Next stop after Brussels was Munich!!! We got the train at 6 am and off we went. The train was great: ICE trains are the way forward, leg room a plenty and wi-fi, so I could get on Insta and Twitter and share the tale so far!
Upon arriving in Munich the first thing i noticed was snow!! Lovely for most people, for me an absolute nightmare!! I’m so scared of the stuff it’s ridiculous.
We grabbed our bags and just wandered down the street, not too sure where we going, but it turned out to be the right choice. There at the bottom of the street, in all it’s logy glory was a German Market!!! Christmas might of just happened, but I was so happy to finally get my glühwein!!
Whilst we were in the market, we had a quick look for accommodation, an unsuccessful look. Munich is expensive!! The best priced one we found had the most terrible reviews, so it was decided a few hours in Munich then hop on a train, the perks of inter-railing!
As we now didn’t have all the time we expected to have in Munich we spoke to a local about where we should definitely be heading. There was mention of the English Garden, so that was the direction we went.
Unfortunately the snow started flurrying down whilst we were walking and was blowing in our faces, making visibility poor! We eventually arrived at Hofgarten (court garden), which leads to the English garden, however as our time was now restricted and there was a certain place we had to visit, we never made it beyond hofgarten. That being said, hofgarten is a beauty spot of its own, once you enter the arch, it’s like you’ve entered a different town. The Residenz München lords over with it’s grand austerity, whilst the garden brings peace and tranquility, even when covered in the white stuff!!
Just outside of the Hofgarten is Odeonplatz, a square filled with gothic structures, then there’s the church which brightens the square in all its yellow glory!! It’s the Theatine Church and was built in the style of Italian High Baroque. Unfortunately whilst we were there it was covered in scaffolding. However it still stood with grandeur.
Opposite the Theatine Church you will see the Feldherrnhalle. This structure was built to commemorate Bavarian military leaders. They say that the Lions that stand at the front of the building are positioned so that one is facing the Residenz and is growling, whilst the other faces the Church with his mouth shut.
With not much time left until we would be boarding a train again, it was time to head to the main attraction.
Hofbräuhaus München!!!! You can’t be in Germany and not visit a traditional beer house! The building is massive ad can’t be missed, although it is down a side street. But once you hit the small Platzl it’s there, bearing flags, standing dominant. There are a few bars here, including, of course, and Irish bar but the Hofbräuhaus stands out.
Open entering, the sheer size hits you, it’s massive!! Filled with lines and lines of benches, all of which are occupied, the staff are running around in dirndl wear, serving the mass of customers efficiently. Carrying oversized trays of food and copious amounts of steins! We of course had a stein, we opted for the Hofbräu Original which was €8.60. The place is alive with a great atmosphere, when we went there was a band playing, there’s even a souvenir shop and girls walking around selling large pretzels. The places has 3 floors, we were in the main tap room, which goes on and on. At first I didn’t think we would find a place to perch, but then turned a corner to more benches and found our spot! The staff are fast and I admire there service, remembering who they are serving in a place with such a high capacity.
After an ooompahhing time in the bavarian beer house, it was time to make our way back to the station. On the way back we past Marienplatz, which is the central square in Munich. It holds the Mariensäule, a column that was erected in 1638 in celebration of the end of the Swedish occupation. The column bears the Virgin Mary on a moon, representing the Queen of Heaven. On either side is the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) and the Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall).
As time was short before getting on the train, we ended up eating at the station in a “restaurant” where the waiter was barely bothered about serving this 3 customers he had. The food was good, I had traditional german mac’n’cheese basically!! But it was enjoyable, if the waiter had been a bit more bothered I could of had the time to eat properly and not have to run off!!
Even though we only had a few hours in Munich, I feel like we definitely managed to check off a fair few boxes and see as much as we could!!
BB's words 