My husband and I are spending 3 or 4 days in Munich in March.
We intend to do the city in a cpuple of days and spend another full day to see Neuschwanstein.
Hoping for recommendations of likes and Dislikes from all experienced travelers.
Hotels
Museums
Restaurants
We like any/all cuisine types and for accommodation we are looking for the mid-range options (under $400).
Thanks all!
Did you already read posts in Germany Reviews: Hotels & Restaurants?
My favorite activities thus far in Munich: WWII walking tour, Neue Pinakothek (but it looks like it is closed right now for renovation), wandering the English Garden.
I will defer to others for recommendations on restaurants and hotels.
I will recommend a resource: Near from Home. Two English speakers (one English, one American) living in Munich who have a ton of content regarding Munich and its environs on
In March, the weather can be variable, maybe a little snow, probably rain, but maybe a sunny mild day, so figure on some indoor activity and be a bit flexible.
Most of my trips there have revolved around beer, but the beer halls are fun. Most of March, Starkbierfest will be going on. It celebrates the release of Lenten beers, or strong dark beer, so most breweries will sell tickets for evening sessions that are like a mini Oktoberfest, a good band, people packed at tables and in tracht. Look on brewery sites for tickets, Augustiner does sell individual tickets, you can also buy there, but only as space is available.
Most restaurants lean toward traditional food, I like Zum Alten Markt, German tradition with a focus on local produce and a modern flair. It is a small cozy place off the Viktualmarkt, I suggest making reservations.
I went to Munich primarily to visit the Alte Pinakothek. Dürer's 'Self-Portrait', Elsheimer's 'Flight into Egypt', and Rembrandt's 'The Descent from the Cross' were on my list of things to 'see in paint'. The Neue Pinakothek, as has been noted already, is closed until 2030. However, some items are being exhibited at the Alte Pinakothek.
The aviation collection, especially Junker aircraft, in the science museum, was also on my list of things to see.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the BMW Museum and BMW Welt. We didn't reserve ahead for a factory tour, but it gets very positive reviews.
Munich is by far my favorite Munich city just for walking around the different neighborhoods outside the center. If it’s nice you can take public transit out to one of the many parks or hiking trails. Or just sit on a cafe and enjoy some coffee and cake.
Touristy things-
Deutsches Museum
Art Museums
Beer/Brewery tours
English Gardens
Old town Freising
If it’s cold outside I love the Munich Soup Kitchen soups.
i used to go to Munich a lot, because I lived a lot closer than I do now. There's so much to do it amazes me that people think they can see the city in a couple days. Just the list of museums I like would take weeks to see.
The Deutsches Museum - How good is this? I took my boss one time (he was an engineer) and it was all we could do to get him out of the place 6 hours later. I've spent days in this place over the years.
The Alte and Neue Pinokothek's - two of the greatest art museums in the world. Major museums worldwide (the Smithsonian, the Getty, the Met, etc.) lean on them for the temporary exhibitions they hold.
The Residence - I've never taken anyone here and left in less than 4 hours.
The Bavarian History Museum - My second favorite German history museum (behind Nurembergs).
The Egyptian - I prefer this to the collection at the Louvre.
The Transport Museum - I like cars, and trucks, and etc. (which leads to...)
The BMW museum - Fantastic collection, very interesting architecture.
The Glyptothek - rarely visited by tourists, and yet a fantastic collection of Greek and Roman statuary.
The Hunting and Fishing Museum - I love this place, and how it stays open I'll never know, as it's not visited often.
The Toy Museum - What can I say; all the stuff I wanted as a kid, and more. Brings back memories every time I visit.
The Palaeontological Museum - fantastic collection of dinosaurs, and when combined with a visit to the Minerology Museum it's enough to make a Geologist ecstatic
The Staatliche Antikensammlungen - Neoclassical architecture and a great collection of antiquities.
Nymphenburg Palace - In good weather it's worth a visit just to walk the gardens.
The Haus der Kunst - in the 1980's this was a bombed out shell, sitting on the edge of the English Gardens. Now it's a good art museum. I go there just because I like to see the changes.
