„For those who are lost, there will always be cities that feel like home.“- Simon van Booy, Munich diaries
A happy first Advent from Munich, Germany. This year we spent Advent in our favorite city, Munich. We go there at least once every year. This year only went out once due to my wedding and honeymoon, but it was definitely worth it. 3 nights, 5 whole days of pure relaxation and togetherness.
Munich is just under 4.5 hours from Vienna by car. A perfect destination for a long weekend. Lately I’ve been a fan of traveling by car because I honestly don’t have to worry about the weight of my luggage. Everything is packed up. But let’s get back to Munich. Experience a few days with me in this beautiful city.
Marienplatz Christmas market Munich:
The whole way from Karlplatz to Marienplatz is a big market. There is a small, fine ice skating rink at Karlplatz. From there there are many small stands with Christmas decorations, fresh fruit, food and drink. The city is lit up with all the Christmas lights and there is a lot of hustle and bustle on the streets.
Every year I buy a small decoration or cookie cutter from the market. Same this year. People are creatures of habit and I am no different. I look at every stand, but in the end we usually go to the same ones.
Ayinger am Platzl:
When I’m in Munich, I want to eat traditional cuisine at least once. But I’m not a fan of places that are too touristy and are noisy and crowded. 3 years ago we discovered Ayinger am Platzl. And since then we have always come here on the first evening of our Munich vacation. I love the flair. It’s traditional, yet upscale. But getting a table here without a reservation is pure luck.
What do you do in a „German pub“? Of course drink a beer. I prefer light beers and my husband prefers dark ones. We shared a “Jausen Brettl” as a starter. Various spreads and cheese, bacon and traditional brown bread. To be honest, my highlight was the lard spread: I ate roast pork as my main course and was overjoyed at the end. An integral part of our vacation in Munich.
Thermal SPA Erding:
The Erding thermal spa is my favorite thermal spa ever, about 40 minutes from Munich. For the last six months I’ve been so excited to finally go there again and relax. The Erding thermal spa is the largest thermal spa in the world and therefore has a lot to offer. In total we were in the thermal spa for 3 days during the day and not a single second was boring.
There’s a lot more I want to tell you about this spa, but I’ll do it all in a separate blog post. So here are just a few details. There are 3 large areas which are connected to each other by turnstiles. The whole concept is like an oasis. Above are palm trees and plants. Pools of different sizes. Inside and outside. I think around 20 slides? And my personal favorite is the sauna area. Ages 16 and over are allowed here and it’s like having your own thermal spa in itself. So if you want to know more, you should definitely read my next blog post.
Shopping in Munich:
This year Black Friday and the first weekend of Advent were the same and that meant everyone was shopping. And you can definitely do that in Munich. I think it’s great that the shops there are putting a lot more emphasis on their presentation. The H&M looked like a posh boutique. The Lush store was huge and from the outside people were already impressed. Additionally, I have to say that the interior also looked great. Of course I bought something there again. Maybe for my next blog post about Lush?
Of course, I also visited stores that don’t exist in Vienna, such as Sephora. It’s still a shame that Austria is the only country in Europe without Sephora. The surprising thing for us in Munich was that we saw men and women shopping equally. But I have to say that the men shopped a lot more wildly. The men’s areas in the stores looked like they had left a hurricane.
Gigi Trattoria:
I didn’t know the resaturant Gigi. I have to admit that I was influenced, a few weeks before our vacation and reserved a table there straight away. And that’s a good thing, because Gigi is always full. From the outside you only see the black facade with a slight lettering above the door, but once you’re inside you’re overwhelmed. There are lights and people everywhere. The upholstered furniture is in various soft colors and there is a large bar in the middle.
I felt comfortable from the first second. The menu and drinks menu were classic Italian. I had an Italian Pornstar Martinis, or rather 2? I had the tuna tartare as a starter and linguine with truffles as my main course. Delicious. The service was generally quick and very good. I can’t say anything negative about this restaurant in Munich. So for anyone who likes Italian cuisine, definitely worth a visit.
Medieval Christmas market Munich:
My absolute favorite market in Munich. In contrast to the market at Marienplatz, this one is not as crowded with tourists and others. Here you see more of the young locals. That was really refreshing. There are small stands with food, decorations or drinks everywhere. The great thing about them is that they all look like they come from the Middle Ages. The sellers are also dressed like this. We spent most of the time here on the last evening of our vacation.
In contrast to Vienna, the punch here is unique. The shot of rum or whiskey really doesn’t save money and the creations taste much better to me. We always ordered the punch called Thor Hammer, med with whiskey. Served in a beautiful clay goblet. We took these with us too. A clear eye-catcher for the home. There was also a live band there, which spread a good atmosphere. A great experience for me.
Hungriges Herz Munich:
Welcome to the hungry heart of Munich. Not only does this place have a cool name, but it also looks very cool inside. Furthermore, it is one of the very few restaurants in Munich that offer breakfast from 9:00 a.m. on Sundays. A reservation was also necessary here because the restaurant was completely full within a few minutes. I really liked the furnishings and the entire ambience. Perfect for photos.
The food was equally aesthetic and delicious. The selection was completely sufficient. From classic egg dishes to various bagels, bowls and sweets. Everything was there. What I also have to say is that the food was served very quickly. So within an hour we were finished ordering and eating. So great!
Chiemsee Herrenschloss:
Lake Chiemsee is about 1 hour away from Munich. There are various islands in it and the largest of them is home to the German Versailles. Yes, you heard that right. The former King Ludwig II of Bavaria was so in love with the French Sun King Louis the 14th that he rebuilt his own Versailles for him. It was his third construction project. The other two are the Lindenhof and Neuschwanstein Castle.
The fascinating thing about the whole complex is that it was never finished. The king died before it was completed. The cost exceeded anything he had ever built. Only the middle wing of 3 was built and only 20 of 50 rooms were completed. The king never spent a single night in the imperial golden bed. You could really see that nothing had been used. There is a very strict ban on photography inside the castle, so I wasn’t able to take any pictures. Which was a shame, but it really was like Versailles, even though it looks reserved from the outside. And the famous Hall of Mirrors is even 4m longer here.
Summary:
For me, a holiday in Munich is simply part of it, as is a summer holiday by the sea. From the moment I get in the car in the morning and head towards the thermal baths, I’m in holiday mode. I’m looking forward to the relaxing time in the Erding thermal baths, eating and walking in Munich. There is so much to discover in the city. And I’m thrilled every time.
So for everyone who has never been to Munich, it’s time to take a weekend trip there. Either at Christmas time or in summer. The city has something to offer everyone in every season. And it’s always good for shopping – says the little shopoholic in me.
Conclusion:
a great city for a short vacation
Adress:
Munich
Germany
Tip:
at least 2 nights are advantageous to get to know the city better
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