More to See in Munich than the Oktoberfest
BMW Towers, Munich
Munich is of course the home of the world famous Oktoberfest where the world village of Munich plays host whilst several million litres of beer is consumed. This goes along with the delicacies of the region such as wurst (sausages), knodel (dumplings), sauerkraut (cabbage) and brezn (pretzels).
Munich has a rich cultural heritage and there are numerous concert halls and theatres, many of which have been graced with some of the most famous names in composing. The National Theatre is home to both the Bavarian State Orchestra and Opera and premiered many of Richard Wagner’s operas.
Out and about in Munich are a number of interesting and unusual sights and sounds. In Marienplatz both the Neues and Altes Rathaus (new and old town halls) are situated. There is a carillon on the town hall, which with the aid of 43 bells and moving figures performs to delighted tourists at 11 am, 12 pm and 5pm every day. Further afield is the Olympia Park which you would be forgiven for thinking was a marvel of modern architecture due to the clean engineering lines of the largest stadium roof in the world and the Olympic Tower which affords a phenomenal view of the park and was in fact built for the 1972 Olympics.
Nearby is the famous BMW museum where you can check out the development of this famous marque including its rich motor racing history. This is also the headquarters of BMW, and you can see the BMW tower, the design of which is based on a four-cylinder engine.
As expected there are a number of places to eat and drink in Munich from the reasonably priced, such as the Glockenspiel Café overlooking the famous carillon, to the pricier Tantris. Whilst the most famous place to enjoy some of the local beer is the Hofbrauhaus there are many other beer halls where you can mingle with the locals (always a sign of a good place to eat or drink) such as the Hirschgarten.
Munich Marienplatz
Getting to Munich is easy, it is served by an international airport, although be warned that this is 18 miles from the centre of the city. Train links to and from the city are swift and efficient as is to be expected from all German transportation. Within the city there is a large pedestrianised area and the city and surrounding areas are well covered by trams, buses and both above and underground trains. Tickets are reasonably priced and the same ticket is accepted on all forms of public transport.
Such is the popularity of this city that there is a wide selection of cheap hotels in Munich offering a warm Bavarian welcome. Be sure to book early, especially if you are coming for the Oktoberfest! If you do leave it too late you may have to look further away from Munich for cheap hotels in Germany.
So whilst you may come to Munich for the Oktoberfest you will get to see so much more besides.