Beer and food - I won't visit the Hofbrauhaus or even the Ratskeller any more as they're too jammed with tourists and expensive. The Spatenbrau Haus (across from the Opera) has (my opinion) better beer, but it too becomes uncomfortable these days. Schneider's (by the Rathaus) is always good. There are also several Augustiner places (I like the one by the Hunting museum). And the Lowenbrau Haus is far enough away that it still gets as many university students as tourists. Good beer and food there. But I also have a tendency to pick up something in the victual markt (fleischcase for around 2 euro is a great snack), or at an Imbiss. Look for a place where there's a line of German students, the food will be good and cheap. In warm weather look for a beer garden north of the old city center.
I normally just use the Marriott properties these days, since my favorite pension became a bank when the owner retired. Just don't stay on the west side near the train station; much better to look north of the old town around the University.
My favourite was Schloss Nymphenburg. The main (?) room in the main palace is one of the prettiest rooms I've ever seen. I just sat and gazed at the ceiling for about 10 minutes. And then there are the 4 very different "mini" palaces scattered about the grounds.
The Residenz was also gorgeous.
I enjoyed the Englischer Gardens on a hot, sunny day.
I concur with above posts re art and museums. I'd add to read about the White Rose Resistance movement and see its memorial in Munich. Also walk thru Viscardigasse and read about the bronzed cobble stones. We also enjoyed a tram ride to the Olympic Park which has a memorial to the 1972 Hostage/massacre. Kings Hotel Centre was mid range, with a nice courtyard and super staff.
I second the White Rose Museum, off Ludwigstrsse, just south of the Siegestor Gate, Very worth a visit to learn some history of the Resistance during WWII.
We loved our stay at Hotel Lux. We have also had great stays at Hotel am Viktualienmarkt.
One day we rented bikes from Mike’s Bike Tours and rode all over the Englisher Garden and beyond. It was nice to have no agenda and just ride.
My recommendation is to skip Neuschwanstein and spend the time in Munich instead.
I wasn't so impressed by the BMW museum -- I didn't think it was as interesting as the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart. Too many relatively recent vehicles.
In terms of restaurants, I would recommend Spatenhaus, and the Pfalzer Weinstube at the Residenz (specifically Rhine Valley cuisine and wine as opposed to Bavarian).
I'll put in a hotel plug here - we stayed at Hotel Platzl and loved it. GREAT breakfast, very comfy and nice rooms - and just a few blocks from Marienplatz.
Hoping for recommendations of likes and Dislikes from all experienced
travelers.
Other have listed lots of good activities, the one I always try to do in Munich is rent a bike and explore English Garden with a stop at Mini-Hofbräuhaus im Englischen Garten.
Hotels
Motel One is my main go to hotel in Munich these days. Reliable, good value and several locations around the city. Sendlinger Tor is the most central location but Deutsches Museum, Haidhausen and East Side (Ost) locations are all decent option close to the city center and transit lines. The only area I would not recommend staying is near the Hautpbahnhof (area is currently a construction site). There is nothing wrong with the Hauptbahnhof area but staying there is like staying near an airport in a major US city, it's mostly geared to business travelers who are just looking for convenience.
MK Hotels is another option.
Museums
Restaurants
Here is a selection of recommendations if you stay near the Ostbahnhof:
DJ
"Deutsches Museum if you like science museum. On par with the Smithsonian."
Seems more of an Engineering Museum than science. I could spend an entire trip there. And they even have branches in other cities to handle the overflow they couldn't fit in the massive complex of buildings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_Museum
Thanks. Didn't know about this.
edit: the link above describes their two branches:
[snip]
In addition to the main site on the Museumsinsel, the museum has two branches in and near Munich, one in Bonn, and one in Nuremberg...
...The Flugwerft Schleißheim displays various interesting airplanes for which there was insufficient room at the Museumsinsel site in downtown Munich
...In 2003, the Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum was opened. Located at Theresienhöhe in Munich it focuses on transportation technology.
The Deutsches Museum was very interesting to me. Spent around 5 hours there. If you are interested in aviation, there is one in Munich, I forget just where. We got there by Ubahn and bus.
I loved how walkable and friendly the city feels. I stayed in a comfortable mid-range place near the Hauptbahnhof. Everything was great but skip the overly touristy restaurants right by Marienplatz.
