Rick Steves Pocket Munich & Salzburg

Introduction

Map: Munich

About this Book

Key to this Book

Map: Munich’s Neighborhoods

Munich by Neighborhood

Daily Reminder

Planning Your Time

Munich and Nearby at a Glance

Munich (“München” in German), often called Germany’s most livable city, is also one of its most historic, artistic, and entertaining. It’s big and growing, with a population of 1.5 million. Until 1871, it was the capital of an independent Bavaria. Its imperial palaces, jewels, and grand boulevards constantly remind visitors that Munich has long been a political and cultural powerhouse. Meanwhile, the concentration camp in nearby Dachau reminds us that eight decades ago, it provided a springboard for Nazism.

Get oriented in Munich’s old center, with its colorful pedestrian zones. Immerse yourself in the city’s art and history—crown jewels, Baroque theater, Wittelsbach palaces, great paintings, and beautiful parks. Spend your Munich evenings in a frothy beer hall or outdoor Biergarten, prying big pretzels from buxom, no-nonsense beer maids amidst an oompah, bunny-hopping, and belching Bavarian atmosphere.

Map Key

1 Alte Pinakothek 2 Asam Church 3 To Chinese Tower Beer Garden 4 Cuvilliés Theater 5 Deutsches Mus. 6 Frauenkirche 7 Hofbräuhaus 8 Jewish Synagogue 9 Lenbachhaus 10 Munich City Mus. 11 To Museum of Transportation 12 Nazi Doc. Center 13 To Neue Pinakothek 14 New Town Hall & Glockenspiel 15 Old Town Hall 16 Pinakothek der Moderne 17 Residenz 18 Residenz Mus. & Treasury 19 St. Michael’s Church 20 St. Peter’s Church 21 Viktualienmarkt

About This Book

With this book, I’ve selected only the best of Munich and nearby day trips—admittedly, a tough call. The core of the book is seven self-guided walks and tours that show off the region’s greatest sights and experiences. My Munich City Walk starts at ground zero, Marienplatz, and guides you through the heart of the city, giving you a great orientation for your future sightseeing. At the Residenz, you can ogle the opulent rooms and priceless bling of the city’s ruling family, the Wittelsbachs; at Nymphenburg you’ll see their gardens, summer palace, and royal stables. The Museum Quarter museums take you through art history, from mummies to Monet, with a self-guided tour of the Alte Pinakothek—including Dürer’s intense self-portrait and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. One of the most sobering and thought-provoking experiences in all Europe is a visit to the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. In Bavaria, you can tour the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle built by “Mad” (or merely inspired) King Ludwig II. And a day trip (or overnight stay) at Salzburg, including my self-guided Old Town walk, opens up a whole new world of Mozart, Alpine scenery, and The Sound of Music.

The rest of the book is a traveler’s tool kit. You’ll find plenty more about the area’s attractions, from shopping to nightlife to less touristy sights. And there are helpful hints on saving money, avoiding crowds, getting around on public transit, finding a great meal, and much more.

If you’d like more information than this Pocket Guide offers, I’ve sprinkled the book liberally with web references. For general travel tips—as well as updates for this book—see www.ricksteves.com.

Munich by Neighborhood

The tourist’s Munich is circled by a ring road (site of the old town wall), with the bull’s-eye being the city center—Marienplatz. Ninety percent of the sights and hotels I recommend are within a 20-minute walk of Marienplatz and each other. The excellent public transportation system makes even sights outside the inner ring accessible. Despite its large population, Munich feels small—without skyscrapers and with streets that are friendly to pedestrians and bikers.

Think of Munich as a series of neighborhoods, cradling major landmarks.

Old Town—Inside the Ring: Marienplatz, in the middle of the ring, is a lively pedestrian zone of sights, shopping, and restaurants. Slicing west-to-east through the ring is a pedestrian-only street (Kaufingerstrasse), from the train station through Marienplatz to the Isartor (a 20-minute walk). Eight S-Bahn lines also run along this same east-west corridor. On the outer edges of the ring are four old gates: Karlstor (west), Isartor (east), Odeonsplatz (north), and Sendlinger Tor (south). North of Marienplatz, your landmark is the Residenz. South of Marienplatz are the Viktualienmarkt and some recommended hotels.

