The bus ride to Munich was maybe one of the worst nights of sleep I got on the trip but I got excited on the morning approach because we were driving through snowy plains and I had yet to visit a city in the snow! Turns out it ended up being fake news because really none of these cities retain snow in January, but it was still a lovely sight to see.
By the time I got into the station, hauled my luggage around, and cleaned up at the hostel it was about 11 AM and I was ready to boogie. I had just made a quick Google Maps itinerary for myself and I honestly checked off a lot of it in about 1.5 hours of walking around. The city was very walkable, and my hostel, Euro Youth Hostel, was perfectly situated near Marienplatz so nothing was very far and I only hopped on the metro one time.
I walked through Marienplatz, the historical center with all the old buildings and cathedrals that every European city has to have. I was excited to visit Naschtmarket which is in the center of the city, protecting a tall maypole which I learned must be protected at all costs to avoid the long history of one city stealing anothers’ maypole. I got a nice coffee in a warm tent at the market, and then indulged in a little piece of rose flavored Turkish delight which was soooo yummy. I could understand the vibe of Munich as pretty low-key, and despite being a big population, it feels pretty empty when you’re out and about. It was quite different than Berlin, though, because Berlin is a lot newer with all the bombings that happened there, so Munich is more traditional Germany.
I was disappointed when I walked through the LGBT neighborhood and it felt nonexistent, though this was a weekday on a cloudy day at noon. I struggled to buy conditioner because there were so many labels in German, and then I decided I would go on another Sandeman’s tour leaving in an hour.
But first, I headed to the iconic wave that happens in the river in their main park, and has been further sculpted for surfers to ride it. Yes! In 0°C, there were three boys out in super thick suits and hoods riding this wave. It was so very cool to see, I wonder if they’ve ever actually surfed an ocean wave!
Next, I looped back to Marienplatz (read: I didn’t give myself enough time so I ran there and showed up sweaty) and just in time for the tour. It was really interesting and fun but I left early because I was toooo darn cold and knew my face wouldn’t last double the time. We walked into the main church, placed my foot where apparently the devil stomped down, learned about the monopolies of the German beer companies, and learned that Munich is supposedly the sunniest place on Germany (but not on this day!) When I left early, it gave me a little more time to see the sights before the sun set, so I headed up the tower for 2 euros!! and saw the city in 360 degrees. The top is quite scary, you’re just standing on metal grates, so be warned that it is a thrilling experience.
Alright, to finish the day off I ate an early dinner at Hofbraehaus, the iconic spot and most famous beer hall in the world. I consumed one full liter of a dark beer and that probably did more good than harm because you forget to hydrate on your travels. Another pretzel, another pasta dish, and then I booked it to the river to stroll along until the sun set.
The rest of the night I treated myself to actually clean up and do laundry and got some fries from the doner place because it’s so cheap! I was staying in a TWELVE person room which was actually totally fine because noise doesn’t affect me and it had privacy curtains.
I felt bad staying so short in Munich when I left the next morning at 8, but in truth it would be better experienced with friends and in summer. I was bummed watching the sun come out as we were pulling away, but I know I’ll be there again soon, maybe for Oktoberfest this time!
