatz in celebration of the marriage. Watch the knight on the right the second time they come around. On the lower level you can see a traditional dance. At the very end, an owl perched above the couple hoots and flaps its wings.
Head up the Kaufingerstrasse and take the second right to get to the Frauenkirche or “Cathedral of our Blessed Lady.” Most of the church was constructed between 1468 and 1488 but the iconic domes were not finished until 1525. For views of the city and even the Alps, climb the stairs and ride the elevator up the southern tower. Inside the church check out the devil’s footprint in the entry way and the plaques for the former archbishops as well as Pope Benedict XVI, who was the archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982. Keep in mind that like most of downtown Munich, the Frauenkirche was largely destroyed during WWII. The two towers remained standing and the rest has been carefully rebuilt.
There are many short and longer trips a bit out of the city center. The Dachau concentration camp is just outside of the city and reachable with the S-Bahn. Dachau housed Jews, Russian prisoners of war, Polish priests, and other victims of Nazism from 1933 to 1945. Visitors can view reconstructed barracks and an excellent display describing the history of the camp.
If you don’t have enough time to make it out to Neuschwanstein, I would recommend the Schloss Nymphenburg, a baroque palace built in the 1600s. It is reachable by public transportation with tram #17 in the Amalienburgstrasse direction. If you do have time to see the most German of German castles, a bus tour is well worth the money. Practically on the border with Austria, Neuschwanstein was built by the supposedly mad King Ludwig II in the second half of the 19th century.
Beer and food, are of course, a very important part of the Munich experience. Definitely check out the Hofbräuhaus and their enormous beer steins. The weisswurst (white sausage) is delicious and the pretzels are the best in Germany. Raise your liter beer stein and say “Prost!” to Munich!
