Kari

While my husband is doing business in Munich, I will be on my own during the daytime on Monday and Tuesday. What things can I do by myself? I don't speak any German. We are also going to Heidelberg on Wednesday thru Friday. Any suggestions for there?

Beth Anderson

visit Dachau. It is essentially a suburb.

Monica

Hi Kari, <BR> <BR>My husband and I will arrive on a Monday in June and have found a few things to do since most things will be closed. There is the Deutsches Museum, one of the largest in the world, which is open on Mondays. It's a science and technology museum, if you're interested. http://www.deutsches-museum.de/ I understand that one could spend the whole day there! <BR> <BR>You could also visit some of the churches and head to the tops for some spectacular views. See http://www.munich-tourist.de/english/m.htm for other places of interest. <BR> <BR>From what I've read, there are markets to visit, pedestrian shops to window shop (or actually shop!), and beer gardens to enjoy. Munich has a lot to offer. <BR> <BR>As for language, from what I have been told, you shouldn't have a problem. <BR> <BR>When are you going? We're going in early June. Have fun! <BR>

caoimhe

Hi Kari, <BR> <BR>I suggest the following; <BR> <BR>Day 1. <BR>The Deutches Museum comes highly recommended! Although u could feasibly spend a week there and not see everything to see! I suggest you buy a map on the way in and decide what you are interested in in advance. <BR>The centre of Munich is beautiful. I recommend you get the metro to the main station (haupbahnhoff) and walk from there to Marionplatz. That route takes you through some beautiful squares, past some lovely buildings and cool shops. As for towers, the tower in the Rathaus (town hall) in Marionplatz has some amazing views - you can even see the Alps on a fine day! The 'glockenspiel' in the Rathaus happens every day - at around 11.30 and again in the late afternoon - worth a look if you're in the vicinity around those times! <BR> <BR>Day 2: <BR>Dachau. Its amazing although very sad. Its about 1.30 hour journey from the centre of Munich so will take a good part of the day! The English Gardens are very beautiful during the summer and worth a visit. <BR> <BR>In relation to safety and language - I spent about 2 months in the city without a word of German - never hindered me at all - the Germans are very fluent in English and love to use it. As for safety -I never once felt the slightest bit intimidated in Munich, even at night - I found it to be a very safe city.. <BR> <BR>Hope you find some of this info useful, caoimhe

markizzy

I like the Schwabing area of town which is a hip, Greenwich Village-like student district. It's a great place to shop, eat and just people watch at a cafe. Plus the architecture is pretty neat. I think the S-bahn stop is Freiheit-something. You can probably find it in a Fodor's Guide.

Emily C

I would sign up for a half day tour of the city for the first morning that you are in Munich. You can sign up for these at your hotel and usually be picked up at your hotel or close by. This will give you an overview of the city and will help you to decide how to get to places and what you would like to investigate further. <BR>Major items of interest are the museums, Olympic Village, BMW museum, the churches, the English Gardens, the Victualienmarkt(open air market), the Marienplatz ( where the glockenspiel chimes at 11 AM and 5 PM) and the Rathaus. You could spend half of your second day at Dachau. <BR>Munich is a fun city and the people are very friendly. Most folks speak some English. <BR>One of my favorite places is the delicatessan and shop Alois Dallmayr. There are food items from all over the world and many beautiful gift items. This store is about a 5 minute walk from the Marienplatz. <BR>Hope this helps - good luck!

Gina

Hello Kari, <BR> <BR>My experience jibes with that of the other posters here--Munich is safe and a wonderful city to stroll around, and you really don't need much German. As always it's nice to know things like "Good morning," "Please," and "Thank you," but I really wanted to practice my German and found it hard to do because most people wanted to speak English to me when they recognized that I was American! <BR> <BR>One thing we really enjoyed was putting together a picnic at the Viktualienmarkt and then taking it somewhere lovely to eat--we picnicked in the Englischer Garten one day and it was just idyllic. I can't say enough about the delectable offerings at the Viktualienmarkt--it's just around the corner from the Marienplatz. I still drool thinking about the sausages! <BR> <BR>I also agree that a trip to Dachau, while extraordinarily painful, would be well worth it. Even though I understand that it's "sanitized" compared to other concentration camp sites like Auschwitz, visiting Dachau was one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had. I literally couldn't speak, couldn't utter a word, the entire time we walked around the grounds, but I felt compelled to see it all. It hurt. It just physically *hurt*. Which, of course, doesn't sound too encouraging for something you might want to do on a trip ... seriously, it might be too painful, but it's a very valuable experience--at least it was for me.

VED

Walking tours, either overview or Third REich sites (no reservation necessary) meet in front of the Euraide office (track 11) at the Hauptbahnhof. Highly recommended and in English. <BR> <BR>Bike tours are also available, also leaving from Hauptbahnhof, can't remember the name. Same company does a Dachau tour, leaves at 13:50 I think, reservations required. Your hotel should be able to help. <BR> <BR>Dachau is closed on Monday.

Inge

Hi Kari, I agree with the other posters: The Deutsches Museum is worth a trip, but plan to spend a few hours. For good Delicatessen go to Dallmayer's, it's close to the Marienplatz. If the weather is nice, go to the English Garden and sit in a beer-garden for lunch and a cold Weizen-beer.

nickie

There is also a day trip offered that goes all the way to King Ludwig's castles - Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, and I think the Wies church also. If youdon't already have this planned at another point on your trip, they are well worth the day trip. Linderhof has an incredible manmade grotto, and beautiful fountains.

nickie

Will you be on your own again in Heidelberg? If you are asking for touring ideas and you'll be driving instead, the Neckar valley is close by, with a lot of castles. The castle Guttenberg is worth a visit - you can tour it on your own, and they also have a good falconry show, which is entertaining, even if you don't speak German.

Barb

I agree with some of the other travelers. A city tour is worthwhile. They hit the high spots and give an overall view. One of my favorite places is Schloss (Castle) Nymphenburg <BR>which is within the city limits and featured on many city tours. A trip to the American Express Office offers a wealth of information and will also book city tours. The extended tours to King Ludwigs Castle in Fussen (Neuschwanstein) and Schloss Linderhoff are also beautiful and interesting. Being on your own, you will probably feel much more comfortable as part of a group with an English speaking guide. As for Dachau.... yes it is interesting, but extremely depressing. I would rather do a few of the above tours if I only had a few days. <BR>Have a great time!! <BR>