Hello- I'm heading to Munich next week for a couple of days and I'm wondering what the "must sees" are before I get there so I don't waste too much time trying to figure that out after I've arrived. I'd like a little mixture of everything- the history- the food-the beer-the sights. Also, does anyone know if you can make it to the "Cinderella Castle" in a half-day/full-day trip?
Thanks for your input in advance.
If you are thinking of an organized tour, there are companies that will take you on a day trip to Neuschwanstein. I have been with Mike's Bikes Tours. This is unusual and more athletically inclined as you get to do a bike ride, a sommerrodelbahn and you climb up to the castle through a gorge. That climb is quite strenous, basically running up many, many stairs, but lots of fun. When we went, it was mostly college students, except for myself and my 11 year old son. We had a great time.
The next time I took my daughter on a traditional bus tour to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. Having seen Neuschwanstein many times, I really enjoyed Linderhof. This was also a pleasant day - not stenuous in the least, and included a shopping stop.
I am going back this year and plan to do the trip with my youngest son using Mike's again.
Of course, you can do it on your own too. As this is the last day of a three week trip for us, we are ready to let someone else handle the details!
Yes, you can make it to the "Cinderella Castle" - Neuschwanstein in a day...but why? Munich is a great city with lots to see and do. Maybe you should invest in a good guide book (Rick Steve's Germany comes to mind). Read it, then ask specific questions.
Two days is not a whole lot for Munich, so you probably need to prioritize... and without knowing your specific tastes, it's kind of hard to make recommendations for you. For a good overview of the sights, check the Wikipedia article on Munich.
But, if the weather holds, definately try to have a meal at one of the outdoor beer gardens. Some of the more well-known locations are by the Viktulienmarkt, and by the Chinese Tower and Klienhesseloher See in the Englischergarten.
Many people might recommend Mike's Bike Tour of Munich (and you'll see the advertisements everywhere)... but with only two days, I probably would not recommend this. Although I enjoyed the tour, the guide just takes you by many sights, not actually in them. Spend your precious time inside the many museums, palaces and churches. If large markets interest you, the Theresienwiese (location of Oktoberfest in the fall) hosts a particularly interesting mix of merchants in April.
The trip to and tour of King Ludwig's castles at Schwangau takes the better part of a full day from Munich.
Unfortunately I live in France so can't pick up a copy of that between now and when I leave and I can't find any English guide books for Munich where I live.
If you only have a couple days and the castle is a priority, I would not go to Munich. I would go to Füssen and enjoy the area.
If you want two days in Munich, there is a Residenz and a castle there.
Munich does not in my mind have a couple must sees. It depends on your tastes. Tim's suggestion of reading a guide book is good. I liked the Asamkirche (Asam church) but you may find it a bore. I did not care for the Residenz; my wife loves it.
A lot of folks find the Hofbräuhaus to be the ultimate beer experience, too noisy for my tastes. I liked Augustiner am Dom restaurant as I really like Augustiner beer.
Regards, Gary
Hey Kati! You can do Neuschwanstein Castle in a day either in route to Munich or as a day trip from the city. If you're set on going to the castle then that really only leaves one day to explore Munich and I agree with some of the others that the Residenz would be worthwhile. You'll be able to see over 700 years of art & treasures collected by the Royal House of Wittelsbach. In addition, the Alte Pinakothek has artwork spanning a period of time from the Middle Ages to the 18th Century. If you'd like to throw together a picnic lunch and then wash it down with a beer I'd recommend the Viktualienmarkt. This traditional open air market offers a wide variety of foods & goods and also has a beer garden that is popular in good weather. Have a great trip!
Thanks very much for all the responses. This was kind of a last minute trip that got tacked onto a separate trip and the how and when details have already been set in stone so I really only have the "what to do while I'm there" to work with. I appreciate all the insight. I think the castle is going to be a must with the group that I'm with so for that additional day (and prior evening) I think we'll check out the above mentioned Residenz and definitely hit up an open air market and beer garten.
