Munich Walking Tours, itinerary for 2+days in Munich?

I'll be interested in you feelings about the Residenz. To me, at first it was interesting, but after a while it got to be tedious, with all those over-the-top Rococo rooms.

The Deutsches Museum is interesting. I've been there twice and enjoyed it every time.

Schloß Nymphenburg is also nice to visit. Beautiful park between the buildings.

But we enjoyed just hanging out on the pedestrian mall (Kaufingerstr), visiting all the little shops. And lunch at the Hofbräuhaus is a must.

Some might be interested in the München Stadtmuseum. Both times I've been there they had interesting historical displays. But it's only in German.

We did the Munich Walks "Hitler's Munich" walk in November 2013 with Levi, and it was exceptional! Highly recommended. No need to buy tickets ahead of time, just meet in Marienplatz and pay then. I think this tour would give you enough history and then you could do any remaining sites on your own.

Thanks Lee-
As far as the Residenz I hear you on the tediousness of those sort of sights. It is not a priority- we will have Bavarian Castle Pass so it's basically paid for, we will do if we have time, or if weather is lousy, etc.
Nymphenburg- probably can skip that- if we had an extra day it might have made the list. Been to Versailles, Schoenbrunn and will have seen Linderhof day before Munich.

Hofbrauhaus- better for lunch or dinner? We had planned to head there in the evening.

And thanks Dawn for the Munich Walk recommendation- we will do just that,

For a city walking tour I'd recommend doing a self paced audio tour, Rick has a decent one (https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/austria-germany) that is similar to the tour I used to give friends and family when they visited us in Munich. Good option would be to do Munich Walks "Hitler's Munich" as a history tour then pick and choose the sites you want to see with a self paced audio tour later.

I also agree that Nymphenburg, while nice, will seem redundant after seeing Linderhof the day before.

If you do squeeze in a trip to the Deutsches Museum (highly recommended) be aware it is under going a multi year long renovation so check the website to see what is open. http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/information/visitor-information/closures/

DJ

I did the Sandeman's free walk and I was not very happy with it. I've taken 'free' walking tours in many cities with other companies and enjoyed them but this one was a dud. Now, that may just be the particular guide that I had, he was boring and I didn't learn anything from him. It was raining that day and that may also color my objectivity a bit because he made us stand in the rain a lot rather than keep walking. Anyway, I gave up and left the tour early. Another thing was how big the groups were - it's hard to get much out of a tour with so many in the group. Other walking tours I've taken have been with much smaller groups.

Yes, the self-guided Munich city walking tour in Rick's Germany guidebook, and in the podcast, is very good. It can take anywhere from two hours to two days, depending on your level of curiosity and interests.

The walking tour ends at Odeonsplatz. I recommend continuing west on Briennerstraße to the new NS Doku-Zentrum, which just opened last May on the site of the Third-Reich-era Nazi headquarters building. Next door is Führerbau, Hitler's office building, where the 1938 Munich Accord was signed. The building has been repurposed as a high school for music and theater. Historic Königsplatz is across the street.

The city's website offers free downloadable maps and audioguides for self-guided walks dealing with the history of National Socialism in Munich.

These sights would be all the more vivid if before your trip you read up on the dark and dramatic history of National Socialism in Munich. I recommend Where Ghosts Walked - Munich's Road to The Third Reich by David Clay Large.

An alternative to the Residenz and/or Nymphenburg is the colorful, and relatively untouristed, Schleißheim Palaces, summer home of the Wittelsbachs (20 minutes on the S2 from Hauptbahnhof to Oberschleißheim, then a 5-10 minute walk). Aviation history buffs will enjoy Flugwerft Schleißheim, aviation branch of the Deutsches Museum, just a short walk from the Schleißheim Palaces, on a small airfield that dates back to WW1.

If you're into the "Biergarten" scene, buy "The Beer Drinkers Guide to Munich" available on Amazon. It lists the locations throughout the Munich area, and how to get there.

Hi Christine- I noticed nobody mentioned the Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt, and the Englisher Garten. The first 2 are on the east end of Kaufingerstrasse, the pedestrian only street . The Englisher Garten is nice to wander through on a sunny afternoon. The Asamkirche is also worth a peek. It is on the RS self-guided walk.

Have a great trip!!!

Christine,

I would recommend doing the RS audio tour on your own --it's an easy walk and interesting. But do one of the Munich Walks or Radius tours for the 3rd Reich era. There's a lot of history to be seen, and it helps to have someone point out what you are seeing -- it won't necessarily be obvious to you as a casual stroller. The city's downloadable guide to the National Socialism sites is very thorough, but it you don't have the time to do the research and reading beforehand, the guided tour will be great.

Todd

Re: the Odeonplatz. That in itself is historical. The famous picture of Hitler cheering as one of the masses, repeated in all big European cities in 1914, takes place in the Odeonplatz.

In front of the Odeonplatz is the Feldherrnhalle with statues of two of the famous Bavarian generals, Tilly of the Thirty Years War for the Catholic side and Wedel, who switched sides against Napoleon, still did not do him any good, since he still was beaten by Napoleon at Hanau. The Feldherrnhalle was the site of Hitler's failed coup to seize power in Munich in 1923, when to his surprise the Munich police opened fire on him.