Before traveling to southern Germany to visit friends, I purposely did NOT research the area, which is the opposite of my typical travel prep.  Unsure of exactly what I would see with friends, I let everything happen organically.  Besides learning the tipping practices, basic locations on maps, and having our hotel in Munich booked, we traveled to the Village of a Million People without expectations.

Exiting the S-Bahn at Marienplatz was like any other subway stop I have been to…except when we climbed the steps to the surface and looked around.  Marienplatz is a central area of the city.  The plaza is awe-inspiring due to its size, intricate architecture, and beauty. 

The Old Town Hall and New Town Hall greet visitors to the square.  This entire area is open to foot traffic, including side streets radiating out in each direction, so visitors can meander easily around the area. 

If you have the time, catch the glockenspiel show from the tower at 11:00am, 12:00pm, and 5:00pm.  The glockenspiel depicts two stories: the top level tells the story of a wedding, and the bottom tells the story of barrel makers dancing after the plague epidemic.

Visitors can buy tickets to ride the elevator to the tower for a spectacular city view for a few euros.  From this vantage, it was easy to see the other large, iconic buildings in the area and plan a walking route.

One such iconic building is Frauenkirche Munich or the Munich Cathedral.  This striking building is hard to miss, with its twin towers topped with green domes.  If you go inside, don’t forget to read the story about the “devil’s footprint” that you see in the entryway.

Moving a bit farther out from the plaza, I wanted to tour the Residence Museum.  This structure seemed endless.  Serving as the residence and seat of government to the Wittelsbach rulers until 1918, this palace holds a treasury, a theatre, and other areas that guests can now tour. 

I purchased a ticket that covered the main palace plus the treasury.  Who could pass up looking at the family’s vast collection of precious metal, glass, ivory, enamel, and stones? 

I had an amazing time but seriously underestimated the time this would take.  All throughout the palace, guests had listening devices programmed with their language of choice, and numbered markers in the rooms allowed visitors to hear the parts they wished to learn more about.  After a while, we also saw “shortcuts” through the building, which was nice as you could get lost in the main palace alone!  Plus, if you wanted (or needed) to exit at a certain time, this allowed you to find your way back to the main lobby.

A day and a half in Munich was not enough time.  I love walking outside on a nice day, meandering around the small streets, and going into souvenir shops and bakeries at will.  But, with so much to see down every street, I could have used at least another 1-2 days to explore.  I guess that means we need to go back one day!