Today i decided to visit nymphenburg palace, birthplace and home of one of munichs most inreresting and influential characters, king ludwig 11. the palace can be easily reached by taking tram 17 from the munich train station on arnulfstrasse, not far away from my Hotel Monaco. after a fifteen minute rede alight at stop nymphenburg and follow signs a short distance to one of the most beautiful palaces in germany arrive as i did, early in the morning when the serious walkers and hikers come out in order to beat the tour busses and crouds. munich is close to the alps and so the weather can be unperdictable. the last six days dave been sunny and warm, perfect for a morning in this baroque palace with hugh outdoor pavilions and an extensive park modeled after versailles.
on third day i followed christines advice advocating a visit to botanical garden near the entrance. price 2.50 euros for this senior. even in spring the gardens provide relaxation and wonder. a photographers paradise with beautiful shots from all angles. i would first walk in the park, then visit the botanial garden for a peacefull rest.
Archive for April, 2009
Munich and the Nymphenburger Palace
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009Munich and the English Garden
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009Today i went to the english garden. the weather here in munich has been very warm for this time of year, and it is refreshing to see the families coming out for a picnic or to bicycle . i can see an improvment in disposition with myself as i walk along in this beautiful park enjoying nature at its best. the chinese biergarden is my destination for the afternoon as i walk past the sunbathers by thr isar river , clothing optional. i stop for an ice cream near a cool spot under a chestnut tree midway between the river and the chinese pagoda, a good spot to rest. after some meditation on a park bench listning to the sounds of laughter and shouts of joy from the children, i proceed thward the sound of oompah band nusic directing me to a glass of cold beer. a perfect ending to a perfect walk in munichs english garden. i would highly recommend this adventure particularly if the weather is fine. dont forget to bring your sunshine smile and your suntan lotion.
Munich and Alter Peter
Monday, April 13th, 2009While forcing myself up the 306 stairs leading to the top of the „Old Peter“, I kept asking myself “Why the hell are you doing this?”.
I mean, I’m not unathletic, but 306 stairs…that’s quite a lot.
The “Old peter”, or more formal: the parish church Saint Peter, is the oldest mentioned church in town and and it probably fixed the beginning of Munich. It is really close to the Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt and when you are up the top you can even sometimes see the Alps. The Hotel Monaco is just a 10 minutes walk away and the nice staff will love to give you information how to get there.
When you are starting to go up you always have to pay attention if someone is coming down and blocking the lower part, because the corridor is so narrow. It is impossible to squeeze two people through it. On the way up you pass the bells of the church. They are really worth looking at.
But the best thing is the view. As I said before you can see the Alps from there and they appear so close that you think they are just a 20 minutes drive away. But that happens just during “Föhn”, which is a special type of wind. The viewing platform is 56 m over the ground the tower has a total height of 91 m.
Every visitor to Munich has to climb up there because you get a really good overview of the city centre so that you won’t need a map again. 
It is also nice to relax up there and to take in a huge amount of Bavarian sunlight.
Yours Franziska
The spring is in Munich
Monday, April 6th, 2009The Hotel Monaco recommends you to move your body by bike. Munich with its many sights in and around the city is a biker´s paradise. Some 18 routes radiate like spokes on a wheel from the city center in all directions. Route planning maps can be obtained fromt the tourist information office close to our Hotel Monaco.
Daily 4 hour entertaining and social sightseeing bike tours, bike rental by “Mike´s Bike Tours”.
Hotel Hostel Monaco
Saturday, April 4th, 2009I have been traveling for 10 days around europe and this is the best hotel that i have stayed by far. It´s very clean and the rooms are well decorated and the beds are so comfortable especially after a long train ried. It has a great location near the train station and is in walking distances from the center of the town. the price is great if you compare it to any other hotel in the area. also compare to a hostel the price is still preatty good especially because you cn have your privacy. The best thing of the hotel is the people that work here they are really friendly and they go out of the way to help you so that you enjoy your stay. one should come to Munich to experience the german culture and its people they are so friendly. one should defently come and rent the bikes and go around the city it beautiful. the market place is so beautiful and the food is so great and so fresh. i cant wait to come back
Free hotel breakfast
Saturday, April 4th, 2009Had a great couple of days seeing Munich. Drank plenty of beer and eaten lots of pork! Muncheners all seem really friendly, especially when we’ve been attempting to speak some german. ‘Also, mein deutche ist nicht zehr güt’. ‘Would recommend Munich to anyone as it’s beautiful and the people are friendly. Would recommend taking a bus tour if you have very little time as you get to see the sights quickly. Enjoyed the english garden, but thought the beer was over-priced. Went to the Hofbrau Haus which was cool, but touristy, enjoyed the outdoor market and the pschoor brau haus more.Driving down to Füssen tommorow then back to Hotel Monaco for our last night before going home to ‘magical Seaford’ on the english south coast, near Brighton. Gret idea to have a free breakfast for writing a blog too. Hotel Monaco is very nice, the rooms are nice and bright and clean and the staff are lovely. Jay and Lucy England and Wales
Munich – Mikes Bike Tour
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009Munich is a beautiful city which greets you with it’s wonderful architecture, rich history, breathtaking parks and welcoming people. At the city center is Marienplatz, an area with beautiful architecture; many of the buildings have been rebuilt since the destruction of World War 2. There are lots of shops, cafes and beer houses (of course!) nearby. The most famous locale to drink beer is the Hofbrauhouse, where tourists and locals alike meet to drink the delicous local brews. A short walk away is one of the largest and most beautiful parks I have ever seen – the English gardens. Walking through this enormous park with manmade streams, you will see bikers and locals with dogs. If you continue walking, you will eventually come upon the second largest beer garden in the world where you can enjoy a beer while admiring the natural beauty of the area. I was fortunate enough to experience all of this in just one day thanks to Mike’s Bike Tour, a world-famous bike tour of munich which is full of fun. I can’t wait to experience another day in this city!
While in Munich I stayed in the Hotel Monaco, which is ideally located near both the train station and Marienplatz. In addition to being resonably priced, the hotel is spacious with a welcoming and most helpful staff. The rooms are clean, and very spacious with excellent bathrooms. Free Wi-Fi and nice breakfast are also added bonuses. I was very impressed with the hotel and its staff and would not stay anywhere else!