Munich: Beer, Pretzels, and Sausage

After a gorgeous train ride through Hungary, Austria, and Germany, Eric and I arrived in Munich, Germany on Thursday night. Though I was unsure about whether I would get to visit Munich while abroad when I first arrived in Europe and began making travel plans, I'm so glad I was able to fit it in, because it was easily one of the most enjoyable cities I've ever visited.

All set for a 7-hour train ride to Munich!

Riding through the Austrian countryside!

Eric and I decided to make a stop in Munich particularly for "Springfest," a beer festival that happens during April and May in Munich, and is apparently sometimes referred to as "The little sister of Oktoberfest."A bunch of our friends who are also studying abroad in Europe this semester were also making the visit, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to meet up with friends and explore another city.

Unfortunately, Springfest was a total waste of time. Basically, it's just a way to get all of the American college students studying in Europe to come to Munich for a weekend and waste money on overpriced beer in an inauthentic, tourist-trap atmosphere. Eric and I spent about an hour there, and didn't go back. But, we still had an incredible time in Munich exploring the city!

After arriving at the Central Train Station and getting settled in our hostel, Eric and I
wandered over to Marienplatz, the main square of Munich. We stayed in a fantastic location
and were a mere 10 minute walk from the most famous sites of Munich!
This gorgeous building is known as the New Town Hall.

Munich's Old Town Hall, also located in Marienplatz. I think it looks
like something out of Disney World!

For our first meal in Munich, Eric and I went to Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in the world.
My dad couldn't stop talking about it while we were in Berlin, and so I knew it was the first thing I had
to do after arriving in Munich. 

1 Liter of Beer is the norm in Munich. The beer is absolutely incredible; it's as smooth as water.

Entering Hofbrauhaus; there are numerous levels, and apparently the restaurant
serves 10,000 people each day!

On our first full day in Munich, Eric and I spent the morning about 40 minutes outside of Munich in Dachau.
Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp, and is now a memorial and museum. It was a truly incredible experience that I will never forget. This picture shows the gate through which people first entered the camp. It reads, "Work Sets You Free." 

After traveling back to downtown Munich, Eric and I went to Viktualien Markt, an
outdoor market and beer garden in center city. We started our lunch with Munich staples: Pretzels and Beer!

Outdoor Beer Garden in Viktualien Markt - packed with people on
a gorgeous day!

Eric and I then visited St. Peter's Church, a gorgeous cathedral right next to Marienplatz.

For 1 Euro, we climbed 300 steps to the top of the church tower, where we got a fantastic
overhead view of Munich. I was finally able to take a full picture of Marienplatz! 

View of Munich from St. Peter's Church

View of Theatine Church from St. Peter's Church

After leaving St. Peter's Church, Eric and I met up with our friends at Springfest. Though I saw a bunch of people from college and high school who I had not expected to see (like I said, basically every college student studying abroad was in Munich that weekend), I quickly realized that Springfest was not worth the time or money. This carnival, along with 2 large beer halls, were basically the whole of Springfest. This hardly deserves to be called the "little sister of Oktoberfest." Furthermore, it was basically a frat party, as the only people there were American college students who quickly became loud, reckless, and annoying. Needless to say, I was not impressed, and did not return for the rest of my visit. My friends and I went to a great restaurant near Marienplatz and enjoyed walking around the city at night. 

The next morning, Eric and I visited Alte Pinakothek, a famous art museum. Though neither of us are big on art museums, my dad recommended this one, so of course we thought we would give it a try. 

I actually loved this art gallery. As you can see from this picture, it was basically a series of rooms in a long hallway, which made for a very easy and enjoyable visit! There were some great works of art by Da Vinci, Rembrandt, and more. 

After leaving the art gallery, Eric and I walked through the English Garden, one of the largest parks in the world.
It extends over three miles, and is full of streams and ponds. It was absolutely gorgeous!

We made our way through the park to the Chinese Tower Beer Garden, which has  over 6,000 seats!
I enjoyed a half liter (kid's size, as they say) of Radlr (white beer mixed with lemonade), and a pretzel.
We were later joined by our friends from BC, and we had a great lunch outside. I even found one of my favorite foods from Berlin: Currywurst!

Leaving English Garden, we saw surfers in the streams!

We made our way back to Marienplatz, and stopped at the Theatine Church along the way to take
a look inside this gorgeous church.

For dinner, we all returned to Hofbrauhaus. This time, we took a peek at the second floor,
which has a huge curved ceiling, and beautiful decorations. 

For my last German meal for the foreseeable future, I had 4 wiener sausages and potato salad.
I've really come to love German food, and will definitely miss it! 

Though I was disappointed about Springfest, I had an absolutely fantastic time in Munich. The weather was gorgeous, the food was incredible, and the sites were stunning. I'm already looking forward to returning to the city (hopefully!) in a few years. On Sunday morning, Eric and returned to the train station and boarded a bus to reach our final destination of the trip: Prague!