Dave_Ohio

Mrs_Dave and I will spend six nights in Munich in early December, ensconced at the Hotel Brack, on Lindwurmstrasse near the Poccistrasse U-stop. We plan to see the Deutsches Museum, Hofbrauhaus, Christkindlmarkt, Residenz, Nymphenburg Palace, Dachau, and take a day trip to Fussen for Neueschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The Fodorite Community helped us pull this list together in another thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-8959599

Now I'm looking for more specifics on Munich: Besides the Hofbrauhaus, does anyone have recommendations for other bier halls and wein bars? The latter would be my major concession to Mrs_Dave, who is not a beer fan. How about some of your favorite restaurants, cafes, bakeries, or other special places in Munich that should not be missed? Any thoughts on the Deutsches Museum relative to others? Am I correct in thinking that this is their science museum? Anything else in particular that we should know before we start to pack?

Danks a million!

Dave_Ohio

These are the postings made on the previous thread while I was composing this thread. Man! You guys (&gals) are good!
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Andrew on Oct 30, 14 at 3:47pm
I didn't spend much time in Munich so can't really recommend anything. I hope Rothenburg ob der Tauber is pretty in December!
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PalenQ on Oct 30, 14 at 4:36pm
With six days in Munich I would definitely do a couple of day trips - I think the average tourist will find 3-4 days in the city itself more than enough (though you can always spend days and days in any place) - consider day trippng to Fussen and Mad Ludwig's Meuschwanstein Castle; Dachau - right in the suburbs via S-Bahn + bus or walk; even Salzburg, Austria is just a bit over an hour each way by train - and there are many more day trips too.

In Munich itself check out the Olympic Park area with BMW visit, etc.
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flpab on Oct 30, 14 at 4:39pm
We liked Augustiner the best but the food at Spaten was very good. She can get wine if she doesn't like beer. Do the BMW tour but book now for the English tour.
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flpab on Oct 30, 14 at 4:42pm
http://www.dallmayr.com/ Do take her here. There is a restaurant upstairs but the food hall is amazing.
Are you still going to Nuremburg?
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Dave_Ohio

Thanks, Andrew, PalenQ and flpab! Good point about the BMW tour -- maybe they will give away some free samples! A day trip to Fussen is high on our list. We will spend a couple of nights in Nuremberg, and have some tours planned there. Dallmayr looks very impressive. Maybe we could have a coffee there.

sandralist

I may be an outlier on this, but I didn't think the beer of Munich was so marvelous that it merited any special destinations (unlike beer in Belgium or Amsterdam).

Unless you are a Popular Science geek, the old fashioned museum displays of the Deutsches Museum can be pretty tedious (and I am awfully tolerant of old-fashioned static museums). I also thought the Residenz was more of a slog than a thrill.

If you enjoy Smithsonian-type museums, with loads of arts and crafts, the Bavarian National Museum is a marvelously unique Bavarian place to explore, filled to overflowing with unique treasures, like somebody's incredible attic. Getting the audio guide will help answer all questions (no English labeling), but even if you just keep walking through with eyes wide open, it is an amazing little mini-city of high Bavarian accomplishment, with something breathtaking around every corner to gawk at.

If the weather is okay for walking outdoors, then visiting the central food market (the Viktualienmarkt) and the Asam church not many steps away can be highly rewarding.

sandralist

(PS: I was quite disappointed in Dallmayr. Taking your time to go through the Viktualienmarkt sampling taste treats might be more worthwhile)

flpab

http://www.excelsior-hotel.de/en/res...-vinothek.html
Do both the Viktualienmarkt and Dallmayr. You will warm up your feet there.
I love German beer and the Augustiner Helles is my favorite.
Your wife will love the window displays at Galeria for Christmas.

Melnq8

Regarding food, beer and wine, we liked these places:

http://www.der-pschorr.de/

http://opatija-restaurant.com/index_e.shtml

Cowboy1968

For wine lovers, the Pfälzer Weinstube is somewhat of a landmark for decades now.
It's located on Residenzstr., half way between the Residenzplatz (square) and Odeonsplatz (sqare)
The Pfalz (Palatinate) had been part of Bavaria a few centuries ago, you'll still be drinking local wine

Beerwise, only Hofbräu and Augustiner are still independent breweries. In wintertime, the dark brews are kinda popular. Augustiner is the most popular brewery from the locals' perspective. Augustiner's Bräustüberl on Landsberger Str. is very popular (but no secret tip any longer). Also the Weißes Brauhaus on Tal (near Marienplatz). By the way, all beer halls also have wine on their lists.. and food, obviously. So while it's okay to just get your liquid bread there, most locals would go there also to eat. Though no one cares if you eat a regular entree, or stick to appetizers. The latter ones are also a good way to keep a solid foundation for the beer if you are not hungry enough for a full meal.