Thanks again, now I need to go pay it forward with some responses to all of these questions about Provence since that is where I live.
Hi Kati-
I recommend Mike's Bike Tours too! Our tour was just around Munich. We saw what seemed like a really good overview of the important sights and a beer garten. The guides are awesome and a lot of fun. Maybe it's because I was a college student when I went but the Hofbrauhaus sticks out as one of the "must sees." I mean, it is the center of Oktoberfest!. We spent half of the other day at Dachau, but I didn't care for it.
Hofbrauhouse is good, the biergarten and park is nice; the stuary in the business district is quite interesing, especially the huge "walking man statue". Taxi drivers know it so you can drive by. My favorite place, and my husband's, was the
Deutsches Museuem, with lots of great exhibits on german engineering of planes, trains, autos, etc. Lots of thigns to touch ans see hwo they work. FOr big kids as well as little. Fascinating. See info below.
Deutsches Museum
Museumsinsel 1
80538 München
Tel. 089 - 2179 - 1
Fax 089 - 2179 - 324
http://www.deutsches- museum.de
This is just heaven for young kids, to get to grips with natureand physics.
The German Museum is so large it may take a few days to just graspand glimps at all what is exhibited. But - just watching doesnot suffice - this museum is for touch. Most exhibition roomsare actually small chambers for experimentation. Children andgrown ups are allowed and encouraged to push the buttons and seewhat happens. For some real life exhibits the extensive buildingthat covers a whole island in the river of Isar just was not largeenough. The "Flugwerft Schleißheim" has real airplanesondisplay. And then, there is the Verkehrszentrum at Theresienhöhe14a (near the site of the Oktoberfest) where you can take a lookat old tram and train wagons: http://verkehrszentrum.deutsches-museum.de/
Entrance fee for all three museums is 10 Euro.
The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 pm
The Verkehrszentrum is open daily from 9 to 5, on Thursdays it is open until 7 pm
Here are a few more ideas…
Frauenkirche: Great city views from the top of this city landmark.
Marienplatz: Relax, drink a beer, people watch, and see the glockenspiel statues dance.
Nymphenburg: Further out but maybe worth some time.
Kati,
Here's a few suggestions that might help.
On your first day in Munich, take part of the day for the tour of Neuschwanstein Castle. Given the very short time frame, I'd recommend taking a guided tour as they take care of not only the transportation arrangements but also reserving the Castle tours. I've used Radius Tours in the past and would certainly recommend them. They have an office in the Munich rail station. Check their web site for details and prices.
When you get back from the Castles, spend some time in Marienplatz and check out the Hofbrauhaus. There are some great restaurants in that area. One that I really enjoyed was Opatija.
On your second day in Munich, you could either tour local sites such as the Viktualien Market, English Gardens or the Deutsches Museum (over 16 kM of exhibits!). You might also consider one of the Munich Walks tours in the morning (also offered by Radius Tours), to get some sense of the history of Munich (especially 20th century history) and the various Churches (such as the "onion dome" Church). If you're in the mood for a really nice dinner at the end of your second day, check out the dining room in the back of the Sofitel Munich which is right next to the rail station. Great food, although not inexpensive!
Good luck and happy travels!
If you like art then the Alte and Neue Pinakothek museums are a must. They are across the street from one another. Allow a full day to see both. The central downtown plaza (Marienplatz) is an outdoor pedestrian-only shopping mall and definitely worth a stroll if only for the people watching. The viktualien market is an outdoor farmer's market that is also a joy to stroll through. You could also rent a bike and follow the Eisbach through the English Gardens. It's an easy pedal and you can rent bikes near the Isar tor (see Rick's guidebook).
Like someone else said, yes you can do Neuschwanstein in a day trip (not half day) but why rush it. That's better done with an overnight stay in Fussen.
