Munich (Germany) > Reviews > Relaxation city

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around

Advantages:	Laid - back, spotless, stacks to do
Disadvantages:	Packed during Oktoberfest

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Munich - voted by Germans as the city they would most like to live - really is a must-stay, must-see place, particularly for couples who enjoy shops, restaurants, parks, palaces, gardens, sport and... beer!
Even the area near the main train station isn't particularly seedy. The Marienplatz Square is great for people-watching and licking a tasty ice cream - and close by is the lavishly-stocked Viktualien Markt, which is full to overflowing with olives, breads, cold meats, cheeses, wines, beers - you name it. Just standing at an 'Imbiss' eating a fresh sizzling sausage with your local beer is an experience. Very pleasant is the architecture, which is a mixed collection of Baroque, Rococo, neo-Gothic, modern and Jugendstil. There don't seem to be any monotonous or grey areas to the city.
Sunny afternoons can be spent in the sprawling Englischer Garden, complete with lakes, a couple of leafy beer gardens, follies, paths and bridges. The underground railway is fast and impossibly efficient, as are the spotless trams. Best of all, the Mucheners themselves are a friendly bunch who make a great distinction between an efficient work ethic when its required and a carefree sense of fun in the evenings. One real pleasure is cycling - there are hundreds of miles of safe, smooth cycle lanes. Great fun. To sum up, many Muncheners spend their summer holidays in... you've guessed it, Munich. I struggle to find any negativities whatsoever. If there is one, it is one which applies to the whole of Germany: ticket inspectors on trains and trams are very unsympathetic towards tourists, some are downright rude, barking in German even if the tourist doesn't speak a word. Thankfully, these little tin-badged jobsworths are loathed by the locals - who I have seen 'tut-tutting' and on a couple of occasions intervening to assist the tourist.