while I am in Italy this June I will be spending a day in Munich. I read up on it in some books and on this Fodor's site but no one has really said much about this city. It there anything specially nice that I should do/see while I am there. I don't care for musuems or gallery's. I enjoy walking and sightseeing- churches and things like that and also shopping shopping shopping!!! and also are there many good hotels in the main downtown core?

So much has already been posted on these pages. So what are you looking for. You can do some nice shopping. Clothing, food?

You might like to visit the Residenz, former home of the Hapsburgs--it includes a small and beautiful concert hall. There are number of fine churches, of which the Frauenkirche is one of the best known. The town center is the Marienplatz; one one side if the town hall, featuring a bell tower with large figures that move when the clock strikes the hour.

There's good shopping right around the Marienplatz, including a fine department store.

>former home of the Hapsburgs
PLEASE don't...
Habsburg has nothing to do with it. They didn't invade Bavaria.

Munich had (I haven't been there in 20 years) an extensive pedestrian zone, centered, as I recall, on Residenzstrasse and not on Marienplatz, with many expensive boutiques.

The Theatinerkirche at Odeonsplatz is a nice example of restrained Baroque, and the Asamkirche is a nice example of over-the-top Baroque. The Dom (Cathedral) was largely destroyed during World War II and the reconstruction has little artistic merit left.

The two leading hotels when I was last in Munich, were the Vier Jahreszeiten and the Bayerischer Hof, both in the downtown core.

If I had the money and would be looking for a room in downtown Munich the Bayerischer Hof would be the place to go!

Actually, if you had LOTS of money the Mandarin Oriental is where I'd want you to take me!

Another vote for the Residenz as well as the Nymphenburg Palace easily reached by tram.

Or you could spend the 500€ on a nice meal at the Tantris. (For that much money you could eat 3 days in a row, same quality at some places in Alsace). You decide.

Is Aubergine still around? If so, how much does a meal there cost these days?

Hi logos999,

Different question for you. Can you recommend any hotels in or very near the historical center? I've been elected to plan our family trip for next summer (2007) and we will be a group of 6 ranging from 24 years old to 59 years old.
Looking for a place with a good location, not too noisy, air conditioning, clean, and preferably under 150€ per night for a double with a bathroom ensuite. Different members of the family have different financial situations so that is the reason the amount per night is so low.

Thoughts?

Aubergine, yes it's still around. It's just that it's worth driving the few 100k. Munich is still a few km away from "haute couisine" restaurants that are worth spending the money. Not they are bad at all, just expensive!!! 1/3 of Munich prices over there...

>150€ per night
If it's not Oktoberfest 150€ per night are a lot of money. The best places imho are Nymphenburg or Laim. It's a few km from the center, but not really that far. Laim, Pasing and Sendling have old and perfectly renovated mansions from the Biedermeier aera. It's only a few stops by S-Bahn. I havn't been to Munich hotels, since I'm living in Laim, I would never want to stay in the center but would prefer those better living quaters mentioned above. It's more silent and nice, yet I'm downtown in less than 10 min.

Thanks for the ideas, logos! The trip is planned for early June 2007. I've looked around and have not seen any major events going on in Munich at that time so perhaps our hotel allowance will not be too low after all

If you get something close to the Isar in Sendling (Implerstr. down to Tierpark Hellabrunn) (lots of beer gardens NO tourists at all, barbecue at the river) or rooms somewhere in Nymphenburg you're better off than at the most expensive hotel downtown.
The best places in town are only for locals .