Let me start by telling you that I didn’t really want to go to Munich. I have never been to Germany and after visiting Berlin I felt like it was not my kind of place. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t mind visiting and I understand that Germany is much more than Berlin but there were other countries I’d much rather explore. Our anniversary trip was coming, and Italy was a country of my choice while my husband picked Germany. A week in Munich, to be exact. So, here I was – vegetarian who doesn’t drink beer and is completely in love with Italy on a 6-hour train to Munich. Long story short, at the end of the trip I didn’t really want to leave: it turned out, there was much more to Munich than beer and schnitzel. So, today I am sharing my favorite things about the city that make me want to come back:
- The parks to balance city life
The first thing that caught me by surprise about Munich was its absolutely beautiful clean parks. I could never have thought that the city would be so green! For instance, English Garden is one of the world’s biggest urban parks, and it’s even bigger than beloved New York’sCentral Park.
The weather was perfect, so we took advantage and spent as much time as we could exploring the parks and even having picnics there during our one week in Munich. We were able to escape big-city life anytime we felt like there were too many people around.
- Pedestrian-friendly and accessible
I simply loved exploring Munich thanks to its very well-establish transportation system and pedestrian-friendly streets. For the group of 2 people or more, you can always buy a 24-hour metro pass. The ability to spend a day walking around gives you the feeling of freedom you miss at home when you spend shocking amount of time in traffic. On top of that, walking to grocery stores and bakeries in the morning was very convenient.
- Sundays
A close friend of mine who lives in Munich warned me that many stores and restaurants would be closed on Sundays. At first, it was very weird to realize that Sunday brunch wasn’t happening. When you live in the USA, Sunday is your favorite day – that’s when get-together for a meal and shopping happen. But, if you think about it, what a great way to allow people in Germany to have a day off to spend time with families. So, we did the best thing we could do – made breakfast at home and visited museums.
- Museums, castles, and churches
Munich has so much to offer when it comes to museums, churches, castles, etc. I would highly recommend visiting as many museums as possible if you happen to be in the city on Sunday: the entrance is only €1. Also, do yourself a favor and try to climb 300 steps of St.Peter’s Church to enjoy the best view in Munich.
- Marienplatz
Marienplatz is another reason to fall in love with the city: not only Glockenspiel gathers people of all ages from all over the world at 12 p.m. to enjoy Schäfflertanz, but it also shows a different side of Munich – less crowded and calm at night. And if you feel like it becomes too crowded – there’re always parks to visit!
- The city of good food, holy carbs and…. good coffee!
Ok, where do I begin? I could never have thought that Munich would have such a great selection of food no matter what your diet and lifestyle are. I was also surprised by good coffee served even in Biergartens. We came from Italy, where we would start and end the day with some kind of pastries or bread, so I expected nothing more than pretzels in Munich. Well, I came home a couple of lbs heavier, because I couldn’t stop eating their delicious freshly baked bread, cakes, and all kinds of pastries.
- The food markets
To sum up my previous thoughts about all the good food in Munich, I must mention its food markets. Victuals Market was our favorite one: it reminded me of a really big Biergarten that had so many things to offer that the only problem you had was to decide what you wanted to eat/drink. Well, another issue we had was cash – just like many places in Munich, vendors at this market accept cash only. So, be aware of that if you want to try the best food Munich has to offer.
- Clean and safe
Munich is one of the safest cities…. in the world! Since day one you can see that it takes their security very seriously, so both locals and tourists feel very comfortable and safe.
It’s really crowded in Munich but, no matter where you are, on the train to Germering, in the park, in the restaurant or on the street the name you can’t possibly remember, you won’t see garbage (at least, we didn’t).
- Biergartens
The culture of having a meal together, sharing the stories, talking, enjoying good music with no pressure to pay and leave (in the way that you may need to chase a waiter to get your check) is something amazing. It’s like a stress-free zone with happy thoughts and happy people. Even if you’re not meat and beer kind of person!
These were just a few reasons to visit (and come back) to Munich! Have you been to this beautiful city? And, if you have, what’s your favorite thing about Munich?
XX,
Gena
GENA'S ADVENTURE 