Day 10
Munich, Germany
24,504 steps
Highlights: Marienplatz, Englischer Garten, Olympiapark
We knew we had limited time in Munich, so we wanted to take advantage of our only full day in the city. After a big breakfast at the hotel, we set out with our Rick Steves guidebook in-hand. Our first stop was the Marienplatz, so we could watch the famous glockenspiel do its "show." A few times each day, little figurines emerge from the new city hall tower as the clock chimes and re-enact important scenes from Bavarian history (ex. a wedding, jousting) while tourists pack the square below with cameras at the ready. We stood there for fifteen minutes with our necks craned to watch the characters spin around and I have to admit - it was super overrated. I mean, it was cute in a quaint way, but when it finished, I could sense that the overall sentiment in the square was, "That's it?"
From there, we basically went on a half-day blitz through every church in the city, each with its own unique characteristics. The first stop was St. Peter's, but a service was being held inside, so we quickly moved on to the next stop on the tour: Viktualienmarkt. This market, complete with an impressive maypole in the center, was a European afternoon dream. Locals rushed around, gathering their fresh fruits, verdant veggies, and meat for dinner, and I soaked in the scene wondering what a treat it would be to live within walking distance from such a spot.
Once we'd had our visual fill of the market, we continued along our tour and found ourselves at Asam Church, an impossibly opulent baroque church built in the 18th century. The church, which is very small and extremely narrow, is filled to the brim with frills, paintings, and decorations. I think we could have spent an hour admiring the space from the gated entryway.
Next, our church-exploring extravaganza took us to St. Michael's Church, which boasts yet another stunning interior. This church also features its own crypt (no photos allowed) where several notable members of the royal Wittelsbach family are entombed, including the Mad King Ludwig II (who built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle). Interestingly enough, people still regularly lay flowers at his tomb, despite the fact that he was largely misunderstood during his time.
With its recognizable twin onion dome towers, the last church on our tour, Frauenkirche, is probably the most famous. Like many other buildings we encountered in Germany, the exterior was under construction, but we spent quite a while roaming around the inside of the church. We saw the "Devil's Footprint" in the entryway, gorgeous stained glass windows that were carefully removed and protected by locals during the bombings of WWII, and yet another crypt filled with the tombs of more Wittelsbach family members and other notable Bavarian figures. Other highlights of Frauenkirche include a tomb monument for Louis IV, who served as Holy Roman Emperor, and a plaque commemorating Pope Benedict, who is from nearby Marktl.
From here, we continued on our Rick Steves tour, stopping to see the bizarre Michael Jackson Memorial (also under construction) and eat ice cream outside of the Hofbrauhaus. We read about the rich history of Max-Joseph-Platz, the Residenz (the former residence of the Bavarian royal family), and Odeonsplatz before moving on to Englischer Garten. Interesting story: While Hitler was in power, he required everyone passing by the Odeonsplatz to salute (heil) in honor of his comrades who died during the Beer Hall Putsch, his failed coup attempt years earlier. Those that refused to salute Hitler and the Nazi regime found another way through the area, down a nearby alley, and the path they took is now paved in gold to honor their bravery and resistance.
Englisher Garten was probably my favorite stop of the day. With the exception of the nude old men sunbathing (yikes), I was absolutely enthralled by this gorgeous park and could have easily spent hours meandering around it. Since we were limited on time, we sought out the crazy river surfers who practice daily on the wave created in the Eisbach River. It was amazing to watch them step onto their boards, surf for a bit, then wipe out and resurface further down the river. We even saw a couple of the surfers ride the wave across to the other side just to relay a message to their friends.
At this point, we were getting hungry and tired (hanger is a real thing), so we hired a pedicab driver to take us to the famous Chinese Tower and beer garden in the park. Wheat convinced me to try currywurst, a sliced pork sausage covered in curry ketchup, for lunch and it was honestly one of the best meals I had on our entire trip. The picture of my lunch almost causes me physical pain because I want it so badly. We rested our feet, filled our stomachs, and people-watched before setting off for Olympiapark.
Olympiapark, the Olympic Park constructed for the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, is easily reachable via subway, so being the sports nerds we are, we decided to spend our early evening checking it out. From the observation deck of the Olympic Tower (which is a staggering 956 feet tall), we could see most of Munich, including the nearby BMW plant, the Olympic village where the tragic hostage situation took place in 1972, and even Frauenkirche in the distance. The top of the tower is also home to a random rock 'n roll museum, so we spent several minuteslaughing at perusing that. We also made sure to stop by the memorial for the Israeli athletes that were killed during the Munich Games, the swim hall (where Mark Spitz won his seven gold medals), and the massive Olympic Stadium.
