Heading from Salzburg to Munich on the 21st of Sept, then leaving the 23rd to head to Lucerne, Switzerland. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I want to attend Oktoberfest, as crowds generally aren't my thing and I've heard it's ridiculously expensive. I'm planning to see Dachau, is there anywhere else nearby I must see? Or anywhere else on the road to Switzerland?
Posted by
the Netherlands
2487 posts
Why go to München at all? It's hardly the most attractive city in this part of Germany and, as you mention, is ridiculously expensive during the Oktoberfest. Having said that, they have some good museums and a couple of nice palaces with parks, such as Nymphenburg and Schleißheim.
Posted by
179 posts
You could visit the Pinakotheken or Deutsches Museum in Munich. These would count as "must-sees". For what they have as exhibits, not for being typically German. And have some leisure time at the Englischer Garten. It's a must-see when you go to Munich outside of winter. And of course, the 19th century architecture all over the place. If not for all that, avoid the city during the Oktoberfest time if you don't like crowds.
As you come from Salzburg and go to Lucerne, I take as set you don't wanna have even more Alps. As stated often, the lakesites southwest of Munich are really beautiful. At the Ammersee you could visit the Andechs monastery with its traditional brewery and distillery. That's typical german.
Konstanz at the Bodensee is also typical German while explicitly not Bavarian. You can see there how Germany gradually changes into Switzerland. Though the Swiss would always insist it's a drastic change once you cross the border. Maybe a good stop before going to Lucerne.
Posted by
Paradise
6642 posts
What sort of memories do you want to take home from your short stay in
Germany? I think I'd suggest avoiding Munich, as tonfromleiden suggests. Dachau is an important memorial site. But the images you carry away will be horrific and hard to shake off in just 48 hours. The Nazi era was a blip in history, not the least bit representative of today's Germany. If Dachau is all you take away from your time in Germany... Anyway... Munich, while a good destination, will be packed and expensive. Why not look into some other interesting options?? Regensburg (a UNESCO World Heritage city for its well-preserved medieval center) is a good choice. It shares the Danube River with Passau (at the confluence of 3 rivers, lovely place.) Landshut is really nice too - it's on the nearby Isar River. I think any of these places would be interesting, educational and enjoyable.
Posted by
16 posts
I also agree on avoiding Munich. Too big and touristy. Its size is impressive. Once you get over that, though, it's just a bunch of people shopping or looking for something to see.