Pursuit of Happy Travel

I recently spent a few incredible days in Munich. To help out first timers to this beautiful city, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite sites and activities, and believe me, you won’t want to leave these things off your Bavarian itinerary!

In Munich

This city really has so much to offer. If you like beer, pretzels, open markets and having a good time, you’re in the right place! I have narrowed my favorite downtown Munich sights and activities down to 5.

1. Climb the bell tower at St. Peter’s church – To climb the bell tower it costs 5 euros, but it is so worth it for the view at the top! Mind you, this activity won’t be for everyone because there are many many stairs, but these stairs are much better than most cathedral staircases Ive been in. Most of my experience with climbing cathedral towers includes a tiny ancient spiral staircase, and this one is has all straight runs and sufficient handrails. It even has benches to sit on every couple stair runs so you an sit and catch your breathe if you need to

2. Stroll through the Viktualienmarkt – This market is held every week Monday-Saturday and has just about everything! From produce to meats and cheeses to artwork to souvenirs and gelato. You could buy groceries to make a meal, or you could have a meal at one of the many restaurant tents. Its so much fun to just walk all the aisles of the market to see what everyone is selling.

3. Stop for dessert at Eataly – Not far from the market, there’s a big beautiful building that holds the name Eataly, and is a restaurant and Italian market. I stumbled on this place by accident, but I was glad I did! Like the open air market, the Italian market has meats and cheeses and things to buy to stock your pantry, but it also boasts fresh desserts like gelato. As a lover of all frozen dairy desserts, I had to stop. And unsurprisingly, it was delicious! This is yet another stop that’s worth walking around, even if you don’t purchase anything.

4. Relax in the English Garden – On the North side of the city in the more posh area is the English Garden, which is basically just a gigantic park. Unlike other parks however, the English Garden has restaurants and brew houses sprinkled throughout, some being right on the river. So whether you like to walk through nature, lay on a blanket in the grass, or enjoy the views from beyond your beer stein, the English Gardens have you covered. There are also activities at the gardens, like pedal boats.

5. Have a pint at a brewhouse – I’ll be honest, I’m not a beer girl, usually the smell alone deters me, but there’s something about having a glass of cold beer in a country that really embraces the brew culture! Having a German beer along with a Bavarian pretzel, bratwurst or schnitzel is an experience. I found a local brewhouse a block away from my airbnb that was everything I could have asked for in an authentic Bavarian eating establishment. If you feel compelled to travel a bit outside city center and check out this restaurant, its called Echardinger Einkehr and is a short walk from the Innsbrucker Ring metro stop. For anyone like me who totally failed at learning German, fret not, they offer menus in English.

Outside Munich

Day Trip to Salzburg – Salzburg, Austria is almost right on the border of southern Germany and Austria, and is only about a two hour train ride. Take a day to immerse yourself in the land of Mozart and the Sound of Music! Salzburg is also a hiker friendly city, as it is surrounded by mountains, and one on the east banks has trails that lead you up to a great view of the castle and surrounding mountains!

Neuschwanstein Castle – When I think of European castles, this is the first one I think of, its gorgeous and very worth seeing! But, if you choose to add this day trip to your itinerary, I beg of you, go with a tour group! Usually I’m not the tour group type, which is why I navigated to the castle by myself, and I regretted it. Trains to get there from Munich are expensive and take forever. Also if you’re with a tour, they may have pre arranged transport up the mountain the castle sits on. I scaled this mountain on foot to get to the castle and half way up felt like I was dying. Do not scale this mountain if you don’t have to! There are horse drawn carriages that climb the mountain as well, but I’m not sure if that is a cost effective option. Just be smart and book a tour with transportation from Munich, you’ll be way happier.

Germany has become one of my favorite countries I’ve been to, and that’s saying a lot! Munich and the surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful, and I find the culture to be so fun and lively. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Munich when my time was up, but I walked away knowing that I can always go back and stay longer. I hope that your time in Munich is as wonderful and memorable as mine was!

Happy travels!