For dinner, we decided to try another famous beer garden, Augustiner-Keller. In contrast to the Hofbrauhaus, this one felt less hokey with slightly less overt tourist appeal and more locals sitting at the communal tables and enjoying massive steins of beer. After picking up our food from the line, we found a spot under the canopy of massive chestnut trees and enjoyed the sticky, summer heat and German music being played by a nearby band. Also, have you ever seen a pretzel larger than your head? My carb-loving soul was in heaven.
From there, we basically went on a half-day blitz through every church in the city, each with its own unique characteristics. The first stop was St. Peter's, but a service was being held inside, so we quickly moved on to the next stop on the tour: Viktualienmarkt. This market, complete with an impressive maypole in the center, was a European afternoon dream. Locals rushed around, gathering their fresh fruits, verdant veggies, and meat for dinner, and I soaked in the scene wondering what a treat it would be to live within walking distance from such a spot.
Once we'd had our visual fill of the market, we continued along our tour and found ourselves at Asam Church, an impossibly opulent baroque church built in the 18th century. The church, which is very small and extremely narrow, is filled to the brim with frills, paintings, and decorations. I think we could have spent an hour admiring the space from the gated entryway.
Next, our church-exploring extravaganza took us to St. Michael's Church, which boasts yet another stunning interior. This church also features its own crypt (no photos allowed) where several notable members of the royal Wittelsbach family are entombed, including the Mad King Ludwig II (who built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle). Interestingly enough, people still regularly lay flowers at his tomb, despite the fact that he was largely misunderstood during his time.
With its recognizable twin onion dome towers, the last church on our tour, Frauenkirche, is probably the most famous. Like many other buildings we encountered in Germany, the exterior was under construction, but we spent quite a while roaming around the inside of the church. We saw the "Devil's Footprint" in the entryway, gorgeous stained glass windows that were carefully removed and protected by locals during the bombings of WWII, and yet another crypt filled with the tombs of more Wittelsbach family members and other notable Bavarian figures. Other highlights of Frauenkirche include a tomb monument for Louis IV, who served as Holy Roman Emperor, and a plaque commemorating Pope Benedict, who is from nearby Marktl.
From here, we continued on our Rick Steves tour, stopping to see the bizarre Michael Jackson Memorial (also under construction) and eat ice cream outside of the Hofbrauhaus. We read about the rich history of Max-Joseph-Platz, the Residenz (the former residence of the Bavarian royal family), and Odeonsplatz before moving on to Englischer Garten. Interesting story: While Hitler was in power, he required everyone passing by the Odeonsplatz to salute (heil) in honor of his comrades who died during the Beer Hall Putsch, his failed coup attempt years earlier. Those that refused to salute Hitler and the Nazi regime found another way through the area, down a nearby alley, and the path they took is now paved in gold to honor their bravery and resistance.
Englisher Garten was probably my favorite stop of the day. With the exception of the nude old men sunbathing (yikes), I was absolutely enthralled by this gorgeous park and could have easily spent hours meandering around it. Since we were limited on time, we sought out the crazy river surfers who practice daily on the wave created in the Eisbach River. It was amazing to watch them step onto their boards, surf for a bit, then wipe out and resurface further down the river. We even saw a couple of the surfers ride the wave across to the other side just to relay a message to their friends.
At this point, we were getting hungry and tired (hanger is a real thing), so we hired a pedicab driver to take us to the famous Chinese Tower and beer garden in the park. Wheat convinced me to try currywurst, a sliced pork sausage covered in curry ketchup, for lunch and it was honestly one of the best meals I had on our entire trip. The picture of my lunch almost causes me physical pain because I want it so badly. We rested our feet, filled our stomachs, and people-watched before setting off for Olympiapark.
Olympiapark, the Olympic Park constructed for the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, is easily reachable via subway, so being the sports nerds we are, we decided to spend our early evening checking it out. From the observation deck of the Olympic Tower (which is a staggering 956 feet tall), we could see most of Munich, including the nearby BMW plant, the Olympic village where the tragic hostage situation took place in 1972, and even Frauenkirche in the distance. The top of the tower is also home to a random rock 'n roll museum, so we spent several minutes
 |
| Spitz is no Phelps, but I was still pretty excited. |
 |
| Olympic Village |
 |
| Can you faintly see Frauenkirche in the center-left distance? |
For dinner, we decided to try another famous beer garden, Augustiner-Keller. In contrast to the Hofbrauhaus, this one felt less hokey with slightly less overt tourist appeal and more locals sitting at the communal tables and enjoying massive steins of beer. After picking up our food from the line, we found a spot under the canopy of massive chestnut trees and enjoyed the sticky, summer heat and German music being played by a nearby band. Also, have you ever seen a pretzel larger than your head? My carb-loving soul was in heaven.
I loved Munich when we visited, although it was the middle of winter and absolutely freezing. Your pictures make me want to visit again in the summer time. How cool to see Olympic park just months before this year's games. So fun!
ReplyDeleteLook at that step count! Maybe one day you'll return to an Olympic venue to pursue a gold medal in speedwalking!
ReplyDelete