BERLIN VS. MUNICH
earlier this year we visited our friends in berlin, a city notoriously known for it’s history, energy, creative culture and wild party scene [ check out our city guide here ]. munich on the other hand, quite honestly was never really on my radar. i had only heard tales of oktoberfest and mainly pictured lots of pretzels, lederhosen and steins of beer. opposite berlin in many ways, the city is more known for being the capital of bavaria, fairly strict, very clean, economically strong, and of course biergartens a plenty. i hadn't heard people rave about it nearly as much – that being said, we absolutely loved every minute of our time here and found it to be the most underrated western european city we visited.
MUNICH HOLDS ON TO A COZY SMALL TOWN VIBE
with its charming old town and medieval, gothic & baroque buildings – it really puts on an impressive architecture tour. munich oozes with history and tradition, yet the war was far kinder on their 16th century buildings compared to most of germany. the creative scene here is strong and growing, too. from interesting museums to concept stores to unique bars & restaurants, we are lucky enough to know some locals that gave us the insider's tour.
another huge perk for munich is their proximity to the alps and northern italy, both only a couple hours by car. on a clear day you can see the alps behind the skyline and the mountain culture is a big part of bavarian tradition. i immediately knew this would not be my last visit to this cool city and i am already looking forward to coming back.
SCROLL DOWN FOR OUR MINI TRAVEL GUIDE
CAFES
- cafe kosmos right next to the central metro station (Hauptbahnhof) and usually packed with locals grabbing drinks after work.
- hoover & floyd Had cake here - supes coz
- cafe vorholzer great views of the city and is actually on the rooftop of a university building. it's amazing!
- schumann’s tagesbar OG cafe and long time local's favorite. great for morning coffee or an afternoon meal on their sunny terrace.
BIERGARTENS & OTHER DRINKS:
- biergarten viktualienmarkt an absolute must – in the middle of it all and so so cozy. the currywurst (pictured) is out of this world!
- augustiner-keller biergarten with towering chestnut trees and outdoor seating for almost 5,000 people and many lederhosen-clad locals eager to imbibe late into the night.
- hey luigi candlelit tables and great gin options. great vibes here and some of the best cocktails in town.
- waldwirtschaft 20 minutes south of city center, is this outdoor biergarten overlooking the valley and river with live jazz in the warmer months and the best spare ribs in town.
- goldene bar coffee, cocktails, meals or cakes... this place is awesome and one of our favorite stops. the coziest place to hang and relax, it’s right next to the surfing river, so i'd stop here before or after.
EAT
- dallmayr huge indoor market that has really good local delicacies. if the weather is bad, then this is a great place to stay inside and explore. there is a munich eataly now too and it's amazing!
- königsquelle classic interior with a cozy outside patio, known for a really good schnitzel.
- fei scho vietnamese with a bavarian twist – very funky, hip and good!
- nudo italian fusion spot serving really good homemade dishes. great for lunch or a place to start your evening.
- pommes boutique typical belgian fries along with a long list of sauce choices and an organic currywurst that is delish.
- jodlerwirt kitschy bavarian bar & restaurant that has live music often and fun atmosphere for group dinners.
- super danke! creative juice and smoothie shop with a couple locations around town.
* the metro system is very reliable and the best way to get around, they also have uber which is convenient too.
EXPLORE
- englischer garten their equivalent of central park, but not as pretty in the winter months. There is an outdoor biergarten here called the seehaus which is pretty to sit at and have a beer on a warm day.
- lenbachhaus & brandhorst two really great museums with really cool exhibits, some modern and older stuff too. Munich has a few world reknown museums (alte pinakothek, deutsches museum, etc) but depending on your taste, you may find the older ones a bit boring.
- müller´sches volksbad a really nice bath house in a beautiful old building and area along the isar river.
- vikktualienmarkt daily food market and square, developed from an original farmers' market into a popular market for gourmets and more.
- eisbach the famous surfing river and you will find surfers here year round. can't leave without checking this out!
- hike from schliersee to tegernsee take a 90 minute train (or rent a car) to the small village of schliersee and hike from lake to lake in the alps. it is beautiful and both towns are very cute.
- neuschwanstein castle ~2 hours by car or train, our next post will explain our visit here in more detail
- christmas market: if you're visiting in the winter time, this is a must. read more about our 4 favorite european christmas markets here
HISTORY
- marienplatz the city's main square and where you can see the famous rathaus building.
- st. peter’s church munich's oldest church – climb the 306 stairs on a sunny day for some of the city's best city views.
- nymphenburg palace 200-hectare palace estate with ornate design, symmetrical baroque gardens and lots of history.
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