Munich, the Heart of Bavaria

After a whirlwind stop in Frankfurt, Garnet and I were ready to spend a little extra time in our next destination, the bustling metropolis of Munich. When we arrived in late afternoon our first priority was to nap... at least for Garnet who was still suffering from jet-lag. By supper-time we were off again to explore.

Armed with our map we headed for Marienplatz, the main square in the city center. Our goal was to eventually arrive at the famous Hofbräuhaus, Munich's largest traditional beer hall. On our way we passed through the Munich Christmas market which was filled with tourists and locals out for a meal and hot drink. We followed the market through the shopping streets until the tall clock tower of Marienplatz greeted us.

The picture above shows the clock tower at the center of Marienplatz. The highlight of this tower is the glockenspiel, or chimed instrument which plays at particular times each day. As it plays, music box figures dance to the music. For a close-up of the figures, check out the picture which I took the following day.

After a few deviations in our evening walk (due to my excellent navigational skills...) we finally arrived at the Hofbräuhaus. It is an incredibly huge building, yet was packed with customers. We walked around for several minutes before asking to share a table with an English couple. Despite its full tables, the service was excellent and we ordered dinner (more meat and potatoes) and beer. The thing about beer-hall beers is that they are huge, 1 Litre to be exact, which basically requires two hands for safe sipping. Both Garnet and I think that Canada should quickly adopt these large steins. They were great!

The next day we got our exercise, trekking around the city to see multiple sights. We began by climbing the tower of St Peter's Church which provided spectacular views of the center of Munich.

The cathedral in the above picture is the Frauenkirche, one of Munich's architectural landmarks dating to the end of the 15th century. It suffered extensive damage during WWII and had to undergo massive restoration lasting into the 1990s. You can see in the photo that one tower was under restoration during our visit, but this was unrelated to damage sustained in the war. The sky-scraping ceilings of the church interior were as impressive as the outside, but its current state is not nearly as ornate as before the War.

The entrance to Frauenkirche is marked by a black footprint in the tile. According to legend, this mark belongs to the Devil who entered the Church and looked up from this spot to see no windows. He laughed in triumph, but as he stepped forward the windows came into view. The Devil realized that he had been defeated and in anger turned into wind, which to this day swirls around the two towers.

Our next stop was the Residenz, Munich's palace. Originally built in 1385, it was inhabited by Bavarian royalty until 1918, and in 1920 became a museum to showcase the impressive staterooms, treasury and theater. Like the Frauenkirche, the Residenz underwent restoration after its roof was almost completely destroyed in WWII.

The Residenz has much to offer, and I have lots of pictures to share. Enjoy!

 Below is the Great Hall, perhaps the greatest room in the Residenz.

 One room in the museum houses the remains of former Bavarian monarchy. We unknowingly wandered in to be greeted by this creepy skull swathed in lace and beads. 

 The treasury included a variety of prized objects, including this bejeweled crown.

With tired feet, Garnet and I made our way out for an evening meal. If you visit Munich, I highly recommend Café Nil on Hans-Sachs-Straße. It is a gay-friendly café with great service and food. I ordered a delicious salad because I was already experiencing vegetable withdrawal from so much meat and potatoes.

For our last day in Munich we planned to visit the Dachau concentration camp and the BMW museum. This day proved to be one of the best in our trip. Make sure you read my next blog to find out more!

Guten Nacht from Ireland!
Shannon