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My stay in Munich

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Ten years after taking 4 years of high school German, I’ve finally made it to Germany.  Unfortunately ten years has worn on my memory, and when I first arrived I found my language education not of much use.  Thankfully, the people of Munich were extremely friendly and educated, and I never found myself in a jam without someone to help me out.  Slowly, however, I was starting to remember and being able to occasionally respond in German made the experience that much better.

Staying at the Hotel Monaco, I felt we had a great start to the trip.  The hotel has the amenities and location one expects of a hotel while retaining the feel of a country bed and breakfast.  The staff is extremely friendly, easy to understand, and knowledgeable about the city.  Each night we asked for recommendations on where to eat, where to go, and how to get there, and we were never disappointed.  We ate traditional Bavarian foods each night and each brew house recommended was wonderful.  When reservations were required, the desk assistant was able to call and make a reservation for us.

We had paid for a three day public transit pass but it was, in the end, not necessary.  The hotel, while not directly in the city, was only a few minutes walk from all the central attractions. Further, most of the attractions were within walking distance of each other.  The glockenspiel and the Christmas markets were only a short trip, which, given the amounts of wonderful sausages, potatoes, desserts, and beer I had, was welcomed.

The most difficult part of Munich was getting used to the seat-yourself style of restaurants.  Finding an acceptable place was never comfortable for me, especially given the large tables and the fact that generally we had to sit next to strangers.  Every time we did, however, they were personable locals, or tourists with their own story to tell.  I hope to be back soon.   Marek Krawczyk 05/12/2009 Room 503

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Munich during Christmas time

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

This is my fourth time to your beautiful city. We had the pleasue of staying at Hotel Monaco. We where greeted very warmly when we arrivved.
It has a lot of charm nd character. For the price it is a good deal, it is close to the Marienplatz where the lovely Christmas market is.
You can also take the s bahn it is very close to hotel.

Munich comes alive at Christmas time, so many markets to choose from and all the beautiful displays of lights. It is a great time to come here.
A little cold but being from Phoenix Arizona it doesnt take much for me to be cold. The transportation system is great and is very easy to use,

Day trips are very easy also if you stay at this ´hotel as the central train station is within walking distance, there is a lot to see in the surrounding areas as they also have Christmas markets  of there own.

I would diffinitely recommend staying at this Munich hotel you wont be disappointed

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Munich, what a lovely city!

Monday, September 14th, 2009

I arrived in Munich this morning, it is a beautiful city from what I’ve seen so far. Everyone is really friendly and helpful. Our hotel (Hotel Monaco) is really cute and the staff are so nice. Our room is really spacious, clean and beautifully decorated. It is directly opposite the train station, so it only took us a few minutes to get here which was fine, even with our heavy luggage. In fact, we initially hopped into a taxi, only to be told by the driver we could walk!! We are also so close to the center of Munich, it only took us a few minutes to reach the heart of the city which is Marienplatz. There are plenty of shops, markets, fresh fruit stalls, restaurants, beer halls, little bars… plenty of things to keep us busy. We had a great traditional Bavarian dinner of Roast Pork which was really tasty! Also sampled some nice local beers. Looking forward to doing a bike tour tomorrow and seeing more of this lovely city.
Emily (Sydney, Australia)

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My first time in Munich

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

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

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Munich city tour

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Today my wife and I decided to attend one of the informal Munich city tours that originate each morning in front of the New Town Hall beside Mary’s Column.  These begin between 10 and 11 each morning, so after another splendid breakfast bouffet at the Hotel Monaco we walked to Marienplatz and selected the free tour (in English) which was hosted by a young man named Mark.  Mark comes from Essex in England, and though his thick rural British accent took a little getting used to, his enthusiasm for and knowledge of the city and its history were very impressive.  Over the course of about 3 hours he brought us to and into the Frauenkirche, the original Hofbrauhaus, past the new Jewish syngogue (and all that its presence in Munich represented as a triumph over this city’s Nazi past), into Maximilianplatz and over to the Residenzmuseum.  He concluded the tour on the site where Hitler staged his abortive beer hall putsch in November 1923.  Of course, being a young man, his emphasis on Munich’s history and its contemporary economy centered on one word, which he urged us to repeat over and over at the top of our lungs — BEER!  Once his tour had ended (he works only for well-deserved tips), we found ourselves next to the large complex that is the Residenzmuseum.  Being interested in art and history, we purchased tickets for the combination program for €8 each — the treasury (featuring an impressive and often jaw-dropping collection of crowns, jewels, religious artifacts in gold and silver, etc.), and the actual royal residence rooms and furnishings, remarkably restored (in many cases) from damage sustained at the end of World War II, of seven hundred yers of Wittelsbach ruling families.  Many of the jewels are enormous rubies, emeralds and other precious gems.  We wandered through enormous halls with spectacularly painted and sculpted ceilings, lavish and often gaudy rooms for studying, greeting guests, and sleeping, and even a reliquary within a vault. This latter room is filled with the bones (and sometimes other body parts) of variious saints and holy men, generally presented within crystal and silver display frames.  Overall, this is really a must-see museum, though it was surprisingly sparsely attended on this Saturday afternoon.

Robert Apfelzweig
Foster City, California, USA

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Come on, it´s Bladenight in Munich!

Monday, August 10th, 2009

“Where are you rolling?” asked surprised tourists. Summertime in Munich is Blading time!

Every Monday evening you can roller-skate from 9 PM in the city of Munich. Around 8000 people are skating every week around Munich.

Blade night is a great highlight in the city and it is impossible to imagine a summer without a Skate night.

