I arrived in Munich for the first time on Friday evening September 4th by way of the Hauptbahnhof ((train station) and initially it was a little overwhelming since it was in the early evening and not only was I tired but it was also quite crowded and very busy at the train station. It took only a few moments to get oriented and find my way out the front door. There was the normal street people crowded around the front of the train station.
I made my way to the Information Section in front of the train station and bought a map for future reference and then made my way to the Hotel Monaco where I was to stay for the next two and a half days. The hotel is only about three blocks from the train station and that is certainly a convenience for any weary traveler. The hotel is clean and very basic but when one is traveling you don’t need lot of facy things since the idea of traveling is to get out of your hotel and see the sights. The staff were very friendly and quite helpful, especially when it came to information about the city and how to get around.
Saturday I took a bus tour around the city and that is something I would highly recommend, especially if it is your fiirst time to a new city. Munich is the third largest city in Germany and the bus tour can be booked at the Information Place next to the train station. The bus trip took me to the outlyiing areas and then back again where I had to take a second bus, actually part of the same tour, for the inner parts of the city. This particular trip allowed me to get on and off the bus at different sights so it was quite convenient. The tour guide gave information about the city in both German and English and that was a big help.
For my trip I got off at the Nymphenburg Palace which is very beautiful. The grounds are expansive and well manicured. It reminded me of Versailles in France. After getting back on the bus and finishing my tour I spent the rest of the day in the middle or older part of the city doing some site seeing, visiting churches, going to Mass in the afternoon and then catching some authentic German food for dinner. All in all a very satisfying day and to tell the truth, I was very tired from all the walking I had done.
Sunday I went to the Deutches Museum, by way of the S-Bahn, which is a museum dedicated to science and technology. This was another long day of walking but the museum was quite impressive. It is not was extensive as the Smithsonian ( but what is) but never- the- less I was very, very impressed and would highly recommend it if a person is interested in the technological advances of the last 500 years or so. There is an extensive underground representation of a coal and a salt mine which is quite the site. The other parts of the museum that I was impressed with were the aviation section, the section bridges, manufacturing machinery, the full scale model of a WW I submarine, plus many other exhibits too numerous to mention. The ship models are works of art in themselves.
Although I had an S Bahn ticket to get back to my hotel I decided to walk back and see what things I could see. I was able to stop in at another stunningly beautiful chruch and went by the new Synagoague that was built after WW II. I couldn’t go in the Synagague because it was closed but I was able to take photographs of it.
My plan for Monday is to see the Residenz, which was the family palace of the Wittelsbachs who had ruled this area of Bavaria for around 700 years (as noted in Rick Steve’s book on Germany), maybe go back to the book store by the Synagogue, take more pictures of the city and then head back to Ansbach.
All in all a very busy two and a half days.
There was still so much that I did not see and maybe I might be fortunate enough to get back to Munich (Munchen) some time in the future. The inner part of the city is easy to get around. The people I had met were friendly and helpful especially when I needed help getting around town (as when I required assistnce with the S-Bahn when I went to the Deutsches Museum) and of course the food was good and, well, its Munich so the beer is exceptional!
Glenn Bailey, Ph.D.
Hotel Monaco, room 606