Walking down Lindwurmstr. towards "downtown", you will have the Hendlbraterei on the left side of the street before you reach Goetheplatz (subway). They are pretty famous for their roasted and baked chicken.

Dave_Ohio

BMW Tours available:
- BMW Welt
- BMW Museum
- BMW Plant
- Recycling and Dismantling Centre

Which one is recommended?

Dave_Ohio

Also: Andrew and others: Do you have any advice on where, when, and how best to make train reservations to get us from Nuremberg to Rothenburg, and then to Munich?

AisleSeat

Be sure to hop a train to Salzburg for the day. We like the Augustiner Restaurants, yep, another brewery hut they do have wein. There are several of them with very authentic Bavarian food. The Andechs am Dom behind the Frauen Kirche has good food.

The Residence treasury is interesting but the rest is a little dull.

Btw there are a bunch of Christmas markets in Munich, I think one count said 19 of them.

Dave_Ohio

19! Ach du lieber!

Dave_Ohio

Hi, AisleSeat! I understand that we can get a Bayern-Ticket for two passengers for 27 Euros. Do you know if that will take us to and from Salzburg for a daytrip?
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sandralist: "Unless you are a Popular Science geek..."
Alas, I am a retired scientist. I cannot help myself.

flpab

We did the BMW welt, very good and I loved it. They have all the minis on display and the motorcycles. This guy rides them up and down the steps. We even ate breakfast there. I loved the big emu feathers that dust the cars off before their final paint. My husband is the train guru, wish he was here. I just know we do the train after nine for cheaper rates.

Cowboy1968

The Bayern Ticket is good for travels on regional Meridian trains. One per hour.
It is not good on any other of the somewhat faster options (EuroCity, Railjet).
And comes with the caveat that you can only use it after 9am on weekdays. No restrictions on weekends or holidays.
Just remember to take a pen with you as you must write down the your name and the names of those in your party on the Bayern Ticket.
The only difference to taking the Bayern Ticket to any destinations in Bavaria is that the local transport in Salzburg is NOT included. In Bavaria the Bayern Ticket also covers subways, trams, city buses, almost all regional buses.

The BMW Welt is for free and more like a giant showroom with the current car and bike models. You can also pick up your new car there. They sometimes stage events there, but the motorcycle stunts are not a general feature. It includes a fairly large merchandise shop and a cafe/restaurant.
The BMW Museum is next door and costs an entrance fee. You don't have to take a tour. And I don't think it is particulary necessary.
The plant/ factory, also next door, can indeed only be visited with a tour.

Cowboy1968

P.S.
Beginning of first para should read: The Bayern Ticket is good for travels from Munich to Salzburg and back on regional trains. The regional trains on this leg are run by Meridian. (In/to other parts of Bavaria, other railway companies like Deutsche Bahn or ALEX will run regional trains)

Dave_Ohio

Thanks, pardner!

And thanks to everyone else for all of your input! I'm always open for more of your favorites and other suggestions.

sandralist

Then you might really enjoy the science museum for its history. One of the things I enjoyed about it was how much it valued preservation and not just entertainment. It is enormous, however, and not exactly in the same easy reach of most of Munich's tourist attractions, so make sure you budget sufficient time, and you might want to spend some time online with museum website in advance, identifying what you most want to see.

AisleSeat

Last I heard they were still doing the Bavarian Folk evening show every night at 7 at the Hofbrau Haus. Call ahead or have you hotel call for reservations. It is corney but fun with chicken dancing, slap dancing, cowbells and alphorns.

Dave_Ohio

Thanks, everyone, for your advice! This is really getting real, as we will leave soon!

AisleSeat, ironically, the first time I ever saw slap dancing was in '71, when my wife at that time and I visited Munich. We stayed at the Hotel Platzl, and they had a folk show in their cellar dining hall. (It might be a Hard Rock Cafe now.) It was my first time in Europe, and I was too timid to walk across the square on my own and enter the Hofbrauhaus. I won't repeat that mistake this time. We were actually treated to some entertainment from the Hofbrauhaus later that evening, as we heard drunken revelers throwing up on the sidewalk below our window.
Ach, memories!