Munich

Arriving in Munich, you would be forgiven for thinking you were on the set of a movie about old Bavaria. The city’s Old Town, with its medley of medieval, renaissance, and baroque architecture, is crowned by the glorious Frauenkirche, a double onion-domed church. The soft oom-pah of polka music drifts across the Marienplatz square. As you traipse the stony streets, sooner or later, you’ll be drawn into one of Munich’s classic beer halls. In these uniquely German pubs, barmaids laced in dirndl dresses serve up frosty Helles lager. Men in lederhosen and checked shirts merrily give toasts as they knock glasses, or steins, as they’re known here. In the kitchen, chefs prepare wurst sausages, glossy pork knuckles, and giant pretzels oozing with herby butter. This is Germany’s Germany, a place where folk traditions never stopped, and the fun doesn’t either.

Most well known for its Oktoberfest, if there were a Super Bowl for drinking beer, Munich would host it every year. Since its initiation as a wedding celebration in 1810, Oktoberfest has become the number one beer festival in the world. In 2018, over 7 million people attended. If you have a chance to attend Oktoberfest, it is a must to book early to get ahead of that kind of crowd. However, any time of year you visit, Munich is always happy to show you a good time. Simply cast your eyes around the banquet hall at the Munich Residenz, the 13th-century palace of the Wittelsbach family. This room is adorned with statues, painted ceilings, and gold trim. You’ll soon see Munich has been impressing guests for centuries. Not content with only luxury palaces, Munich is also very proud of its luxury cars. Swing by the BMW Museum and showroom and check out the classic German cars. They even let you sit inside to test them out.

Beer and BMWs make up two of the ‘three Bs’ of Munich. The final B is for … Bavaria! No trip to Munich is complete without a day trip or two into this rolling part of the German countryside. Throughout Bavaria, you’ll find fanciful, turreted castles like that of Neuschwanstein, competing for your attention with the mountainous scenery beyond. Stop for lunch in one of the region’s idyllic little villages, full of half-timbered houses. When you’re asked if you’d like another slice of apple strudel or some more beer, its hard to decline. Bavaria and Munich bubble over with pure-hearted German delight.  

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