Munich (or, München, in German) is a great city on many levels. Its location, the Bavarian cuisine, the amazing architecture, and the many things to see and do make it a perfect place to explore over a few days. However, my chances to spend time there seem contained to a day or so. My first time was in 1994 as I went from Frankfurt to Austria; the family I was traveling with had a relative there so we stopped somewhere on the outskirts of the city to have lunch and visit – a very short visit. Then in 1999, I went to Munich for a business trip that lasted just a few hours – not even an overnight and nowhere the near the city center. Eventually, in 2011, I finally got see the city center and stay overnight on a stopover as I returned home from a trip to Croatia. That time, I got to walk around Marienplatz at night and have dinner at a great local restaurant nearby but that was to be all.

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Place I had dinner at in 2011

Landing in Munich again!

Fast forward to 2017 and another visit to Munich appears on my radar but – yet again – it is not going to be a long one: another overnight but, this time, with the chance to see the city center in the daytime!

On the final approach on the flight over from Amsterdam, it was neat to see the beautiful Bavarian countryside…

Upon landing, it was time to get the rental vehicle and drop the stuff at the hotel before venturing into the heart of the city (the hotel was close to the airport). The drive into town was easy – GPS and Google Maps took care of that. It was neat to finally see the city in the daytime!

Approaching the city center

Marientplatz – the place to be

We approached Marienplatz by crossing through a former’s farmer market, the Victuals Market (Viktualienmarkt), now selling fruits, meats, and ready-to-eat food across a hundred or so stalls/kiosks/cafés. Though it was February, the place was teeming with people – very lively place.

The Victuals Market

We entered Marienplatz after passing by Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Ghost) by the side where the Spielzeugmuseum (toy museum) is located.

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The Church of the Holy Ghost

Interior of the church

That places you seeing the Rathaus, or City Hall, from the side and at a little distance – it is so impressive to see!!

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The Rathaus upon entering Marienplatz

The Spielzeugmuseum – a toy museum – at one end of Marienplatz

The Rathaus (not rat house!), the key building in Marienplatz

Closeup of the Rathaus’ façade

Detail of a Rathaus’ entrance

Munich from atop the Rathaus

Whenever I have the chance, I go up! Climbing or riding up but I go up! At the Rathaus, you can ride up to the top to get great views of the city all around and to take a look down at Marienplatz itself. I highly recommend checking it out!

Looking down at Marienplatz from atop the Rathaus

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Looking down at Marienplatz from atop the Rathaus

Looking at the very top of the Rathaus from the viewing platform

View of the city from atop the Rathaus

From above, I want to explore all the corners of this great city: walk its streets, check out bars and restaurants, see its museums, visit its churches, etc. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm and I will get to spend a few days doing just that! Auf wiedersehen, München!

Pin any of the photos above or this one to your travel board!

Photos of the Week – Action in Munich’s Airport

In my recent trip from Rome to Dubrovnik, I had to connect through the excellent Munich airport. I had chosen a 3+ hr layover so I wouldn’t be worried about a tight connection. It was the right airport choice for a 3 hr layover!

Munich, as other airports in Europe, has a lot more going on than the average U.S. airport. Munich is one of the airports in Europe with the best setup for connecting through it. They say you can easily make very short connections. Though coming from Italy and going to Croatia, I had to go through immigration which had a line so I am not sure I would risk a 45 min. connection!

Soon after arriving I spotted a massage place offering from manicures to full-body massages. I decided I would take a back and neck massage for 30 mins to help me relax from an early start to my day (woke up around 530 AM!) and also since I was still sick with a cold. I figured anything that helped my body was a good thing – and it was.

After the massage, I sat down for lunch at a place offering typical German fare. I enjoyed wursts, sauerkraut, a pretzel with mustard, and, of course, a beer! Mmm!

Num-num

Goodness…

Then, with still some time to kill, and with no real sense of purpose, I snapped a few odd shots with my mobile phone camera (which I admit is not the best). But I sort of like the shots as they do give a sense of the airport movement or activity . Looking at these, I wish I HAD taken them with the real camera! I love the reflections on the shiny floor!