Munich, GERMANY

Munich, GERMANY

Munich is totally one of my favorite cities in Germany... actually, it IS my favorite German city! Frankfurt really doesn't have much to offer, it is just a standard city and Berlin, albeit lovely, freshly rebuilt and full of a history that cannot be compared to anywhere else in the world it is over run with tourists. Munich gives you a chance to feel like a modern German. It is easy to get lost in the history but at the same time you have the opportunity to marvel in the real modern attractions of everyday life. I was so very comfortable in this city. Ehhh the underground wasn't exactly the easiest to navigate but after a couple rides it was easy to get the hang of it. In general, I opt to walk as opposed to taking the public transportation primarily because you are able to see soooo much more than when stuck on a crowded bus or in a dark underground tunnel.
Day 1 in Munich I went on a "free" walking tour of the city and met 2 other American girls. The tour was great and led us through all the major historical sites (both beautiful and tragic)of the city. We were paraded past the recently rebuilt churches, Parliament houses in an attempt to show us the heart of Bavaria. Most individuals from Munich are Bavarian first and German second... I think many San Franciscans can relate to that same sentiment. Holy moley, there was so much to see and even more to learn. Despite years of European history classes, watching the History Channel and reading books that speak of the events that took place in Europe over the ohh I don't know the past couple thousand years, I don't think any of it made it all seem as real as it was while I walked the streets and imagined what it was like for those living in these places throughout the ages. America has an incredible history but it is a story told without aid of substantial ancient architecture; this is one of the draws of exploring Europe's history.
As things ramped up to WWII, the people of Munich knew that their city was going to be toast so they went around photographing, drawing and documenting the physical details of the city so they would be able to rebuild it when the time came. It was a darn good thing that someone did all that because the city was pretty much flattened during the war. But in the last several decades the city has been restored to its former glory. Every last detail had been documented and was thus included in the rebuild. A pretty awesome feat if you ask me! I am not going to go into details about all the places we visited, just know that I pretty much saw it all, even the church that they claim to !
The next morning the girls and I agreed to meet back at the Glockenspiel (the bell tower in the New Town Hall building complete with life-sized figurines who dance and reenact historical Bavarian scenes) so we could travel together to visit the Concentration Camp Memorial of Dachau. Each of us had previously visited at least one genocide memorial site and knew the importance of having a like-minded person with you during the visit. It was an undeniably intense experience that brought to life the horrors committed during the 12 years of Nazi rule.
I was staying in a hostel just across the street from the main train station, thus it was a pretty popular place for young travelers. I bonded with the only girl in my room over the obnoxious teeth grinding and snoring symphony created by the three boys in our room. She and a few pals from Ireland were doing a bit of traveling around Europe. That night they were going to pay a visit to the most famous beer hall in the world, conveniently located in the heart of Munich's old town, the Hofbräuhaus. Naturally, I accepted the offer to drink beer only offered in one litre increments. This was hands down one of the most fun nights! After we had our fill of watching the bar maids carry around literally 10 1-litre steins of beer at one time we ventured to a new place called the Atomic Club where we danced our hearts out while listening to classic but not over played tunes from the 50s and 60s.
No trip to Munich is complete without seeing the inspiration for Disney's Sleepy Beauty's castle. Nestled in the alps of the town of Fussen is the Neuschwanstein Castle and what a beauty she is! If there really is a land set for fairy tales, this is it! From the castle you look out over myriad lakes (one of which was the inspiration for Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake), brilliant green rolling hills, and lush forests where you expect to see Robin Hood popping out at any minute. They say that King Ludwig II was a nutcase and was bankrupting the city by building this castle. Unfortunately, this FAIRYtale king met a tragic end when he "committed suicide" in one of the local lakes... Truthfully, he was the Michael Jackson of the 19th century - a guy with a bunch of cash on hand who wasn't ready to grow up. Sadly, Ludwig's advisers didn't like that he was spending so much dough on making the castle a wonderland tribute to Wagner's operas so they had some doc tell him that he was certifiably insane and they may have even had a hand in his tragic death... An interesting story, if you ask me.