This post is part of a 13 part series, if you want to start from the beginning, click here.
Tuesday in Munich
Zoigl Trip - Part 4 of 13
Billy wanted to get acclimated to the local time before the big Zoigl hike, and I wanted to revisit and/or check out some sights I missed on previous trips, so we arrived in Munich a few days early.
The train from the Munich Airport was closed for a few months. After much confusion, we found the bus to Hauptbahnhof. Having had 6 great experiences with the airport train in the past, I wasn’t prepared for this chaos, and it was utter chaos. Eventually we ended up on the right bus. Though having bought transit passes online the week before made getting on the bus easy peasy.
Billy had been to Munich before and wanted to stay close to the Viktualienmarkt, which was a great call. We ended up staying at the Hotel Blauer Bock, which is about a block away.
Blauer Bock
Blauer Bock (Blue Goat) is a fine hotel, about a 20 minute walk (no hills) from the Munich Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station). There are also several public transit methods between Blauer Bock and the Station, though we chose to walk. The rooms were tight, but we didn’t spend much waking time there, so no problem. They put out a very nice breakfast. The hotel is walkable and trainable from most things you might want to check out. The only downside is the neighborhood is not very residential, so it’s a little hike for convenience items.
Viktualienmarkt
It was now about 3pm. The rain had stopped long enough for us to get a sausage sandwich (and of course a beer - Augustiner Helles) from a stand at the Viktualienmarkt as a late lunch.
Although having been to Munich three times before, the Viktualienmarkt was never on my travels, nor ever even hit my radar. It’s a huge outdoor market, which sells just about everything. It spans a couple of blocks or more. Of course there is a beer garden. Although being cold and rainy, it was closed that day.
More about the Viktualienmarkt in the next post.
Rathskeller
Around 7pm, it was time for a late dinner (and some beers). On my previous three trips, I somehow missed the Rathskeller, the beer hall under Munich’s city hall. From what I had read, I was expecting it to be a basic German beer hall. It’s not, it’s really fancy, and really busy. It reminded me of Philadelphia’s Bookbinders from back in the day. A place locals take out of town visitors for an expensive meal. I wasn’t feeling it, and since we couldn’t get seats anyway, it all worked out.
Augustiner Stammhaus
We walked a couple of blocks to Augustiner Stammhaus. Mainstay’s Brian O’Reilly had recommended the Stammhaus, noting that their prices were cheaper than other places. This indeed is true.
It took a bit to get waited on, but once we put our order in, the authentic Bavarian food arrived in no time flat, and we never wanted for another beer. Augustiner has quite a machine going on there. My leberkäse mit spiegelei was wonderful. For the full Bavarian experience, this is the place to go to.
Hofbräuhausam am Platzl
Billy wanted to go to Hofbräuhausam am Platzl. I was there once before during Oktoberfest and it struck me as a tourist trap. Not wanting to be a buzzkill, I agreed to go since Billy had never been. And it was only a few blocks away. While it is a tourist trap filled with college kids, it was a fun tourist trap. And you can meet some locals there. Plus Hofbrau’s beer is great. This is a great last stop of the night. It should be noted that this site has a lot of history connected to it; you can look that up if you are not yet familiar. That history is also why much of this building is much younger than it appears.
And that was enough traveling and day seizing for one day.
Next post: Wednesday in Munich
Viktualienmarkt
Viktualienmarkt 9, 80331 München, Germany
Hotel Blauerbock
Sebastianspl 9, 80331 München, Germany
Rathskeller
Marienplatz 8, 80331 München, Germany
Augustiner Stammhaus
Neuhauser Str. 27, 80331 München, Germany
Hofbräuhausam am Platzl
Platzl 9, 80331 München, Germany
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