Business Traveller (Asia-Pacific)
WEEKEND IN MUNICH
Glen Watson soaks up the sights, sounds and suds of the Bavarian capital in Southern Germany
Glen Watson eats, drinks, museum hops and shops through Bavaria’s captivating capital
While the home of Oktoberfest offers a year-round celebration of beer and brats, you’re just as likely to find yourself relaxing in a spacious garden and sipping a glass of prosecco in Munich. The following are some top tips for a weekend break in the charming city.
CITY CENTRE
The airport is about 45 minutes away from Munich’s historic city centre. One great tip is to turn right immediately after you step into the Terminal 2 arrivals hall and catch Lufthansa airport bus number one to the central train station for about (US$14), roughly the same price as the train but much closer to the arrivals area and more convenient all-round. Both make the trip in about 45 minutes. The train station is located close to the downtown shopping, restaurant and sightseeing areas and many high- to low-end hotels and hostels.
GREENER PASTURES
This is certainly a garden city, in large part due to the epic 3.7-sq km English Garden that cuts a huge swath through the downtown centre. Pack a picnic lunch, or visit one of several beer gardens to fuel a day of relaxation amid the ponds, swans and lawns. Across town, the grounds of the baroque Nymphenburg Palace is a great place for a jog or a stroll. For a few euros, you can spend a great deal of time exploring the historic treasures inside the summer home of Bavaria’s rulers. There’s also the Olympic Park, which hosted the 1972 Games and continues to offer cultural events such as concerts and the biannual Tollwood cultural festival. (This year’s winter Tollwood runs November 26-December 31).
Entry to the English Garden and the Nymphenburg grounds is free; palace entry is € 6 (US$8). Olympic Park is also free, but tickets are required for major events.
CULTIVATING CULTURE Thanks to the multi-museum organisation Alte Pinakothek and many other venues such as the Haus der Kunst, those seeking cultural enlightenment are well catered for in Munich. There are also many operas, ballets and classical music performances throughout the year. For car culture, look no further than BMW Welt (World) beside the Olympic Park. Celebrating all things BMW, including motorcycles, the museum across the road is hosting a fascinating Rolls-Royce exhibition until March 2014. If you feel the ground shaking, don’t worry. It’s just the machinery used to make the cars pounding away in the BMW plant across the street.
Museum entry fees vary but are generally less than € 10 (US$13) per day. BMW Welt admission is free, while the BMW museum is € 7 (US$13) and it’s € 5 (US$6.5) extra for the Rolls-Royce temporary exhibition.
WHET YOUR WHISTLE
Munich’s nightlife goes beyond the legendary beer halls, which is good because they close at 11pm. The Hofbräukeller on Wiener Strasse even has a Goa-themed beach bar sectioned off in the back garden. After 11pm, you can try to get into the excellent P1 nightclub (it’s in the same building as the Haus der Kunst museum) on Prinzregentenstrasse to party until morning. The Atomic Café and 8 Seasons are also stand-out nightclubs in a city that’s full of them.
FOOTBALL FEVER
The Bundesliga German professional football league runs from August to May and Saturday is usually the big night, although some games are played on Friday and Sunday. Bayern Munich is a European powerhouse with fans around the world that flock to the Allianz Stadium to watch their team play. Most bars in Munich will also show the team’s home and away games. You can spot the stadium on the Autobahn as you go from the airport to the downtown area.
HIT THE ROAD
Riding in a bus is not the best way to experience the famed Autobahn highway, which – contrary to popular belief – does have sections with speed limits. But it’s the sections without restrictions that make a foot-down drive on the Autobahn a must-do in Munich and most of the large and small car hires will offer the ubiquitous BMW, Audi or Volkswagen models. There are also agencies that rent out high-end cars such as Porsches.
