Day 25-29/63, 5 days in Munich
Day 1 — Bike Tour Through Munich’s Layers of History
Our first full day in Munich kicked off with a three‑hour bicycle tour that gave us a great feel for the city. We rolled through a mix of classical architecture, university neighborhoods, leafy parks, and a few historical landmarks that added context without weighing down the ride.
We started at Königsplatz, a grand neoclassical square. From there, we cruised past several sites connected to Munich’s WWII history, getting just enough background to appreciate how the city has woven remembrance into everyday life.
The route continued to Adalbertstraße, a quiet street lined with classic Munich architecture—elegant, symmetrical, and very photogenic. At Odeonsplatz, the city’s golden‑yellow square, we stopped at the Theatine Church, known as “the white church” because of its bright, sculptural interior. A few blocks away sits Ludwig‑Maximilians‑Universität, where Sophie and Hans Scholl of the White Rose resistance once handed out leaflets. The small marker noting their arrest is easy to miss but carries a lot of weight.
From there we pedaled into the Court Gardens and then the sprawling English Garden, one of Europe’s largest urban parks. It even has river surfing, although we didn’t get to see any. The city drains the canals and rivers once or twice a year to clean them, and when they turned the water back on this last time, the wave changed and wasn’t surfable. That’s caused some controversy between the surf community and a few city leaders. Some surfers think the city did it intentionally because certain officials aren’t fans of the surfing scene.
We stopped for lunch at the Chinesischer Turm beer garden, famous for its five‑tiered pagoda and lively atmosphere. A cold beer and a warm Bavarian dish hit the spot after a morning on the bikes. We also ended up with a mystery meat that looked like a pastry—still not sure what it was.
The tour wrapped with a ride through the Residenz, Munich’s former royal palace complex, before we headed back toward the city center. We finished the evening in Marienplatz, watched the Glockenspiel show, and ended the day with a relaxed dinner at a small Italian restaurant.
Day 2 — Palaces, Churches, and a Little Shopping
We started the morning at the Residenz Palace, wandering through ornate rooms, royal collections, and the stunning Antiquarium hall. It’s one of those places where every ceiling seems to demand a photo. From there, we walked over to St. Peter’s Church for a quick look inside before continuing on to Asamkirche, a compact Baroque gem built by the Asam brothers. The interior is small but packed with dramatic detail—gold, marble, and curves everywhere you look.
The rest of the day was slower and more relaxed. We strolled Munich’s pedestrian shopping streets, stopped into the Norrøna flagship store, and soaked up the growing buzz in the city as Oktoberfest weekend approached. It felt like everyone was gearing up for something big.
Day 3 — Oktoberfest Weekend
the festival grounds. The six major brewers—Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu, Augustinerbräu, Paulaner, Hacker‑Pschorr, and Spaten‑Franziskaner—each had multiple wagons pulled by teams of draft horses decked out in ornate harnesses. It’s wild to think these breweries have been around for six to seven centuries.
We’ve definitely had more beer this week than in the last year, and German lagers go down easy. Most are around 4–5 percent, but Oktoberfest versions jump to six percent or more. Under the Reinheitsgebot, they still stick to just four ingredients: hops, wheat, yeast, and water.
After lunch, Laurie headed back to our Airbnb to rest while I visited the Deutsches Museum, diving into science, engineering, and aviation exhibits. By late afternoon, we made our way to Oktoberfest. The beer “tents” are hard to describe—each one is basically a giant hall that fits four to six thousand people. We didn’t have reservations but managed to get into the outer area of one tent and ended up sitting with Kiki and Tim, Munich locals. Kiki grew up in Munich after moving from Croatia, and Tim is originally from London. We also chatted with a group of French kids, which added to the fun, chaotic energy.
Oktoberfest feels a bit like the Puyallup or Evergreen State Fair multiplied by ten, except instead of barns and exhibits you get massive beer halls and carnival rides. It’s loud, crowded, and completely unforgettable.
Robot guitarist “Fingers”, 2009, “
It is always sad for fans when their favorite band breaks up due to disagreements between its members. But what if all band members were machines? This is the case with the band “Compressorhead”, whose members are literally made of heavy metal. “Fingers”, a robot wearing sunglasses and cowboy boots, can play a guitar using its 78 hydraulic fingers.
Day 4 — Garmisch and the Zugspitze
After a full day at Oktoberfest, I was ready to get out of the city and find some mountains. On the recommendation of a few long‑time Munich locals, we picked up a rental car and headed to Garmisch‑Partenkirchen, the real version of Leavenworth—alpine peaks, crisp air, and a backdrop that feels straight out of a postcard.
From Garmisch, we drove to Lake Eibsee and the Seilbahn Zugspitze, the tram that takes you up to Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak at 2,962 meters (9,718 feet). The ride up is smooth and fast, and the views from the top stretch across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland—jagged ridges, glaciers, and endless sky in every direction.
To reach the actual summit and the Gipfelkreuz (Summit Cross), there’s a short scramble with a steel ladder, hand cables, and metal holds. Laurie had zero interest in attempting it and even struggled to watch others climb, but she was a trooper and held my backpack while I made the scramble. Standing at the top definitely gives you a moment.
After descending, we grabbed lunch and soaked in the views before taking the tram back down. We finished the afternoon with a 4.5‑mile walk around Lake Eibsee, a turquoise alpine lake with clear water, forested shores, and the Zugspitze towering above. We wrapped up with a simple lakeside meal: a traditional roasted half‑chicken with frites and, of course, a beer.
A pretty perfect way to end our time in Munich. And yes, I did get to drive on the autobahn—cruising at 195 km/h (about 121 mph). Laurie still doesn’t understand why that’s fun, but I absolutely do. She did enjoy the fact that “exit” in German is Ausfahrt, and had a lot of fun with that one.
Munich wraps up our time in Germany. Now off to Salzburg and Vienna Austria.
Skooks & Laurie
PS, I have been adding hyperlinks to many of the places we have visited if you are interested in learning more about them.
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