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I recently spent a few incredible days in Munich. To help out first timers to this beautiful city, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite sites and activities, and believe me, you won’t want to leave these things off your Bavarian itinerary!

In Munich

This city really has so much to offer. If you like beer, pretzels, open markets and having a good time, you’re in the right place! I have narrowed my favorite downtown Munich sights and activities down to 5.

1. Climb the bell tower at St. Peter’s church – To climb the bell tower it costs 5 euros, but it is so worth it for the view at the top! Mind you, this activity won’t be for everyone because there are many many stairs, but these stairs are much better than most cathedral staircases Ive been in. Most of my experience with climbing cathedral towers includes a tiny ancient spiral staircase, and this one is has all straight runs and sufficient handrails. It even has benches to sit on every couple stair runs so you an sit and catch your breathe if you need to

2. Stroll through the Viktualienmarkt – This market is held every week Monday-Saturday and has just about everything! From produce to meats and cheeses to artwork to souvenirs and gelato. You could buy groceries to make a meal, or you could have a meal at one of the many restaurant tents. Its so much fun to just walk all the aisles of the market to see what everyone is selling.

3. Stop for dessert at Eataly – Not far from the market, there’s a big beautiful building that holds the name Eataly, and is a restaurant and Italian market. I stumbled on this place by accident, but I was glad I did! Like the open air market, the Italian market has meats and cheeses and things to buy to stock your pantry, but it also boasts fresh desserts like gelato. As a lover of all frozen dairy desserts, I had to stop. And unsurprisingly, it was delicious! This is yet another stop that’s worth walking around, even if you don’t purchase anything.

4. Relax in the English Garden – On the North side of the city in the more posh area is the English Garden, which is basically just a gigantic park. Unlike other parks however, the English Garden has restaurants and brew houses sprinkled throughout, some being right on the river. So whether you like to walk through nature, lay on a blanket in the grass, or enjoy the views from beyond your beer stein, the English Gardens have you covered. There are also activities at the gardens, like pedal boats.

5. Have a pint at a brewhouse – I’ll be honest, I’m not a beer girl, usually the smell alone deters me, but there’s something about having a glass of cold beer in a country that really embraces the brew culture! Having a German beer along with a Bavarian pretzel, bratwurst or schnitzel is an experience. I found a local brewhouse a block away from my airbnb that was everything I could have asked for in an authentic Bavarian eating establishment. If you feel compelled to travel a bit outside city center and check out this restaurant, its called Echardinger Einkehr and is a short walk from the Innsbrucker Ring metro stop. For anyone like me who totally failed at learning German, fret not, they offer menus in English.

Outside Munich

Day Trip to Salzburg – Salzburg, Austria is almost right on the border of southern Germany and Austria, and is only about a two hour train ride. Take a day to immerse yourself in the land of Mozart and the Sound of Music! Salzburg is also a hiker friendly city, as it is surrounded by mountains, and one on the east banks has trails that lead you up to a great view of the castle and surrounding mountains!

Neuschwanstein Castle – When I think of European castles, this is the first one I think of, its gorgeous and very worth seeing! But, if you choose to add this day trip to your itinerary, I beg of you, go with a tour group! Usually I’m not the tour group type, which is why I navigated to the castle by myself, and I regretted it. Trains to get there from Munich are expensive and take forever. Also if you’re with a tour, they may have pre arranged transport up the mountain the castle sits on. I scaled this mountain on foot to get to the castle and half way up felt like I was dying. Do not scale this mountain if you don’t have to! There are horse drawn carriages that climb the mountain as well, but I’m not sure if that is a cost effective option. Just be smart and book a tour with transportation from Munich, you’ll be way happier.

Germany has become one of my favorite countries I’ve been to, and that’s saying a lot! Munich and the surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful, and I find the culture to be so fun and lively. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Munich when my time was up, but I walked away knowing that I can always go back and stay longer. I hope that your time in Munich is as wonderful and memorable as mine was!

Happy travels!

Pin it for later

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