Munich city tour

In my previous travel post, I mentioned Hallstatt, a lovely village on the outskirts of Austria which was my second stop after Vienna. After visiting Hallstatt, I took a bus to go to Salzburg first and then from there I went to München for 1 day. I already had my hostel booked and after taking a good night sleep I went to see the beautiful city. Munich is one of Bavaria's most populous cities, and the city has so much to offer that I was wondering if it's a good idea to try to see everything in one day. It was a busy day, but I had a great time roaming around the city.

I did a lot of research before going there, and I had a pretty good idea of how their public transportation worked. I paid $9 for a one-day pass that allowed me to travel around the city. I took the metro from the hostel to Marienplatz. The city's most famous square, Marienplatz, is situated in the heart of Munich's city center. When you arrive at Munich's Marienplatz, the impressive Neues Rathaus is the first thing you see (New Town Hall).

As soon as I reach there I took a city walking tour which covers many of Munich’s major landmarks within 2.5 hours including the Glockenspiel, Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church), Viktualienmarkt, Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall, Maximilianstrasse, Residenz Royal Palace, Feldherrnhalle, Theatine Church and Hofgarten.

The Glockenspiel in the tower of the New Town Hall is one of Munich’s most popular sights.

Every day at 11 a.m. and noon, this clock puts on a show. Hundreds of people congregate in front of the tower to hear the Glockenspiel chime and watch the 32 life-size figures reenact historical Bavarian events.

Mariensäule: The column's pedestal, topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary, has a figure on each corner depicting the city's triumph over war, pestilence, hunger, and heresy.

Right next to Marienplatz is Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church). The city of Munich is said to have grown up around the site of Peterskirche. One can enjoy a spectacular 360 view from top of the church by only paying few euros. Because there was a long queue in front of the church, I resisted the temptation to see the city from the top.

Altes Rathaus (the Old Town Hall) stands on the eastern side of Marienplatz. The building now houses the city council's offices, as well as some administrative departments and a Toy Museum (Spielzugmuseum), which is placed in four rooms within the tower.

We went pass the world-famous Hofbräuhaus beer hall. A huge Beerhall with over 1000 seats and a Beergarden where you can enjoy Blasmusic and bavarian Beer in 1 Liter Glasses.
Only natural ingredients can be used for beer brewing, according to the Bavarian Beer Purity Law, which was passed in 1516. This law is still followed to this day, and Munich beers, including Hofbräuhaus, are held to that high, delicious standard of brewing. source

An old man was performing blasmusic in front of the Hofbräuhaus beer hall.

Residenz Royal Palace at Maximilianstrasse. Maximilianstrasse is popular for designer shops, luxury boutiques, jewellery stores.

The Theatinerkirche (Theatine Church) at Odeonsplatz is one of Munich's most beautiful churches, with its yellow facade and ornate interior.

We finished our walking tour in front of Hofgarten which is on the north side of the Residenz Royal Palace.

I decided to visit the English Garden after walking for 2.5 hours and seeing beautiful sights with the guided tour. It is Europe's largest publicly owned park, larger even than Central Park in New York.

Locals come to this place to relax and play football and other sports. Schwabinger Bach which starts in the centre of Munich flows through the Englischer Garten. People take shower in this stream. The walk along the stream was very relaxing.