Raise a glass (if you’re strong enough) to the marvels of Munich
As Humphrey Bogart pointed out, we’ll always have Paris. But if you want a weekend break with a difference – which still has broad avenues, handsome churches and magnificent works of art – then mighty Munich in southern Germany offers a fabulous mix of the strange and familiar.
The expected Bavarian love of lager borders on obsessive, and a good place to acclimatise is the vast beer hall known as the Hofbrauhaus. Here you can sample the most popular local ale, Augustiner.
That’s if you’re strong enough to raise a glass – a large one, known as a mass, consists of two pints.
When I ask my friendly tour guide, Werner, how many masses he has sunk in one night, the answer is eight. If you’re lucky, the house band may strike up the traditional song: that translates: ‘There’s a Hofbrauhaus in Munich: one, two, down the hatch!’
At the back of the hall are padlocked pigeon-holes, where some locals keep their personal beer tankards, or ‘kruge’. Werner then reveals his own with modest pride.
This city is where much of Germany’s wealth congregates. You can see it in its high-end shops, selling Loden coats and thick, leather lederhosen. The Bruckner Parfumerie even has a scent dedicated to Ludwig II, known as Mad King Ludwig for his habit of blowing millions on fabulous countryside castles.
It’s relatively easy to get your bearings in Munich. You can check where you are in relation to the sprawling English Garden, which cuts a wedge into the heart of the city.
This massive park was created by Count Rumford, the spy and scientist who also founded the Royal Institution in London.
If you can afford it, staying at the five-star Bayerischer Hof provides a microcosm of Munich’s history.
The place was created in the 19th Century by order of Ludwig I, who often dropped by to take a bath.
Its sumptuous rooms have hosted the likes of Muhammad Ali and Samuel L Jackson, the latter writing in the guest book that his stay was ‘stellah’.
For a quirky attraction, I recommend the Villa Stuck. This gorgeously decadent home was designed by the artist Franz von Stuck to show off his feverish works. At the Lenbachhaus nearby, you can view his most disturbing piece: the Wild Chase (1889) shows a horde of ghouls running amok across the sky. Its central figure bears a striking resemblance to Adolf Hitler. Was Stuck, then, a prophet? It’s more likely that Hitler, who was a fan of the art, styled his hair to match.
After a day of sightseeing, you’ll want a hearty dinner at the Spatenhaus, which serves traditional fare. Then drop into Pusser’s for a cocktail, before repairing to the nightclub in the Bayerischer Hof basement.
Just don’t misbehave – when Oasis singer Liam Gallagher got into a brawl here in 2002, he ended up getting a couple of his teeth knocked out.
Aer Lingus flies Dublin to Munich return from €81 (aerlingus.com). Doubles at the Bayerischer Hof from €408 (bayerischerhof.de). Entry to the Lenbachhaus gallery is €12 (lenbachhaus.de).