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Published: February 4th 2011
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After a six-hour train ride from Berlin, I arrived in Munich around 10 p.m. The Deutchbahn is a great system… on time, clean, fast, comfortable and efficient. The train stations are large, but very easy to navigate. I certainly understand why most Germans travel by train. In addition, fast food in the train stations is not greasy, fatty American-style fast food; it’s fresh-baked goodness, and certainly worth grabbing a bite for the long train-ride. By the time I arrived in Munich, I was exhausted, so I just checked into my hotel and went to sleep in hopes of getting an early start the next day.
The next morning I finally saw sunshine for the first time since arriving in Germany 3 days earlier. That certainly helped my disposition heading out to explore the city, but the beautiful architecture did even more to bolster mood, and Munich would have distinguished itself regardless of the weather. Most of the major sights are in and around Marienplatz, the city center. The new City Hall, which dominates the square, is awash in Gothic architecture and a magnificent sight! The Glockenspiel, a large clock with working figurines that put on an hourly show,
is a must see.
Okay, now for the important stuff… the Hofbräuhaus! This has got to be the most famous establishment in all of Germany. It is flooded with tourists, waitresses in dirndls, and as such, a place I would typically avoid, or at least be skeptical of. But the lure of 1-liter dunkel bier was like the Sirens’ song, and alas, I could not resist! Locals in any city generally avoid the tourist traps like the plague, but not at the Hofbräuhaus… locals have reserved tables here! That seems to say it all. Its not famous because it touristy, its touristy because it is the absolute best place to eat and drink in all of Munich, and thus, perhaps all of Germany! I don’t like to throw around superlatives, but in this case I will because it’s deserved. If you want to drink like the locals, order a 1-liter bier, preferably a dunkel (I had 3). It is perfection in a glass, and the best beer I had in all of Germany (and I had quite a few). Nothing else even compared. Have I made myself clear? If you are in Germany, any part of Germany, get
yourself down to Munich… get yourself to the Hofbräuhaus!!
Now, I was in for a special treat this day (and “special” is subjective) because there were about ten thousand Italians from Florence in town for the Fiorentina-Bayern Munich Champions League match. The Hofbräuhaus, and much of the rest of Munich, was slathered in Italians wearing purple and red and singing Fiorentina “fight”-songs. One table would begin to sing and the whole room would erupt and be capped off with a rousing “FI-REN-ZE”!!! An employee of the Hofbräuhaus did his best to try to stifle the singing, but every time he got one table under control another would break out on the other side of the room and he would rush over. The poor guy looked like a cross between Sisyphus and the Gestapo. It was a spectacle to be sure!
What I don’t understand, and maybe someone can explain this to me, is the line of people waiting to get into the Hard Rock Café across the street from the Hofbräuhaus. Who comes all the way to Munich to go to the Hard Rock Café? I don’t care where you’re from, if you’re in Munich it’s
presumably because you have an interest in Bavarian culture, so why aren’t you at one of the many Bavarian establishments? Not to mention that chain restaurants are an abomination! I wanted to slap some sense into every person on that line!
I went to a couple of other Bavarian bars as well, the Augustiner being the most notable. It is certainly worth checking out different places to get a feel for what’s good. Wherever you go, be prepared to share tables; it is a great way to meet new people and immerse yourself in the culture a bit. There are three basic beer styles you can order: Dunkel (dark) which is by far my favorite, your typical light-colored pilsner which is what most people would probably enjoy, and a Radler which is beer mixed with lemon-lime soda and tends to be more popular with women. Beers come in half-liters or full liters and you won’t be looked down upon for ordering a half, plenty of people do :^). The cuisine of Munich is what we think of as typical German food: pork shank, bratwurst with sauerkraut, pretzels, etc, etc, etc. My tip: watch out for the sauerkraut, maybe
get some dark bread instead (I’ll leave it at that).
There are three major art museums in Munich; all in the same area, and just a short walk north/northwest of the city center. I went to the Alte Pinakothek (Old Museum), which displays work from the 14th to the 18th Centuries. It’s a brick building that looks bigger from the outside than from the inside, but for €5, it’s definitely worth checking out. Some highlights include:
Albrecht Dürer’s Self-Portrait and Four Apostles. There are also some very large, dramatic, and utterly impressive works by Rubens. One particular painting by Rubens, The Great Last Judgment (1617), stood out to me; it’s 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide, and dominates the central room on the upstairs floor. The scope is so enormous that you really have to break down the painting into sections to take in the details. Take a good look at the man in the bottom right-hand corner being dragged to hell by demons… a great image in and of itself that I think may get overshadowed by the rest of the painting. Titian, Rembrandt, Raphael, and even Da Vinci also have minor pieces here.
The building itself
is quite beautiful too. It is all red brick on the outside except for the areas that were repaired after WWII; they intentionally used lighter colored bricks so the damage and subsequent repairs would remain visible. The building actually feels little industrial, which I think makes a great setting for art: brick, high ceilings, large windows, etc.
The Neue Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne are situated on adjacent blocks and house work from the 19th and 20th Centuries, respectively.
Munich has some beautiful churches as well, and I visited two of them. The Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady) is the one that dominates the Munich skyline with its onion-shaped spires. Churches are usually free to get into and most contain some beautiful art and architecture. Even for a non-religious heathen like myself, it’s really soothing and peaceful to take in the silent, tranquil beauty. This day was Ash Wednesday though, and there was a little less tranquility because television crews were setting up to broadcast the afternoon mass. It didn’t ruin the experience though.
St. Peterskirche is the oldest church in Munich, located just off the city center near the Viktualienmarkt. For me, the strangest
thing about this church is some of the relics… specifically the Tomb of Munditia, which is a glass encasement that houses the bones of Saint Munditia, a Christian Martyr. This is common in some European churches (sacred relics were a source of power for churches), however, it seems oddly out of place to me. Sitting in church every week listening to a sermon and having a skeleton stare back at me would be a bit unnerving, but perhaps that’s what it is meant to do… make you evaluate yourself and your ways?
The Viktualienmarkt is Munich’s main market place, and a great place to sample some local cuisine. It is located just to the south of Marienplatz. Come hungry! There are no supermarkets filled with preservative-laden frozen food that has been shipped from across the country. This is where locals get their food; it is raised, grown, and produced locally, and is as fresh as can be. There are tall tables where you can stand and eat lunch, and in the winter these areas are enclosed and heated. Whatever city you are in, eat at the local marketplace… you will not be disappointed.
All in all, Munich is a blast, and somewhere I will definitely return to. Good food, great beer, and good, friendly people!! Munich is on my list of greatest cities to visit. Obviously, warmer weather would enhance the experience: The English Gardens, where locals congregate to enjoy nice weather, and outdoor beer-gardens are wonderful experiences for the warmer months. But even in the depths of the bitter-cold German winter, fun can be had in Munich!!
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