Hotel Monaco and Munich » munich

Munich, the King Ludwigs city

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:13:51 +0000

Munich is one of those rare cities that seem to come gift-wrapped: there is so much rebuilding and upgrading of the old buildings going on at the moment that many of them are hidden behind scrims and scaffolding.

Once you get behind these flat temporary facades, the charms of the city quickly become apparent. St Michael’s Church, for example, is hidden away behind a giant life-sized drawing of itself, but its grandeur remains intact – we walked into the middle of organ practice, which revealed the powerful acoustic depth of this ancient place.

Mý wife Rachel and I chose to come to Munich in October to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary because 2011 also marked the 125th anniversary of the death of Ludwig II., the king of Bavaria. This was the reason why we found ourselves in St. Michael’s Church, in search of the Wittelsbach family crypt.

In a small but solemn room we found the ornate sarcophagous which remains Ludwig’s last resting place – almost as baroque as some of his famous castles, it showed signs of the affection people still feel for this troubled but brilliant monarch, whom the French poet Paul Verlaine called ‘the last true king of the 19th century’ – or indeed any century, you may think when you consider some of the amazing details of his life: his championing of Richard Wagner, his fascination for the Bourbon line of French kings and his self-professed desire to remain ‘an eternal engima both to myself and others.

The next – and equally important – place to visit after this was Schloss Nymphenburg, where Ludwig II. was born in the queen’s bedchamber on August 25, 1845 : he was named after his grandfather, Ludwig I, whose ‘gallery of beauties’, showing some of the most notable females of the age, occupies another room. The grandson later created his own ‘gallery of beauties’ – however, this collection was confined only to portraits of his favourite horses. All of these remarkable exhibits can be foud in the magnificent palace, a gravity-defying mixture of Baroque and Rococo styles, where once again the construction workers are still hard at work.

Looking at yet another fine Munich exterior peeping out from behind a framework of canvas and scrim, it is hard not to wonder at what Ludwig II, famous for dedicating his life to the building of such ambitious castles, would make of all this activity?

Ken and Rachel, London, UK

Trip to Munich with a student group

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:21:55 +0000

Schloß Neuschwanstein

I have taken student groups to Germany for many years now, and I always look forward to showing my students Munich. Due to its thoughtfully designed public transportation system, getting to Munichs many terrific attractions is wonderfully easy and convenient. Always included in the itinerary are the Pinakothek der Moderne, Dachau, and Neuschwanstein, all with guided tours. We also see the city first hand with a Mikes Bikes tour, which is much better for getting a feel for the city than a bus tour.

We enjoy a dinner at the historic Donisl and also eat in the Augustiner Keller in the Biergarten. With regards to accomodation, there are many hotels to choose from, but I have been in particular very pleased with Hotel Monaco, due to its location near the Hauptbahnhof, kind service, reasonable pricing, cheery rooms and excellent beds.

Hotel Monaco, cosy double room

The breakfast buffet offers a fine variety of fresh meats, cheeses, breads and juices, and quite importantly, the coffee is good, too. Overall a really good value with a staff that pays attention to your experience.

Jamin L.

Bristol to London to Munich via Paris

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:11:18 +0000

Inter-city by train, intra-city by Brompton folding bike. How much can two geriatrics cram into two days in Munich when they have just arrived on the overnight train from Paris? Quite a lot if the train has been empty enough to stretch out horizontal with earplugs in place for most of the way and you can use your Brompton bikes to get orientated within the first few hours in Munich, Englischer Garten included. All the main architectural sights ticked off from the outside in a few revolutions of the pedals. Even the few buildings that are obscured by scaffolding are recognisable from the full-size illustrations of the frontage adorning the metal-work.

Hotel Monaco (Italian for Munich) more than lives up to the excellent feedback it has attracted on the internet. Breakfast to see you well into the day, and cherubs everywhere – staff included!

It is a shame that the Third Reich walking tour and the Neue Pinakothek art gallery don’t lend themselves to cycling! Still, aching legs are a good excuse for sitting down to some more beer, sausages, sauerkraut and, of course, mustard!

Good things don’t last forever. Early start tomorrow for Croatia. To Zagreb and Split by train, then 56 km pedalling down the Dalmation coast to Baska Voda. Hope the beer there is as good!

Andy and Sue Black, Bristol, UK

Munich city tour

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:01:37 +0000

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

Walking city Munich

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:03:21 +0000

I have visited Munich several times in my life, and I have always had wonderful time here. What I especially appreciate is that this is such a good city for walking, with the wide streets, beautiful parks planted with handsome shade trees and interesting flowers, and the feeling of spaciousness. When I first came to Munich almost 55 years ago, we walked a lot, as much of today’s transportation system was not in place. But the wonderful pedestrian areas were also not in place, and today the chance to stroll along between Karlsplatz and the Marienplatz—to take time to really look at shop windows, to find something to eat and drink, to sit down for a few moments and enjoy the sights, without the noise and rush of street traffic— makes Munich truly special. And right now it is better when you can stay above ground, as there is so much construction of undergound passages; often it is difficult to find your way.

After so many wonderful sights— the variety of museums, the different churches and palaces, the interesting vistas— a night walk along this same pedestrian area provides views of historic buildings beautifully illuminated, live classical music, and groups of happy people brings much joy in being part of this vibrant and exciting city.
Jane Dieckmann

Again in Munich

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:22:51 +0000

I am so happy to be here in Munich again, even if only for one night! Our hotel Monaco is so nice, easy to find and close to the Hauptbahnhof. Everything is clean and the room furnishings are made of beautiful natural wood.

