October 2016 – Camera! Backpack! Sneakers!

…does not do it justice! We embarked on our trip through Central-East Europe in October 2016 with a short stay in Munich, our port of arrival. We arrived just a few days after Oktoberfest and the weather had already turned chilly and cloudy. Notwithstanding, with Munich’s streets teeming with people, its many beer halls full of loud laughter and music, and an easygoing vibe that effortlessly connected centuries of Bavarian history with the 21st century, we loved it all!

Day 1

We kicked off Munich with a Sandeman’s New Munich Tours free walking tour of the Alstadt (Old Town). A city walking tour is one of the best ways to acquaint oneself to the details of the main historical/touristy area I have learned, and often the free tours, very common across Europe, are the best!

Starting off from Mary’s Column at Marienplatz, our three hour walking tour, with a 20′ break in the middle, covered all the high points of Old Town including St. Peter’s church, the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), Old Town Hall, the Munich Residence, the National Theater and Opera House on Theatinerkirche adjoining the Residence, the Hofbrauhaus, and ended near the English Gardens.

img_4406-edited — Marienplatz, the center of Munich’s Alstadt, facing the New Town Hall and Mary’s Column, bustled with tourists and locals at all hours

glockenspiel-2 — The Glockenspiel at Marienplatz does a re-enactment of Bavarian history at 11 AM and noon daily

img_4403-edited — Mary’s Column – the starting point of many city walking tours

golden-lane — The Golden Line on Viscardegasse – this small alley was used by silent protesters to avoid having to give a Nazi salute, commemorated by the golden cobblestones

We learned about the Wittelsbach dynasty and its emergence from Duke of Bavaria, to Elector to King under the Holy Roman Emperor and tales of many kings/dukes – majority involving beer and beer-brewing! We also covered a few highlights of early activities of the Nazi party centered around Munich, which is where it started, such as the Golden Lane. Much of the city including the Royal Residence was destroyed during WWII and was rebuilt/restored to its original form in the last fifty years. Parts of this work are still ongoing.

img_4386-edited — Kaunfingerstrasse in Alstadt – a picturesque promenade lined with upscale world famous brands such as Rolex as well as everyday brands like H&M

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We strolled inside the Franken cathedral where a church service was ongoing with melodious hymns. I had read that you could go up to the cathedral tower for magnificent city views, but at the time we visited there was no option to go up, as there was ongoing restoration work near the towers.

img_4413-cropped — Franken Cathedral (left) and Glockenspiel of the New Town Hall (right) mark the skyline of Munich. Franken Cathedral with its green onion domes is Munich’s most famous landmark

Day 2

We began with watching the re-enactment of Bavarian history at the Glockenspiel clock tower, which happens daily at 11 AM and noon. As perhaps the most famous Glockenspiel in Europe, this is certainly a must see for tourists. However, as I had read elsewhere and were told by locals, this performance was somewhat underwhelming. Besides, contrary to all things German, the clock’s performance started a few mins late!!

Today we spent several hours at the Munich Residence, which served as the seat of government and the imperial residence of Bavarian rulers from the 16^th to 20^th centuries. If you have the time to – more on this in another blog.

Once out of the Residenz we headed in the direction to St. Peter’s Church. 3€ and several painful flights of stairs later we were at the top of the tower, taking in breathtaking panorama of Munich and the distant countryside. In good weather, we were told, you could see as far out as the lakes and Alps. However, on this cloudy chilly day, we did get lovely views of the lights coming on throughout the city at sundown!

We then hurried on for a quick tour of the old farmers market – Viktualienmarkt. This was wrapping up at this time but there were shops selling all kinds of fresh produce, pasta and dairy, as well as the ubiquitous Bavarian pretzel. I bought some fragrant muscat grapes.

By this time we were more than ready for a hearty dinner. And this was going to be at the Hofbrauhaus, at least that was my plan. The Hofbrauhaus, founded in 1589 by the Duke of Bavaria, is one of Munich’s oldest beer halls, and by far, its most famous. It has seating on three expansive floors and was teeming with people. We soon discovered that all but the lowest level was completely booked for the evening and reservations had been made well in advance. So, we ventured downstairs and discovered the European style of restaurant dining without reservations. You share a dinner table with complete strangers – and often strike up easy camaraderie with people! (Also be ready to hijack a table once you spot folks getting ready to leave, as the waiters don’t find one for you). On this occasion our co-diners were two elderly Bavarian couples. They gave us some good travel tips for the rest of our trip. I had the best pumpkin soup ever here, with pumpkin seeds and drizzled with pumpkin oil, pork belly and knoedle (German bread dumpling)!