Munich+ with teens

For insight into Munich's dramatic role in the rise and fall of the Third Reich, visit the new NS Doku-Zentrum, which just opened last year. It's on Briennerstraße, on the site of the Third-Reich-era Nazi headquarters building. Führerbau (Hitler's office building, where the 1938 Munich Accord was signed) is next door, 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 tracing the history of National Socialism in Munich.

Portions of the main campus of Deutsches Museum on Museuminsel are closed for a decade-long renovation program, but the boys would certainly enjoy the Museum's two other locations that focus on transportation. Verkehrszentrum (U4 or U5 to 'Schwanthalerhöhe') covers all manner of surface transport; and Flugwerft Schleißheim (S1 Freising/Airport, to 'Oberschleißheim'), located on an airfield that dates back to before WW1, is for things with wings.

The Verkehrszentrum is definitely much more interesting than the BMW museum, which disappointed me a lot with its displays of very recent vehicles and heavy doses of corporate propaganda.

Cologne is quite a long way from Munich - expect to lose a day to travel.

Sign up for a Mike's Bike Tour in Munich if you can. Your boys will LOVE it...and you probably will, too.