Train Station: A five-minute walk west of the ring is the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). It’s a major transportation hub and home to various tourist services (TI, bike rental). Many recommended hotels and restaurants are nearby.

Museum Quarter: Several art museums (and other sights) cluster together in this otherwise empty neighborhood of broad leafy boulevards (near the Karlsplatz U-Bahn stop).

English Garden: To the northwest of the ring stretches this vast expanse of parkland and trails dotted with museums, eateries, and a beer garden.

Away from the Center: A short ride away on public transit, you’ll find several major sights: the BMW complex and Dachau (north), Nymphenburg Palace (west), and the three branches of the Deutsches Museum (east, west, and north).

Day Trips: This book features two destinations—Neuschwanstein Castle and the Austrian city of Salzburg—that are each do-able as a day-trip (or overnight stay) from Munich.

Planning Your Time

The following day-plans give an idea of how much an organized, motivated, and caffeinated person can see. Munich deserves at least two full sightseeing days, and you might consider other side-trips.

Day 1: Follow my Munich City Walk for an overview, possibly stopping into some sights on the way. In the afternoon, tour the Residenz. Drink in the beer-hall culture for your evening’s dinner and entertainment (at the Hofbräuhaus or a less-obvious choice).

Day 2: Tour the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial (allow 5 hours round-trip including travel time). In the late afternoon, rent a bike to enjoy the English Garden or tour the Alte Pinakothek.

Day 3: Choose two or three of these: Nymphenburg Palace, BMW-Welt and Museum, Deutsches Museum, or more of the Museum Quarter art museums (open some evenings).

With More Time: It’s an all-day time commitment to visit either Salzburg or Neuschwanstein, but well worth it. Or, spend more time in Munich—find plenty of suggestions in the More Sights in Munich chapter.

These are busy day-plans, so be sure to schedule in slack time for picnics, laundry, people-watching, leisurely dinners, concerts, shopping, and recharging your touristic batteries. Slow down and be open to unexpected experiences and the courtesy of the Bavarian people.

Quick Tips: Here are a few tips to get you started. (You’ll find more information on these topics throughout the book.) Get comfortable with Munich’s excellent public transportation system (and money-saving passes). Consider renting a bike (or taking a bike tour) to enjoy this green, flat, bike-friendly city. Plan well ahead for hotels if visiting during Oktoberfest (late Sept-early Oct; www.oktoberfest.eu). Take advantage of my free audio-tour versions of the Munich City Walk and Salzburg Old Town Walk. (For more details, see here.) If you’re visiting Neuschwanstein, buying tickets online in advance is smart (especially July-Aug).

And finally, remember that although Munich’s sights can be crowded and stressful, the city itself is all about gentility and grace, so...be flexible.

Have a great trip!

---

Munich City Walk

Please note: to hear these audio tours, your device must support embedded audio.

Play Audio Pause Resume

ORIENTATION

THE WALK BEGINS

Map: Munich City Walk

1 Marienplatz

2 St. Peter’s Church

3 Viktualienmarkt

4 Jewish Synagogue

5 Munich City Museum

6 Asam Church

7 Kaufingerstrasse

8 St. Michael’s Church

9 Frauenkirche

10 Michael Jackson Memorial

11 Marienhof

12 Dallmayr Delicatessen

13 Platzl

14 Hofbräuhaus

15 Maximilianstrasse

16 Max-Joseph-Platz

17 Viscardigasse

18 Odeonsplatz

19 Brienner Strasse

20 Hofgarten

Munich is big and modern but, with its pedestrian-friendly historic core, it feels a lot like an easygoing Bavarian town. On this self-guided walk we’ll start in the central square, see its famous glockenspiel, stroll through a thriving open-air market, and visit historic churches with lavish Baroque decor. We’ll sample chocolates at a venerable deli and take a spin through the world’s most famous beer hall. Allow two or three hours for this walk through a thousand years of Munich’s history. Add extra time if you break from the walk to tour the museums we’ll pass.

Though Munich is the modern capital of Bavaria and a major metropolis, its low-key atmosphere has led Germans to dub it Millionendorf—the “village of a million people.”

ORIENTATION M

New Town Hall: The glockenspiel performs daily at 11:00 and 12:00 all year (also at 17:00 May-Oct). The elevator to the tower is €2.50 and runs May-Oct daily 10:00-19:00; Nov-April Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, closed Sat-Sun (elevator located under glockenspiel).

