munich – Ultimate Travel Adventures

Taking Bavaria’s Pulse in the Heart of Munich: Marienplatz

After the destruction suffered in World War II, Germany’s cities were faced with the decision of whether to revive their historic treasures or go for a completely clean canvas and thoroughly modernize. Munich chose the former, and exquisitely captured the essence of historic Munich. The current adaptation of the Neo-Gothic “New Town Hall” in Marienplatz (shown above) was only completely finished in the 1990s, though compared to other structures much of the original remained intact after World War II. It was restored and improved over the course of many years.

St. Peter’s Church, Munich’s Oldest

Luckily, Munich’s oldest church, also located at Marienplatz: St. Peter’s, is in magnificent condition. Here, bold, brilliant colors envelop you in a masterpiece of baroque wonder. Sheltered from the bustling activity outside, the silence of the church encourages you to expend all of your energies into one sense, your eyes, so that the magnificent splendor surrounding you does not overwhelm.

Viktualienmarkt

Viktualienmarkt, just steps away from Marienplatz, is a down-to-earth place to observe Germans carrying out everyday activities – shopping at the farmers’ market, checking in with the butcher and bread-baker, and indulging in a notoriously German favorite activity – socializing at the Biergarten. If you want to see Munich from a local point-of-view, Viktualienmarkt is a great place to visit!

Hofbrauhuas – Blatantly Touristy Fun

Prefer a more touristy perspective on the traditional Biergarten? Hofbrauhaus is a rambunctiously exaggerated version forged with the tourist in mind. Here you’ll find large crowds of tourists in a boisterous atmosphere, and, if you come at the right time, a band of merry Germans in lederhosen enthusiastically playing an assortment of raucous instruments! Not entirely authentic, perhaps, but undoubtedly loads of fun!

Olympic Tower

View from Olympic Tower

Olympic Village and Sports Venues

Olympic Tower offers a great observatory from which you can view not only Olympic Village and the sporting venues, but the city skyline and the Bavaria beyond. It’s satisfyingly comprehensive to be able to get a birds-eye overview of a place to complement seeing it up-close and personal, so I always do so when possible.

Italian Renaissance Inspired Odeonsplatz

Munich has many attractive squares worth a visit once you’ve experienced Marienplatz. Odeonsplatz, shown above, is one such place. With Italian style renaissance influences, artwork-adorned colonnade, and neighboring rose-dotted English Garden, Odeonsplatz is a great location for a leisurely stroll.

Nymphenburg Palace Exterior at Sunset

Arguably, the most extraordinary sights in Munich are the illustrious palaces of the House of Wittelsbach: Nymphenburg – the summer residence, and Residenz – the Wittelsbach family’s city home. In an ongoing effort to “keep up with the Habsburgs” of Austria, no expense – or imagination – was spared in devising the grandest, most elaborate and ornate baroque utopias possible. Dripping in gold leaf and endowed throughout with masterfully painted scenes exploding with vibrant color, the interiors of these palaces provided some of the most spectacular and breathtaking eye-candy I have ever seen.

Awe-Inspiring Main Hall, Nymphenburg Palace

An Explosion of Color Greets You in the Foyer (Roof)

Not far from city center (and easily accessible by double-decker bus), Nymphenburg Palace can induce a dream-like state of euphoria with its spectacular beauty. I was mesmerized by opulence of my surroundings.

The Residenz – Very Deceptive Exterior!

Back in the city, the exterior architecture of the Residenz- very simple and unembellished, is extremely deceiving – perhaps an attempt at creating an even greater sense of shock and awe in the visitor once they “unwrap” the nondescript package to find an experience of wondrous bliss hidden within.

The Gilded Bliss of the Residenz

Mirros Amplifying the Abundance of Gold

When Gold’s Not Enough – Crystal Chandeliers and Masterpieces of Fine Art

Here in this imagination-defying paradise, there’s no trace of the everyday life of modern Munich right outside its doors. It’s hard not to soak in the atmosphere and imagine what it would be like if you lived in this sanctuary, crown adorning your head, unicorn in the stables… Ok, not that last one… but I think you get what I’m trying to say… The modern everyday German of the Viktualienmarkt seems a million miles away from here.

Twin Towers of Church of Our Lady, Marienplatz

After being spoiled silly by the scenery of Munich itself, you can indulge yourself even further with outstanding day-trip options from your Munich home base. I did so by visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, the most famous in all of Germany, and Rothenburg-am-Tauber, Germany’s most well-preserved medieval town. Join me next week to embark on this adventure! I filmed a vlog of my exploration in Munich you can view here!:

Donation

I am extremely grateful for your generous donation to help keep the site running! This site and individual posts are not sponsored! A dollar may not be a lot, but every dollar counts!

$1.00

Eden Hotel Wolff, Lobby

Staying at the Eden Hotel Wolff in Munich, Germany turned out to be one of the most pleasant, authentic-yet-comfortable experiences I have ever had staying at a hotel in a foreign country.

It all started with arrival in Munich, after several exhausting hours on an airplane from the United States. Even for the most seasoned of travelers, it can be an intimidating experience arriving in a foreign country tired and not sure how to navigate your way around. After taking some time to relax, decompress, and soak in the local atmosphere at the airport, I pursued a strategy to get into town. The Germans are very efficient with transportation, so it was no surprise to find that there is a commuter train that runs direct from the airport into Central Station, downtown Munich, for a few Euros.

