Munich – the most Italian German city

9 August 2022.

A train ticket that could be used to travel anywhere in Germany (except on the ICE high-speed trains) and valid for a whole month for only 9 Euros ? This was an invitation to travel from the Deutsche Bahn that was too generous to ignore. We set our sights on the jewel in the Bavarian crown, Munich. Was there more to Germany’s third biggest city than just bretzels and beer?

“Munich is not like other German cities,” explained our Guru Walking Tour guide, the day after we arrived, «it doesn’t peer north, or east. It looks south, over the Alps, to Italy, for its ambience and inspiration. It always has, really.” He then proceeded to prove his point with numerous examples of Italian renaissance churches, baroque landmarks and laid-back squares that did convey a truly Mediterranean vibe so different from other German cities.

We started off our tour around Munich’s compact inner city at the picturesque central square known as Marienplatz, the heart and soul of Munich since the city's foundation. It was originally called Schrannenplatz, or Grain Market Square, as it was the main marketplace in the Middle Ages. It is dominated by the Neues Rathaus, or New Town Hall, a striking Neo-Gothic building that has been home to the city's government offices since it opened in 1874. Its facade also features a glockenspiel. Every day at 11 am and 5 pm, the 43 bells and 32 figures of this elaborate "cuckoo clock" re-enact a historical tournament and the Schäfflertanz, or cooper's dance in front of huge crowds. Located in front of the New Town Hall is the Fischbrunnen, a fountain tracing its history back to the Middle Ages and one of the city's most popular meeting points. Nearby is the Altes Rathaus, or Old Town Hall: with more than 500 years of history it has conserved its medieval look despite several reconstructions over the years.

Glancing to the left from the Marienplatz, it's impossible to miss the colossal Frauenkirche, completed after only 20 years in 1488, before Luther produced his “Ninety-Five Theses” – and a firm defender of the Catholic faith in the earthquake that ensued. It soars and sings, 12 enormous pillars reaching to its vaulted roof. Outside, its twin towers are a crowning glory, their 99-metre stature still protected by an ordinance that insists that they must be the tallest structures in central Munich.

They are assisted in their devotion to Rome, a short hop to the west, by the St Michael Kirche – a 16th-century feast of baroque whimsy that ranks as the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. Both temples were almost destroyed in the Second World War and have been fully resurrected.

Slap bang in the city centre is also the Residenz, the seat of government and the residence of Bavarian dukes, electors and kings from 1508 to 1918. Painstakingly restored after World War II, it entertains lavish interiors, epic ceilings and a bit of kitsch. It has over 300 rooms, thankfully not all could be visited. The main buildings form the Residenz Museum, but the complex also includes the Cuvilliés Theatre and the Treasury (including my favorite piece, an exquisite crown set with precious stones that belonged to the daughter of Henry IV of England).

Credit for this visual banquet can be pinned to one aristocratic bloodline. The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria under various titles – duke, elector, king – between 1180 and 1918, with Munich as its heartbeat. They were princelings of inconsistent ability and wisdom, but they forged a city designed to advertise their power and majesty and advance the family cause through culture, influence and architecture rather than swords and slaughter.

After so much culture (and walking), it was time for lunch. Luckily we were right beside the open-air food market – the Viktualienmarkt. Dating from 1807, there are around 140 stalls selling local and international delights, including cheese, bread, fruit, vegetables and gherkins. It also features a beer garden in the middle of it all and you can throw together a picnic, order a drink and grab a table to make use of the bring-your-own-food policy applying to beer gardens here.

Where better to go for a stroll to work off the hearty lunch than in the Englischer Garden, one of the biggest inner-city parks in the world. With almost 50 miles of paths, this huge expanse of green space that follows the Isar river attracts joggers, walkers and cyclists. People also come here to unwind, sunbathe and socialise, with places to eat and drink scattered throughout. We also saw cyclists with a surfboard attached to their bikes, they were heading to the Eisbach wave – a man-made surfer hangout in a side arm of the Isar River. We joined the crowd gathered on the bridge above the wave and the banks alongside to watch the experts make tight turns and attempt a few spins. Then it was off to the busy beer garden at the Chinese tower for a one-liter stein of beer and bretzel which we consumed while watching the other guests prepare and eat their own-home-cooked food nearby. A great place to sample the typical Bavarian buzz on a warm summer’s evening to end our day.

The next day we headed off to Dachau on the S-Bahn, a 30 minutes ride north-west from Marienplatz (using our 9 Euro DB tickets of course). It was the first concentration camp built by Nazi Germany, opening in 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents which consisted of communists, social democrats, and other dissidents but was subsequently enlarged to include forced labor, and, eventually, the imprisonment of Jews, Romani, German and Austrian criminals, and, finally, foreign nationals from countries that Germany occupied or invaded. Prisoners lived in constant fear of brutal treatment and terror detention including standing cells, floggings, the so-called tree or pole hanging, and standing at attention for extremely long periods.[7] There were 32,000 documented deaths at the camp, and thousands more that are undocumented.

It was a sobering experience as we walked around the Memorial Site and listened to our guide describe what went on there. Most of the original camp has been destroyed but some of the worst places – the crematorium and the prison block, including the cell were inmates were interrogated by the Gestapo, still remain, Grim reminders of man’s inhumanity to man.

Our short stay in Munich came to an end as we made our way back to the train station for our ride to Regensburg. To see everything Munich has to offer would take much more time than we had available but we saw enough to make us want to return: there’s so much more here than just beer and bretzels.

Insider Tip: For the best ramen in town look no further than Max's Beef Noodles in the Sendlinger-Tor-Platz. It's so good you may even have to queue outside but it is worth the wait!