Within less than an hour or two, you can find yourself enjoying lunch at a lakeside restaurant in the Salzkammergut region of northern Austria (make sure your hire car has a vignette sticker on the windscreen to cross into Austria or any other country). Within southern Germany, visit the picturesque Regensburg medieval city, a Unesco world heritage site with a sausage kitchen that’s been operating for about 800 years beside the Danube River. Alternatively, drive to the Five Lakes district and relax after (legally) topping 200 km/h a few times on the way there. Watch out for areas where the speeds can drop to 80 km/h, because the signs are not always obvious. Some sat nav units will let you know the speed limit where you are driving.
Vignette stickers can be obtained at most petrol stations on the Autobahn for less than
€ 10 (US$13). There are some tolls along the Autobahn, but few around Munich. Car hire prices vary greatly, but booking online usually secures the best rates.
HISTORIC MARIENPLATZ
In the downtown hub, don’t miss Marienplatz (Mary’s Place) pedestrian square in front of the Neues Rathaus (new town hall) that was built from 18671908 and looks much more cathedral than municipal. The massive multi-level glockenspiel (carillon) in the 85-metre tower entertains the large crowds in the plaza below three times a day with ringing chimes and moving characters. There is also an observation deck on the ninth floor of the tower that can be reached via a lift.
Marienplatz used to be a food market area, but in the early 1800s the market moved a few blocks away to
the Viktualienmarkt. This is definitely a favourite place for foodies to gather for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants, or shop for a picnic or meal to be enjoyed later. Drop in at the Schlemmermeyer sausage shop, which offers meaty delicacies and accompaniments from all over Europe.
RETAIL THERAPY
Munich offers a plethora of shops and boutiques, many of which are centrally located on Neuhauser Strasse, the major pedestrian-only shopping street that links Karlsplatz square and Marienplatz. As you enter Neuhauser through the western arch, you’ll notice the two-storey luggage shop Lederwaren Hetzenecker on the north corner (Karlsplatz 8). Head upstairs, make a few left turns and you’ll find yourself surrounded by Rimowa luggage, and cases are about two-thirds of the price you’ll pay in, for example, Hong Kong.
For high-end shopping, the most exclusive shops are located on Maximilianstrasse near the museums and the Isar river just a few blocks north and east of Marienplatz.
If factory outlets are more your style, hire a car and drive about 40 minutes along the A9 motorway to Ingolstadt Village, one of nine Chic Outlet Shopping centres. Here you’ll find more than 900 boutiques offering all the major luxury brands at great prices (there’s no VAT if you’re a non-EU resident). There’s also a play area for kids, several good restaurants and even dog kennels.
MUNCHING IN MUNICH
Fresh Fish: Visit Munich’s fantastic outdoor Viktualienmarkt and lunch on fresh oysters, grilled lobster and prosecco at the Nordsee seafood restaurant (there are several Nordsee outlets in Munich’s major tourist and shopping areas). Half a grilled lobster is € 14 (US$18), oysters are about € 2-3 each (US$3-4) and a glass of sparkling wine is usually less than € 10 (US$13).
Buon Appetito: Food-wise, some visitors might find themselves wondering if Munich is a northern-Italian city, as there are remarkable Italian restaurants and cafés everywhere. Enjoying pizza and a bottle of wine on the patio of the L’Osteria Italian restaurant in the evening is very pleasant, and blankets are provided if it becomes a bit too cool outside. It’s located in the Künstlerhaus on Lenbachplatz just north of Karlsplatz (Stachus) Square and is the perfect place to go after a day of shopping on the nearby Neuhauser Strasse.
Fit for a King: For dinner and drinks, try the elegant Rilano No.6 in the former Lenbach palace on Ottostrasse, which is also near Karlsplatz. It has a wonderful long bar that’s usually open until 3am and the dining room serves contemporary German/international food while the grand backdrop of decorative elements provides plenty to gaze at. Be sure to check out the extremely stylish bathrooms, too.
Tipping the Scales: For more upscale dining, try the fresh oysters and lobster thermidor at Austernkeller on Stollbergstrasse near the Mandarin Oriental Munich and just a few blocks away from the Maximilianstrasse high-end shopping district where several chic European cafes and sushi restaurants are well-placed to whet the appetites of the well-to-do.