Munich, Germany

Number of Nights - 1

Time of Year - June 2023

Type of Trip - Road Trip / Family Travell

This was the first stop on a wider European Road trip.

To see the full itinerary, click here.

Hotel  - Haus Im Tal 
We chose this hotel mostly for its proximity to the Marienplatz. Since we knew we only had one full day to explore Munich, we wanted to be close to its heart. The hotel had a nice bar and breakfast area in a sunny room on a high floor, which was great for a quick bite before heading out for the day. The only drawback was that the decor and feel of the hotel reminded me of a nightclub- dark walls, house music bumping from (of all places) the bathroom speakers. So, it was maybe not the most family-friendly place but fine for the short time that we needed it, and the location was perfect.

Notes

With only one full day of exploring, we made our way to the Marienplatz, the center of the city from which all of its most important streets met and for centuries it was the center of Munich's life. The kids bought some fresh fruit from a streetside vendor and washed it in the fountain at the Platz center. We spent a few house wandering the side streets off of the square, dipping into shops and cafes and grabbing some enormous Bavarian pretzels, coffees, and other treats.

One of our favorite areas was the Viktualienmarkt, a sprawling open market with stalls selling everything from meat to flowers to ice cream.

We made sure to make it back to the Platz by 5pm to watch the famous Glockenspiel, the large mechanical clock known for its life-size characters that re-enacts scenes from Munich's history. Despite the light rain, a crowd formed and the kids enjoyed the musical show on the Rathaus tower.

For dinner, we ducked into the closeby Hofbräuhaus to experience a true German beer hall in all its glory. Yes, it is touristy, but it is worth visiting for an Hofbräu Bier and Bavarian delicacies. The huge beer hall is loud, with German music playing and servers donning dirndls and lederhosen. You can get a huge beer, sample some sausages and sauerkraut, and really get a dose of the culture!

I wish we had more time to explore this Bavarian city, but for the brief time we had, we enjoyed the sights that we got to see.