Last year, when we came to Munich, it was during the October Fest and the closest lodging we could find was in Salzburg. We had to commute by train. Everything is so much nicer and easier for us this year. We are delighted to be here again to enjoy more of this beautiful city where the people are so friendly, the sights are so interesting and the food so delicious. The Munich Rathaus is a delightful and impressive structure. The churches are amazing with their many architectul styles. We enjoyed the Englisher Garten and the music of the German Band that was playing when we arrived. Thank you, Munich, and especially Hotel Monaco, fur Ihre Hertzlich Wilkommen!

Bus excursion to Schloß Neuschwanstein

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:04:14 +0000

My wife and I spent our last full day in Munich by taking a bus excursion to the Wittelsbach castles of Linderhof and Neuschwanstein. The latter is one of the most famously photographed castles in the world, and a “model” for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Both sit amid gorgeous alpine mountains, lakes and forests. Linderhof is the smaller and older of the two, in a more conservative and flamboyantly rococo architectural style. The various rooms are almost overpoweringly opulent in the guilded wood carvings and extraordinary colors, with a “mirror” room that, despite its modest dimensions, gives the appearance, with huge mirrors on opposite walls (like Versailles, and intentionally) of being much larger. Out front, a beautiful gold fountain erupts on the hour in tall columns of water. Neuschwanstein, of course, was the home, though only briefly, of “mad” King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It remains incomplete, since it was left that way when the king, aged only 40 years, died under mysterious circumstances after being deposed due to mental illness in June 1886. He virtually worshipped the great German composer Richard Wagner, and the large wall paintings in several of the major completed rooms of Neuschwanstein depict scenes from various Wagner operas. Tragically, the king died before any of them could be performed in the newly finished concert hall within the castle, whose extraordinary acoustics were demonstrated by our tour guide. I should point out that, on the guided tours inside both castles, photography and video recording are forbidden. This will come as a major disappointment to shutterbugs, but when you consider the number of visitors in what are often relatively crowded rooms, the absence of anyone fussing over a perfect pose or shot (and, especially, electronic flashes going off all over the place) becomes rather a blessing for all concerned. Of course, as the castle management probably intends, you can always purchase a color picture book of the castle (offered in many different languages) from the souvenir shop. Our bus tour guide highly recommended eating lunch at a local restaurant, the Müller, though less expensive offerings can be had, even along the walking path up the hill to the castle from the small town below it (where the buses must park). Time is tightly organized on these tours and, in our case, a lingering lunch at the Müller left us without enough time to take the extended walk behind Neuschwanstein to the Marien Bridge, from which spectacular photos can be taken of the castle.

Robert Apfelzweig
Foster City, California, USA

Two times at the Munich Hotel Monaco

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:29:28 +0000

We arrived in Munich on a rainy evening from Los Angeles on July 23rd. On the way to Hotel Monaco, our cab driver was so friendly and so enthusiastic about telling us the places we pssed by and places we should visit. Being our first time here, we were excited and quite impressed with what we have seen and we couldn’t wait to explore! After being dropped off where the Hotel Monaco sign is on Schillerstrasse, we couldn’t find the hotel entrance. It was actually on Adolf Kipler St.. My son & I were tired and jetlagged and coming up to the reception desk we were greeted with a warm, friendly smile by the hotel staff. We felt so welcome! The rooms are quite charming and cozy with angel decorations. My favorite one is the angel hanging on the chandelier. The rooms are very clean and very comfortable bed. My son & I felt so comfortable. The breakfast was sumptuos and delicious and typical Bavarian. We only stayed for one night but we liked it here so much that I reserved a room again for August on our way back to Los Angeles. We are back in Munich at Hotel Monaco. The staff are so friendly.They really make your stay as comforatble as possible. Their customer service is great and personal. Christine and her staff are always smiling, just like all the angels hanging on the walls and ceilings. We highly recommend this hotel because of the cleanliness, the service and the ever friendly Christine and her staff!

Thanks,

Cecille and Nikki
Culver City, CA

Discover Munich with a free bike tour!

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:36:20 +0000

I arrived in Munich later in the evening and took a taxi into downtown center where my hotel was located. The taxi cost more then I thought…use the train line into Munich it is much cheaper and talking to my sister who arrived earlier who took the train said very easy to do with a little help from the locals. Although the taxi driver was very nice and helped me into my hotel hallway. The following morning I took FREE bike tour around Muncih…that is right FREE. They call their tour ‘Discovery Munich’. They start at Marienplatz square near the fountain at 11:30. It was a wonderful tour with great information about Munich that set the tone for the rest of our stay. At the end you are able to tip your tour guild as you please but other then that it was FREE! (Amazing I know!) Every night we came back to stay at our lovely Hotel Monaco…they were helpful in every way possible. Any question or request we had they were able to deliver or send us in the right direction to find it. There are a few shops around the street that are not pleasing to the eye, sex shops, (Discloser: I am from the States so this is not a normal sight to see to me.) BUT… any of the more fancier hotels on this same street would have that same issue. Save your money and stay at this GEM hotel here in Munich!

Holiday in Munich with the whole family

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:37:55 +0000

My family and I have been travelling together, starting our trip in Munich. We have been to the castles and toured the city. We found the City of Fussen to be esspecially inviting. After touring the castles we wandered through town, had dinner and found a wonderful place to enjoy desert. I would like to spend more time in Fussen. We plan on visiting Dacheau today and renting bikes to ride through the city until we get lost and then find our way back. I also hope to see the carriage collection at the palace. We have enjoyed the city very much and wish we could stay longer. We are off to Florence tonight after celebrating my wifes birthday today. We have loved staying at the Hotel Monaco in Munich, The staff have been very accomodating, the hotel rooms comfortable and the breakfast spread wonderful. We thought we were going to have to move hotels, but they were able to accomodate us. We definately would stay again.

The Nelsons