Biergartens and Lederhosen in Bavaria

BEER BEER BEER. What else is there to say about Munich? Let's see what I can do. I just walked in the door a few hours ago after returning to Florence on an overnight train from Munich, Germany. My cousin returns today, so it will be nice to have people in the apartment with me for my remaining week in Italy. Overnight trains are an interesting experience. You get a "couchette," which is a glorified cot in a small cart with 5 other people. However, it was a fast way to travel and to save money on a hostel (which is usually as comfortable as a train couchette anyways).


After arriving on a late train from Zurich, I checked into my hostel in Munich. I walked around the center of the city on Saturday night just to get a taste of Munich nightlife before my big day of seeing the city on Sunday. I started my day at the Marienplatz, the square in the center of the city. The Neues Rathaus is the city hall building pictured above, and it is famous for its Glockenspiel. This clock puts on a show twice-a-day at 11am and noon (and 5pm in the summer), and the little figures move and dance in the world's best cuckoo clock.


Next, I walked by the Residenz, which is the former palace of the rulers of the Bavarian kingdom, including the Wittelsbach family. I made my way to the Englischer Garten, the large city park that dwarfs London's Hyde Park or New York's Central Park in size. There are lots of people around, many playing soccer or sunbathing (many naked, yikes). At the heart of the garden is the Chinese Tower with one of the largest and most famous biergartens in Munich. I sat down for ein maß (one liter of beer) and took in the Sunday morning crowd in the garden. Bavarians take their beer very seriously and consume mass quantities each day. I even had to pay a 1 euro deposit to be collected when I returned my beer stein to the counter.


After my first liter of beer of the day, I went to Olympic Park in the outskirts of the city. The BMW plant and museum is located here, and the building is as extravagant and elegant as the cars it houses. Munich, infamously, hosted the 1972 summer Olympics. The stadium is interesting and looks like a tent with its strange roof. I took the elevator to the top of the 200-meter high Olympic tower for the best views of the Olympic Park, city, and surrounding Bavaria.


For lunch, I stopped at the Augustiner Garten just off the beaten path. Thousands of chairs and tables covered this garden. A traditional Bavarian band played music and was dressed up in their lederhosen best. I had another liter of beer and a traditional currywurst (with fries). German food is delicious and rich, perfect with one of their 6 famous Bavarian braü (brews) of bier (beer).


After lunch I made my way to the outskirts of the city to see the Schloss (Palace) Nymphenburg, the countryside royal residence of Bavaria. The grounds are sprawling, with lakes, gardens, and fountains. It reminded me very much of Versailles in France, but on a obviously smaller and less ridiculous scale. I finished my day at Hofbräuhaus, the most famous brewery and biergarten in Bavaria and make of the most popular beer, the Hofbräu (HB).


Germany was incredible and different in its own ways from Switzerland and Italy. Less than one week in Florence left before I begin my semester in Prague. I will be staying around Florence/Tuscany until then, with a two-day trip to the infamous south of Italy to Naples and Pompei on Thursday and Friday. Auf Wiedersehen!