It was hard to pick just 5 things that I loved about Munich. The truth is, I really love this Bavarian city in Southern Germany. The people, the food, the beer and the history were all simply amazing. If you’re planning a trip to Germany, Munich is not to be missed.
My sister city
Did you all know that Munich is one of the sister cities to my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio? That just means that our city governments have a special relationship and that we do exchanges sometimes. They have a high school exchange program and a teacher one too. Sometimes they host events in Cincinnati too. There’s a website all about it that you can visit here.
I had heard about Munich here and there, so I was excited to visit it. My aunt had told me that Munich would remind me of Cincinnati. There were definite moments in my trip that made me long for home. What she said was definitely true.
1. The Nymphenburg Palace
I could just get lost roaming around through all of the palaces and castles in Europe. I feel like visiting them will never get old. So Germany is the perfect place to be for this!
The Nymphenburg Palace sits just outside of the city of Munich. However you can take a tram directly there, so no need to worry about finding it. Just an FYI: there was no air conditioning on the tram, so it was rather hot. I’m not sure if there never is ac or if it was just broken.
The palace has amazing gardens that just stretch and stretch. If you want, you can just wander the gardens for free. We opted to do that and also explore the inside.
This palace was built in 1664. Max Emanuel lived there and made some additions. You know … as you do when you’re royalty. Works of art are displayed inside. You can also have an event in several different rooms of the palace. How cool would that be? Likely it’s also rather expensive.
2. The Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is sort of this musical show with figurines. Munich has their very own in the heart of the city. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel sits on the side of the central square building called Marienplatz. It does a little show twice a day at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. In the summer, the show happens at 5 p.m. as well. The show is simply an instrumental number as the figurines go around. I got to see it when I was there.
The glockenspiel is that green part up above. It’s super cool to watch.
3. The Royal Residence Palace
This palace is located right in the center of the city, meaning there’s really no excuse to miss it. This place was the home to Munich’s royalty until 1918. It started as a simple castle in 1385 and has since grown much, much larger. A lot of it was destroyed during WWII and it has gradually been reconstructed since then.
4. How much everyone bikes
Now I don’t think this is special to just Munich. I have heard that most of Germany is pretty bike-friendly. I absolutely love that. It’s better for the environment than driving a car all the time. It’s also better for your health. The year after I graduated college, I moved to Washington, DC. I brought my bike and commuted 2.5 miles to work in each direction. I lost 5+ pounds this way.
All over Munich you will see lots of bike racks and people biking. They also have bike paths throughout the entire city.
5. Visiting the Hofbrauhaus
Now this one was a little bit more personal for me. You know how I mentioned above that Munich is a sister city to Cincinnati? Well we also have one of their restaurants. In the heart of downtown Munich you have the Hofbrauhaus. It’s your typical beer garden and they make their own beer. They have the long tables, a German band playing and servers wearing traditional Bavarian clothing.
The original Hofrauhaus is in Munich. However maybe like 15-20 years ago, someone who worked for the city of Cincinnati thought it would be cool to start one in Cincinnati. So ours has the same beer and the restaurant was built in the same style. They even have a German-style band playing. I’ve been to the one in Cincinnati countless times.
So while I was in Munich, I had to go and try a beer. Walking in, it felt like being back home. As someone who lives overseas, that was kind of a surreal moment.
Have you been to Munich? Would you like to visit Germany?
Loved it? Pin it!
I am linking up here.