Eden Hotel Wolff, exterior

Imagine my delight, when, weary, jet-lagged, and exasperated, I discovered the Eden Hotel Wolff directly across the street from Central Station! It looked like paradise with the condition I was in. Without having to exhaust myself with any more searching, or walking, I was there! My home for the next four nights.

It was clear upon entering the lobby that this was no run-of-the-mill chain place. It was unique, and had an old-world charm about it while still offering completely modern comfort. I was dazzled by crystal chandeliers, marble trim, painted ceilings, and an acutely courteous staff who were happy to patiently indulge my broken German (because I wanted to practice, not because they didn’t speak English!) When I had trouble with the European outlet converter I had brought, they even were kind enough to offer a loaner.

My room at the Eden Hotel Wolff

Passing through stairwells and corridors adorned with fine art and fresh bouquets of flowers bursting with color (and, yes, a working elevator!) I made it “home” to my room. And it was unlike any hotel room I’ve ever stayed in before. It had wooden floors, wood panels all along the walls, wooden cabinets… it had a very earthy, rustic-yet-modern feel to it, and all that wood gave off a pleasant aroma. It was like setting up a bed and tv in a fancy sauna and turning off the heat! Meanwhile, in the bathroom I was surrounded by luxurious marble walls and intoxicatingly-scented amenities on the sink that I couldn’t wait to pamper myself with…. after SLEEP!

Another view of the room

I slept for the rest of the day, and woke up in the evening long enough for a walk in the immediate area. I marveled at the neon lights and harmony of German-speaking voices, traffic horns, and trolley cars. I grabbed some grub at the train station steps away [many inexpensive restaurants to choose from there, including a McDonald’s curiously serving camembert cheese filled donuts and other delicious oddities (!)]. I then returned to the room to observe some soccer delivered by animated German announcers. I’m not ordinarily a soccer fan, but I’m a diehard professional sports fan, so this felt like a good way to start experiencing the culture when I still felt too worn out to do anything else but prepare for a long day the following day.

Eden Hotel Wolff’s restaurant

In the morning I was spoiled absolutely silly to an incredible complimentary breakfast spread in the hotel’s restaurant. Every day I was treated to a dizzying selection of German specialties for breakfast, like fresh Muesli, varying types of local sausages, cold cuts, and cheeses, a mouth-watering assortment of carefully carved fresh fruit, delectable pastries, and even tantalizingly salty fresh pretzels! And so much more. I grabbed a free newspaper (which were available in multiple languages) and filled up for a day of energetic and ambitious sightseeing. This seems to be quite normal in Germany, to expect an extravagant complimentary breakfast.

The sightseeing… is for an upcoming blog because there is WAY to much to try to say here about this fascinating city of Munich or the day trips I embarked on from there. And I’m not done gushing about this unforgettable hotel experience!

Back in the evening, winded and famished from actively exploring all day, I decided to give the hotel’s restaurant a try, especially noticing they offered one of my favorite, authentic local dishes: Wienerschnitzel.

Wienerschnitzel with Cranberry Sauce, German Potatoes, and Russ (beer with lemon soda)

The Russ (beer mixed with lemon soda) was extremely refreshing after the long hot day, and quite delicious. I wish it was more widely available outside of Germany! The Wienerschnitzel was cooked to utter perfection and fork tender. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any more like royalty after this amazing feast, I noticed Kaiserschmarrn on the menu – or “Emperor’s Eggs,” a ridiculously rich indulgence of egg-heavy pancake strips sweetened with powdered sugar and dotted with exotic fruits. I hadn’t tried the likes of it since a trip to Vienna at the age of twelve, and nostalgia prevailed: I had to experience it again. I enjoyed it a lot more this time around, because I’ve developed a much greater sense of open-mindedness about foreign cuisine than I could admit to having at twelve… But this is not your everyday kind of dessert – I think I’ll let nostalgia set in again for a while before I tackle this extravaganza of richness again! It is one of the heaviest, most luscious desert dishes you could ever consume – fit for a king apparently!

View from the other end of Eden Hotel Wolff’s restaurant

I enjoyed the beautiful wood paneled walls and ceilings, chandeliers, and statuettes and artwork on the walls of the restaurant almost as much as the dinner. This dinner was a wonderful extension of my day of sightseeing in Germany, a very authentic experience from the atmosphere to the cuisine.

Eden Hotel Wolff provided a very authentic German experience that made my stay in Munich all that much more meaningful and enjoyable. And what an amazing bonus it was that I was steps away from Central Station and the double decker buses, and minutes away from the spectacular hub of German architecture and culture that is Marienplatz. Being a travel blogger, I like to try a lot of different hotels. But when I return to Munich, I doubt I will be able to resist another stay at Eden Hotel Wolff!

I filmed a video tour – see it for yourself here!:

Donation

I am extremely grateful for your generous donation to help keep the site running! This site and individual posts are not sponsored! A dollar may not be a lot, but every dollar counts!

$1.00

Coming up next, more from Germany including Munich, Rothenburg, Bavarian Castles, Hamburg, Berlin, and a Baltic Sea cruise out of Copenhagen, Denmark!