Munich is not only one of the worlds greatest beer and brewing capital in the world but also home to Baroque and Renaissance cathedrals and opulent royal palaces dating back to between the 12th and 18th centuries. The capital of Bavaria is also where BMW is headquartered, showcasing some of their finest history in their onsite museum. We often overlook places that are on our doorstep, at around 3 hours drive from Basel we decided to pay a much overdue visit. We packed up the car one sunny evening in July and crossed the border from Switzerland into Germany.

Munich Essentials

The local currency in Germany is the Euro

We used card in most city locations and only used cash for street markets.

The local time in summer is GMT+2 and GMT+1 in winter.

We just used the metro to get around the city, it’s a safe and efficient.

If you're planning to visit during Oktoberfest, book your hotel as soon as possible. Many people book upto 1 year ahead of time.

Munich Highlights 

Karlstor

We started our day at the gateway to the city! Situated near the main train station, this city entrance is the perfect place to start your day off in Munich. Dating back to as early as the 14th century Karlstor was part of the city’s fortification. Redesigned, rebuilt and extended throughout the ages up until today where we see the simplified rebuilt version due to damage sustained in the second world war. We walked past the fountain and through this gate, a busy entrance to the city with flocks of people rushing to get to the shopping mile of Neuhauser Straße.

Marienplatz

Marienplatz as it’s been known since 1854 is right at the focal point of the city. Your eye will first be drawn to the old and new town halls as you navigate your way through the hustle and bustle of this central point. There’s always something going on in this square whether it be winter markets, food festivals or music concerts. We wanted to get a better view of this incredible square so we headed to the Turm "Alter Peter" situated just around the corner from the town hall and climbed the 306 steps to the viewing platform. The views were stunning and the weather was clear so you could see the alps peaking through on the horizon.

Hofgarten

We decided to escape the noise and crowds of the city by heading to one of Munich’s many garden areas. The most conveniently located garden to downtown Munich is the Hofgarten just off Odeon Platz, as soon as you walk through the archway you are greeted with space to breath and nature’s relaxing greenery. If you find yourself with the time to explore Munich’s other green spaces be sure to check out the English garden, the Botanical gardens and the wonderfully well kept grounds of the Nymphenburg palace.

Hofbräuhaus

You don’t have to wait until midday to enjoy a refreshing beer from the most famous beer house in the world, a liquid breakfast is perfectly normal here! Built over 500 years ago this tavern maintains the same Bavarian atmosphere as it did all those years ago. Even in the peak season you will always find a bench to sit on and be able to enjoy a Hofbrau original whilst tapping your foot to the sound of traditional music being played -if you don’t specify your size you will be brought the liter mug which will complete your Hofbrau experience! Watch out for locals retrieving their personal steins held safely under lock and key, you might even see them paying with beer tokens a Hofbrau currency that’s free from market fluctuations - so never mind investing in crypto and shares time to stock up on those beer tokens!

Victuals Market

Victuals is a Latin word for food and there’s no shortage of that at this market! The Market is made up of over 100 produce stands and even has it’s own beer garden nestled in a shaded area where the beer on tap changes every month. The most iconic feature of the market is the blue and white candy stripped Maypole, each year on May 1st the spring celebrations are held here including the tapping of the new years batch of beer. The vast array of fresh produce from the region might explain the very small supermarkets in the vicinity, buying produce directly from the farmer with a personnel interaction and experience is one you will want to repeat. The Victuals market is the perfect way to spend a few hours enjoying all the sights, smells and beer the area has to offer!

BMW Museum

One of Munich’s most recognizable buildings in the shape of 4 cylinders is the BMW tower with the bowl shaped museum right next to it. Across the road, accessible by a foot bridge is the BMW world which showcases all the latest models of cars and motorcycles that can be interacted with. The Museum tour which is highly recommended starts off with the early lesser known history of the company with fantastically well preserved examples of many early production and concept models. Allow yourself at least 2-3 hours to wander around the magnificent halls of automotive history. If you would like to see our highlights from the museum check out our vlog with the following Link.

Where to Stay, Eat and Drink

Munich is full of restaurants from modern classics to traditional eatery’s, everyone will find something to their taste in Munich. We tried a few plant based eateries while staying in the city.

Emmi’s Kitchen - We tried both locations and the food was great, fresh and with lots of options for all dietary requirements. The tofu scramble was particularly good!

SOY - Hands down this was one of the best Vietnamese restaurants we have ever visited. We indulged and had starters, main and desert everything was perfect. From the vibe to the seasoning each dish was well thought out. We would definitely return!!

Make sure you follow us on HappyCow to see all our reviews of restaurants and Cafes around the world!

We have stayed at hundreds of hotels and I now know what we like and what we want from each one. This time we decided to say a little bit out of the city at the Hotel Rothof. This charming boutique hotel was just what we needed for our romantic getaway. Hotel Rothof is surrounded by green gardens and trees The perfect contrast to Munich city life. After a full day of exploring, wandering back through the park was a great way to end the day! With an awesome bar and great cocktails the Rothof was the perfect base for our time in Munich! We used Hotelcard and got this hotel 50% off during our stay.

Photo Diary

These are just a small selection of highlights from Munich, there’s so much more to see and explore. So whether you are planning to visit for one day or a long weekend there is plenty to see and do with a guarantee that timeless memories will be made.

If you have additional suggestions for travelers to Munich, please drop them in the comments section!

Love

Emily