Exploring Munich’s old town (and drinking beer!)

On the last day of our trip, we walked into the south part of the old town from our Airbnb, entering it via the gate of Sendlingor Tor. We wandered through the streets for a while, before exploring the beautiful area around Marienplatz more carefully.

When we’re in a city, we always enjoy going up a tower to get a bird’s eye view. The vantage point we chose this time was Frauenkirche, a cathedral and the largest gothic building in Germany. It has three naves and two towers with beautiful onion domes.

We climbed 90 steps then took a lift to the top of one of the towers. The views were fantastic and we spent some time reading the information boards and spotting landmarks around the city.

Back in the streets, we decided to visit Marienplatz, rather than continuing the city walk we’d been following. And thank goodness we did. As we turned the corner to the ornate Neues Rathaus (the 19th century New Town Hall), we could see everyone looking up at the clock, which was chiming noon. The figures in the clock then began jousting and performing the Dance of the Coopers. It was wonderful to see, and to hear the 43 bells playing a tune.

Marienplatz is beautiful. A column in the centre, the Mariensäule (Column of the Virgin), marks the geographical centre of Munich, from which all distances in the city are measured. The pretty Alte Rathaus (Old Town Hall), which dates from 1464, is much smaller and plainer than the Neues Rathaus.

By now I was rather peckish so we made our way to Hofbräuhaus. This is a huge beer hall that can seat 1000 people at long tables and is said to be Munich’s largest tourist attraction. Traditional folk music is played and the place had a great atmosphere. Bavarian food is served and we both chose crispy pork and potato dumplings, although I chose slices of meat rather than the large knuckle that John had. We agreed that the pork was delicious, although neither of us was keen on the sticky dumplings.

As the beer went down so well, especially with John😆, we ended up visiting a couple more beer houses while we walked back through the old town.

We also wandered around the picturesque Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s oldest market, which has sold all sorts of food since the beginning of the 19th century. Lots of people were sitting around drinking and eating by the stalls, despite the cold weather.

Back at the Airbnb, thanks to the beer, we needed an afternoon nap. Then we went out for dinner, before packing our bags and getting ready for an early flight in the morning. It’s been an enjoyable trip, but I’m looking forward to getting home to my own bed, and to firming up plans for our next trip, when we’ll be visiting Denmark, Sweden and Norway for the first time 😃.