St. Peter’s Church Tower Climb: €2, Mon-Fri 9:00-18:30, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:30, off-season until 17:30, last exit 30 minutes after closing.

Viktualienmarkt: Mon-Sat from morning until evening, closed Sun.

Munich City Museum: €4, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, tel. 089/2332-2370, www.stadtmuseum-online.de.

Asam Church: Free, Sat-Thu 9:00-18:00, Fri 13:00-18:00, no entry during Mass (Tue and Thu-Fri 17:00-18:00, Wed 8:30-9:30, Sun 10:00-11:00), tel. 089/2368-7989.

St. Michael’s Church: Church—free to enter, Tue-Thu and Sat 8:00-19:00, Mon and Fri 10:00-19:00, Sun 7:00-22:15, later on summer evenings; crypt—€2, Mon-Fri 9:30-16:30, Sat 9:30-14:30, closed Sun; frequent concerts—check posted schedule; tel. 089/231-7060, www.st-michael-muenchen.de.

Frauenkirche: Free, Sat-Wed 7:00-19:00, Thu 7:00-20:30, Fri 7:00-18:00, towers may be closed for restoration in 2015, tel. 089/290-0820, www.muenchner-dom.de.

Dallmayr Delicatessen: Mon-Sat 9:30-19:00, closed Sun; Dienerstrasse 13-15, www.dallmayr.com.

Hofbräuhaus: Free to enter, daily 9:00-23:30, live oompah music during lunch and dinner, Platzl 9, tel. 089/290-136-100, www.hofbraeuhaus.de.

Other Eateries: Recommendations for eateries along this walk can be found on here.

Audio Tour: You can download this walk as a free Rick Steves audio tour; see here.

THE WALK BEGINS M

Begin your walk at the heart of the old city, with a stroll through...

1 Marienplatz M

Please note: to hear these audio tours, your device must support embedded audio.

Play Audio Pause Resume

Riding the escalator out of the subway into sunlit Marienplatz (mah-REE-en-platz, “Mary’s Square,” rated ▲▲) gives you a fine first look at the glory of Munich: great buildings, outdoor cafés, and people bustling and lingering like the birds and breeze with which they share this square.

The square is both old and new: For a thousand years, it’s been the center of Munich. It was the town’s marketplace and public forum, standing at a crossroads along the Salt Road, which ran between Salzburg and Augsburg.

Lining one entire side of the square is the impressive facade of the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), with its soaring 280-foot spire. The structure looks medieval, but it was actually built in the late 1800s (1867-1908). The style is “Neo”-Gothic—pointed arches over the doorways and a roofline bristling with prickly spires. The 40 statues look like medieval saints, but they’re from around 1900, depicting more recent Bavarian kings and nobles. This medieval-looking style was all the rage in the 19th century as Germans were rediscovering their historical roots and uniting as a modern nation.

The New Town Hall is famous for its glockenspiel. A carillon in the tower chimes a tune while colorful little figurines come out on the balcony to spin and dance. The Spiel of the glockenspiel tells the story of a noble wedding that actually took place on the market square in 1568. You see the wedding procession and the friendly joust of knights on horseback. The duke and his bride watch the action as the groom’s Bavarian family (in Bavarian white and blue) joyfully jousts with the bride’s French family (in red and white). Below, the barrel-makers—famous for being the first to dance in the streets after a deadly plague lifted—do their popular jig. Finally, the solitary cock crows.

At the very top of the New Town Hall is a statue of a child with outstretched arms, dressed in monk’s garb and holding a book in its left hand. This is the Münchner Kindl, the symbol of Munich. The town got its name from the people who first settled here: the monks (Mönchen). You’ll spot this mini-monk all over town, on everything from the city’s coat of arms to souvenir shot glasses to ad campaigns (often holding not a book, but maybe a beer or a smartphone). The city symbol was originally depicted as a grown man, wearing a gold-lined black cloak and red shoes. By the 19th century, artists were representing him as a young boy, then a gender-neutral child, and, more recently, a young girl. These days, a teenage girl dressed as the Kindl kicks off the annual Oktoberfest by leading the opening parade on horseback, and then serves as the mascot throughout the festivities.

Map Key

1 Marienplatz 2 St. Peter’s Church 3 Viktualienmarkt 4 Jewish Synagogue 5