(Part 1) Germany's Bavarian South: Medieval, Modern, Munich!!

- December 20, 2018, Thursday.

- If you think of Germany and the words "lederhosen" (leather pants, sometimes with attached leather suspenders) or "Oktoberfest" (beer festival) pop up in your mind, then I won't blame you. However, I was told by German friends that both these words do not represent the whole of Germany. Instead, these two come from a rather traditional state of the German south called Bavaria, and its capital is the city that boasts both medieval German culture and modernity - Munich!

- From the German capital of Berlin, I took a flight to Munich with one of Europe's popular low-cost airlines, EasyJet. I was surprised to know that in certain cases, booking a flight is cheaper than booking a train. It was especially convenient for me since a train ride between Berlin to Munich could last up to 6 hours, or if by high-speed rail, 4 hours. By plane, however, it would only take an hour or an hour and a half. Munich's airport, by the way, is quite huge, and surprisingly, there are many big airlines that prefer traveling to Munich, but not Berlin.

- Once I arrived in Munich, I rode the subway from the airport directly to Munich Hauptbahnhof (Munich Central Train Station), where my hostel was closely located. Just like in Berlin, I stayed in the Munich branch of Wombat's Hostel; this one is located around a 3-minute walk from the main station! I also came to love the area when I realized that most of the must-sees in downtown Munich are located within a 10-15 minute walking distance from the Munich Hauptbahnhof area. Apart from the Munich Hauptbahnhof, there are also plenty of other U/S-Bahn metro stations located in the area, as well as tram stops. Speaking of transportation, tourists can get day passes or multiple-day passes for all forms of transportation from machines in the subway stations. I bought a ticket that goes to Zones ABC since I had plans to go outside downtown Munich on another day.   

- After checking in and having lunch, I walked to Karlsplatz, an small city square named after Bavarian Elector Charles Theodore. The square is mostly known for its fairy-tale-like gate called the Karlstor ("Karl's Door") that leads to the  Neuhauser Street that eventually becomes Kaufinger Street. This street is one of the oldest and busiest streets of Munich; it has been known as a shopping street since 1200s, and today has many retail stores, touristy shops, cafes, and restaurants.

- The city center, also known as the old town, has a number of historical churches too. The first church that one can see from Karlsplatz is the 16h-century Jesuit St. Michael's Church, the towering 15th-century Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Dear Lady) which is perhaps the main church of Munich, and to the north of the old town, the 17th-century Baroque Theatinerkirche (Theatine Church of St. Cajetan.) To the south of the main square, there is the smaller and rather plain-looking St. Peter's Church, but don't let its facade deceive you - it's the oldest church in the area, being built in the 12th century! (Karlsplatz has its own U-Bahn metro station.)

St. Michael's Church.

Interior.

The Frauenkirche was being renovated, and it was difficult to take a photo of it since it was so tall and there was little space to work with, so I couldn't keep going backward.

Visitors may also opt to go to the tower to see thew of Munich and the Bavarian Alps far away.

St. Peter's Church.

The streets were full of musicians.

At Odeonsplatz, the square outside the....

....Theatinerkirche.

As a Baroque church, it is quite wise and ornate as opposed to the narrow but equally-ornate Gothic churches.

- The main square in Munich's old town is called Marienplatz, and has been the main square since the mid-12th century. The square has the 19th-century Gothic-style New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) which is known for its glockenspiel, and the more colorful 14th-century Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus). I liked how the Old Town Hall more because its toy-like appearance and playful colors looked like something you'd find in an amusement park. 

The New Town Hall.

The glockenspiel that still works!!

The Old Town Hall that is now a toy museum.

Marienplatz. Also, the Bavarian traditional coat I have here is was also bought from Humana, a second-hand clothing store, when I was in Berlin.

- I also took the time to walk northward to visit the Munich Residenz, but unfortunately I did not have time to go inside, so I decided to save it for another day. Instead, I had a stroll through the Marienplatz Christmas market, and the Viktualienmarkt Christmas Market a bit south of Marienplatz. I was not able to buy anything since most of the things sold there were similar to all the Christmas markets that I have encountered during my trip. There will be times when the crowd can get overwhelming, so always take care of your belongings, even if Germany is generally a safe country.

Christmas market.

Went to buy souvenirs, the people there were wearing traditional clothes - just like me!!

This was around....5pm? Sunsets during winter are quite early.

- That evening I had the opportunity to eat at a restaurant called Taklamakan. It is an Uyghur restaurant which was just a 15-second walk from my hostel. The Uyghur people come from China's Xinjiang province, and China's gateway to Central Asia; the name "Taklamakan" comes from the historical Taklamakan Desert in Xinkiang. These people are Turkic people, so although Xinjiang is part of China today (but wasn't always,) the physical features of the people are Eurasian, their religion usually Islam, and their culture has Persian influences. Needless to say, their dishes are unique since their region of origin has always been at the crossroads of cultural exchange between the east and the west.

Near Munich Hauptbahnhof!!

- The staff of Taklamakan know German or Chinese apart from their native Uyghur language, and they also speak some English. While I know that due to some political tensions some Uyghur do not prefer being spoken to in Mandarin, especially hose who are not residing in China, those who work in Taklamakan asked me if I knew how to speak Chinese because they told me that they'd understand me more that way. The restaurant serves really good food by the way, and it was a good breather from European food. (Note: I am not saying that European food is not food, but as an Asian, Asian food is something my body needs every so often.)

It's a no-fuss restaurant that serves good Uyghur food.

A painting of an Uyghur lady.

Probably an Uyghur public square.

My halal Uyghur noodles!!

- After my early dinner I had a good rest at my hostel since I needed all the energy I could get for my trip the next day to one of the most magical and picturesque places in Germany - the municipality of Schwangau with its Disney-like Neuschwanstein Castle!!

- Please don't forget to read about my other adventures in Germany, Austria, and Slovakia here:

GERMANY:

Berlin and Potsdam: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

Munich and Schwangau: Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

AUSTRIA:

Salzburg:  Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here

Vienna: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here

SLOVAKIA:

Bratislava: Click here