The routes go through the whole city centre. This night is suitable for enthusiastic, sporty people of all ages. You can enjoy “your city” smog-free for two hours!

Since 1999 this event takes place and counts to one of the biggest events in this vein in Europe. Road-blockings, numerous assistants and the police taking care for a smooth activity. We recommend our “sporty guests” of Hotel Monaco to join in the Blade night!

You have a lot of possibilities to hire roller-skates in the city. Use this chance to be part of this fabulous night until 14. September 2009!

For more information use the follow link: http://www.muenchner-bladenight.de

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How to meet people in Munich

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

How to meet people in Munich:

If you are in your mid-20s-30s and are traveling in Munich, it can be somewhat overwhelming to try and meet new people. But do not fear, that’s what the beer gardens are for! The ambiance in these places is fantastic, people are singing, dancing around, cheering, and of course, drinking lots of beer (and most of the time it’s huge 1 liter glasses!). The best is to find a table with people who look like fun and you just plop down next to them, introduce yourself, and get ready for a fantastic evening meeting new people and experiencing a very traditional Munich festivity! You can either sit inside or outside, but no matter where you go, you are sure to have an excellent time! Bring your dancing shoes because whoever you meet might want to take you out dancing once you’ve finished at the beer garden!

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Munich in 24 hours

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

For my first visit to Munich, I have less than 24 hours and want to get a feel for what it would be like to live here. Mission: dinner in a non-touristy restaurant in the center of town with good vegetarian options.

So, on the first evening, I meet up with the friend of a friend, “M” outside the Hotel Monaco. The streets of the Old City are fairly quiet tonight and we enter a lovely shopping mall with plants draped from the ceiling. It’s very peaceful but suddenly M leads us to a wonderfully bustling restaurant. Young people are out in force – in couples, groups, above, below, around tables, along bars.
The restaurant is called Vapiano and has a unique concept – you get a plastic card and order individual menu items (pasta, pizza, salad, drink, dessert) from stations where they are prepared before your eyes. When you leave, your card is swiped and you pay the total. Tip: English language menus are available upon request. I can recommend the Rucola Ravioli, made fresh that day and served with cherry tomatoes and arugula leaves. The tables have even pots of basil and rosemary which you can pick to accent your meal. And, there are gummy bears for a treat on your way out the door. This is actually a restaurant with locations across Europe (www.vapiano.de).

After a stroll and stop for a beer, I get home and check all my tourist information and guidebooks about Munich – not one mentions Vapiano, so mission accomplished. Thanks, M!

-Written by guest E from USA, 9 July 2009

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Walking tour in Munich

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Today was our third day in Munich and our last night at the Munich Hotel Monaco. Staying at the Hotel Monaco was a great decision on our part. It is a great hotel and it is within walking distance of everything! On our first day here we took a walking tour. I highly recommend this because you see so much and you learn the history of everything. In Marienplatz they offer free tours and tours for 10 euros. We took the 10 euro tour because the groups were much smaller. The tour guide was great and we learned so much about Munich.

On our second day here we drove to Lugwig’s castles in Southern Germany. I highly recommend this. The drive is beautiful and so are the castles. We also drove to the Zugspitze which is the highpeak peak in Germany. It is located in a quaint little town in southern Germany that is also worth seeing. On our final day in Munich we went to Dachau Concentration camp and the site of the 1972 Olypics. Bother of these are must-see sites for Munich.

One of the things that made this trip to Munich so wonderful, though, was staying at the Hotel Monaco. The location is great and the staff is superb!

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Paint a pottery by yourself

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

When you are invited to a birthday party and you are over the age of 12 you are normally not very thrilled if your host is telling you that you are going to paint pottery the whole evening.
 That happened to me some weeks ago. Except for on the invitation I found the description “creative factory”.
I did pottery when I was 5 or something. I loved it, seriously, I took part in three courses and produced tons of useless stuff I was very proud of. ;-) Today it is nice to look at all the vases, pots,…I think my mum loved the stuff just because it was me who made it.
Anyway, two days ago the birthday party took place. We were invited to a place called “froh und bunter” (“happy and more colourful”) situated very central close to the Viktualienmarkt  the Synagogue and the Hotel Monaco. As my sister and I entered the shop, the first impression was “cosy”. The floor was laid-out with bright wood and the walls had a creamy colour. Wooden tables and chairs were spread out in the two-roomed shop and the shelves were stuffed with all sorts of raw, unpainted dinnerware. Two ladies were sitting at a table having a cup of coffee and painting bowls, while chatting intimately.
“Is this the new way of having a coffee and meeting friends?”
At first we had some cake and champagne, than we had to wash our hands, because no fat should touch the raw pottery.
After a short intro we started on our things. I’ve chosen a small cereal bowl, cost 14, 95 €. That’s quite an amount of money for a bowl. What would you pay at IKEA?
Those who forgot their muse at home could use moulding tools and copy some illustrations. My piece of art looked like the product of a five year old – I haven’t trained my pottery-skills since that age. Anyway, all of us had a lot of fun this evening, despite or maybe because of this uncommon location.
A piece of pottery painted by yourself is also a nice souvenir. They’ve also got a lot of motives concerning Munich and think when I need one again when visiting friends overseas I definitely know where to get them. The only criticism I have to add is the price, but that is added up by the very friendly staff. So if you want to train your creativity and on the same time produce a nice souvenir, for yourself or beloved ones, this is the address to go to, especially on a rainy, cloudy day as we’ve got lots at the moment.

I wish you a lot of creativity,
Franziska

“froh und bunter”
Sebastiansplatz 11
80331 München
gzender@froh-bunter.de

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