Munich in the rain
 

We only have 2 days in Munich and it looks like rain at least one of the days...any ideas? Thanks

It will NOT be raining inside the Residenze.

I would be happy to spend time in the Alte Pinakothek--the Old Masters art museum--if only to see Albrecht Durer's Self Portrait (1500). But you can also check out some works by Rubens, Cranach the Elder, Rembrandt, etc.

Buy a cheap umbrella and do anything you want. The Residenz and the Alte Pinakotek are fine if they meet your taste.

It rains in Germany but seldom all day and can usually be managed will minimum rain gear. A rainy can be a welcome, refreshed look at the city.

When people ask these qusitions I always wonder what they do at home when it rains. Do they not go out at all? Just rush from house to car to building?

Coming from a place with a 24/7 outdoors when it rains (unless it;s a torrential downpour - very rare outside the tropics) we just go ahead and do whatever we were going to do anyway (walking to transit or shopping or whatever).

All you need is a small folding umbrella - and in fact, I like walking in mist or drizzle - think it's romantic.

mamalirv,

It rained most of the time I was in Munich, and there was nothing romantic or refreshing about it, but public transportation is very good, and most sights are extremely well served by a nearby stop. Most stops have rain shelters. There are several outstanding museums in Munich to appeal to a wide variety of interests. My personal favorite was the enormous Bavarian National Museum, which is like the Smithsonian or the V&A, but I am also very interested in fine arts and Greek and Roman history, plus design and furniture. But there are museums of science, and many people enjoy the BMW museum. However, I didn't find it very interesting inside the Residenza. (Had it rained inside it might have been interesting.) I also didn't go to the castle at the edge of Munich, but for many people this is one of the main reasons to go to Munich, and no doubt it takes the better part of a day.

If you go to see the Glockenspiel and don't want rain in your eyes, you can see the figures on the upper floors of the bookstore directly opposite the clock.


Nytraveler, I wonder why you answer these questions with the same repetivite answers, almost word for word, years in a row. Do you never get over anything? You seem to be in a constant and incurable state of irritation and sense of superiority to other people. Better to answer your question, when it rains where I live in Italy, I stay home.

Oh -- one more thing: There were DOWNPOURS in Munich one of the days I was there -- and it is hardly the tropics -- and there are often DOWNPOURS where I live in Italy, sometimes to the point of floods and mudslides (and this isn't the tropcis either). I find folding umbrellas mostly useless and only use them as a last resort when traveling. At home, when I must go out in the rain, I have a normal sized rain umbrella.

I really see nothing strange or cause for derision for a traveler (a real traveler) asking for rainy day ideas for Munich. I spent a week in Munich, and on the days it didn't rain, I filled my days with outdoor activities. I am sure many people going to Munich for 2 days don't have any plans to go to museums more than very briefly. And since the Residenza is really a snooze, not a bad idea to cast the net far and wide to get an idea of interesting things to do.

mamalirv, one more thing:

When I went to the Alte Pinokothek half of it was off limits due to renovations, and thus I was unable to see some paintings I had traveled there to see. So you might want to check in advance. If you are interested in painting, unique to Munich is the Lebenshaus musseum with its outstanding Blau Reiter collection and many pioneering works of German expressionism. It is a fantastic museum, not too large, and unlike any other in the world for its collection.

Munich museum of antiquities from Rome and Greece -- the Glyptothek -- is also one of the world's great collection, and they are housed in a complex of buildings created at the instigation of Hitler, so it has a double fascination.

Sandra -

Sorry you are so irritated by my POV. Have been to europe MANY times - and except for southern Spain have had at least some rain on every trip and sometimes quite a bit. Granted a PIA if you are camping to want to sit on a beach. But for touring a city IMHO this is a very minor issue and nothing to be surprised about or see as a major problem.

You are perfectly free to stay indoors whenever it rains. It just seems to me to be a very odd way to live (unless it's a real downpour).

I'm from Seattle where it does rain often. A goretex jacket is standard gear for us at home and abroad. I love taking pictures on rainy days and nights. The water adds a whole new dimension to the picture. Try some short time exposures at night in the rain for some really arty results.

Besides the art galleries, there is also the Deutsches Museum, covering engineering and technology, including spectacular demonstrations of electricity/lightnings. And occasional surprises like the Theatinerkirche, if ornate baroque plasterwork takes your fancy (perhaps not, if you only have two days).
http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en

Visit any of Munich's many wonderful sites. They should be covered in any decent guidebook.

Go to the BMW museum or Bavarian National Museum. Spend some time in one of the many beerhalls. Waterproof your shoes.