Getting to Know Munich in 3 Days, Munich, Germany

Munich was not exactly the charming, quiet Bavarian town we had pictured. It was lively, crowded, and full of energy - with construction cranes almost as common as church steeples. The city felt like it was constantly in motion, from the hum of trams to the buzz of renovation projects. Still, amid all that activity, we found plenty to explore - from historic beer halls and royal palaces to sleek car museums and a massive palace just outside the city.

Here are a few days we spent in Munich where, beyond Old Town and the city center we saw the BMW Museum, Olympic Park, Nymphenburg Palace and Gardens.

In the heart of Munich sits the Altstadt (Old Town), a lively area filled with shops, cafés, and stunning architecture. Marienplatz, the central square, has been the city’s gathering place since 1158. It is surrounded by historic buildings, most notably the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) with its famous Glockenspiel. Twice a day 11AM and Noon, (3 times in the summer) the clock chimes and the life-size mechanical characters from Munich’s history perform a short show.

When we arrived via train, it was lunchtime so we set out to find some German specialties for our first meal. There are many Houf Brau houses all over the city. The term Houf Brau means “Court Brewery” or simply today, Brew House. We stopped for lunch at an Augustiner Wirtshaus, one of the city’s traditional taverns pouring beer from Munich’s oldest independent brewery, Augustiner-Bräu, which dates all the way back to 1328. We ordered classic sausages with sauerkraut and a freshly poured Augustiner brew straight from the barrel. Simple, traditional, and delicious ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).