Where in the World took a break for a little while, ironically enough, because of the “Where in the World” phenomenon. Where in the world did all of this work come from? Anyway, we’re back with one of my favorite places on Earth, and also one of Desiree Hartsock’s (from the Bachelorette) favorites: Munich.
You may know this place as the land of Oktoberfest, milkmaids and castle upon castle, but I can guarantee you there is more to Munich, Germany than German girls in cute outfits – there’s beer too! Kidding, sort of. Here are my top three favorite things about this German city.
Building designed and funded by Adolf Hitler.
- Its rich history. Munich, also known as München in German, holds such a rich history within its city limits that can be seen from a simple one-hour double decker ride through its streets. From old Nazi edifices to the iconic Marienplatz, there is little history that is inaccessible by a quick bus ride or leisurely stroll. In fact, even the city’s name itself is historic. In Old High German it means ‘by the monks’ place as it was founded by a Benedictine order of monks.
- Munich is unbelievably safe. Okay, don’t hold me to this 100%, but I can sure tell you that I felt very safe walking around the city by myself. I went to go meet my stepsister and brother who had already left to go shopping and in ten minutes of walking by myself, my heart was never in my throat (which happens to me walking in pretty much all major U.S. cities even in the daytime).
- It has great beer. So I wasn’t kidding about the beer. Not really, anyway. In addition to the famous Hofbrauhaus, which offers a standard three beers in either a liter or half liter, there are also many biergartens, especially in the English Garden. One distinct place in the English Garden that I remember had an enormous Chinese pagoda in it, with absolutely no connection to Chinese food or anything Asian.
With every positive there also comes a negative. Don’t get me wrong; I still love this city. There were only two downsides that I found from Munich, but both quickly disappeared. One was the disparity between small town Bavaria (which we had just spent five days in) and this big city. Although it wasn’t what I became accustomed to after a few days in the country, Munich quickly grew on me.
The second one however, was the flash flood rain that came at precisely 2:00 p.m. every day. And I mean precisely. One day we were having a liter at the outside market, and it began pouring on us. We ran for cover, and just as we were about to buy umbrellas, the rain stopped. Sure enough, it was around 2:00. Hey, at least it was predictable!
Also check out “Lukas Campolo in Munich” on the Enrichment Award Reports page!
Next time on Where in the World, I’ll tell you all about a city where I spent a winter, rubbed a boar’s nose and left my heart (and no, it’s not San Francisco this time).
