A Snippet Of My Trip In München
I go on the trip without much preparation, and well, things happen and I'm so glad with it :D
This trip is quite spontaneous for me. As I was so damn bored at home, I searched around hostels in big cities. It seems quite a good deal, at hostels, especially a&o (a very popular hostel around Europe), it’s just about 20 euros per night.
Until I came across this…
THE TENT in Munich, 19 euros per night!!!
So I booked it, immediately.
I really love the concept of THE TENT — Basically you will sleep in a big tent, consisting of around 180 beds. The thing is, around the place there are a lot of opportunities for you to make new friends, to chat, to play, to dance, to sing, absolutely everything. Also, as it’s also a camping place, you can bring your own tent and per night it will cost just around 7 euros!
So yeah, for me, it’s absolutely a deal, especially when travelling to an expensive city like Munich.
So I booked it, on Hostelworld.
Haha but then I realise, that they have their own website, and when booking directly on it, it’s even cheaper, just 16,5 euros a night.
So here’s my first lesson: Always try to find the homepage of the hostel, you can skip the so-called ‘service fee’.
And then I started to plan my trip.
Well, I will definitely go to Munich by ICE (the fastest train in Germany), because, first, it will be so exhausting to sit on the train for 6 hours long, and there’s no guarantee that I can find a seat for myself. Second, with ICE, I will still have a day long to wander around the city!
Train-ticket: Checked!
Hostel reservation: Checked!
.
.
The time has come. Let’s board the train and Munich, wait for meeeee!!!
Arriving in Munich
The train from Halle to Munich takes approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, and then 4 minutes late, and then 7, and then 10, as usual for DB. I have sit in an ICE before, but it was when I first came to Germany, and everything outside is dark as hell, and I, with 2 luggages, strolling them around, in the -2 weather, panicking because I couldn’t find the Gleis, and because the train was cancelled (as usual of DB), and everything seems fucked up for me at that time. So I couldn’t enjoy my ride.
Until now, yay. I must say that sitting on an ICE is such a wonderful experience. The seat is softer than usual S or RB/RE, and there are much fewer stops between. It travels with the speed of 300km/h, incredibly fast, but inside, it was extremely quiet, and everyone around me was working, some were even attending an online meeting. And it really persuades me that some people living in Halle, but working in München, and they travelled 6 hours per day to work :’D.
I don’t know, maybe…?
Also, beware that sometimes the train will go through the tunnel, and everytime it gets out, I have ringing in my ears, and a slight headache. But it’s still fine, the train just goes through tunnels 10 times or so through the whole trip 😊😭.
I didn’t do much on the train, just simply quietly look out of the window, admiring the landscape of Germany, sometimes we cross through a forest, and then voilà a big green frield, and then head right into through the mountain… they appeared, then disappeared, and emerged out of nowhere, again and again. It was marvellous!
Finally I arrived at Munich Hauptbahnof, and… Well… The Most-expensive-city-in-Germany’s Main Station is seriously like a big warehouse, only that there are trains running through, and underground there are some shops for you to kill the time. It’s not as modern as Berlin Hbf, as old as Leipzig Hbf, or even look clean. Lol, I then realised that it’s still under construction for the expansion in the future, and the blueprint for the future Main Station looks ✨fancy✨ can’t wait!
But in reality, it’s ugly, and maybe the worst Main Station I’ve ever been to in a big city.
But regardlessly, phew, luckily that the sky is beautiful today!!!
I wandered around the Main Station a bit, and then took the tram (Linie 16 to Romanplatz, and then from there take Linie 17 to Botanischer Garden) to THE TENT.
THE TENT is hidden from the outside noisy world. From the station you have to walk a bit till you find a big board ‘Welcome to The Tent’ and there you are, starting your wonderful trip around Munich!
Here are some activities that I have done here:
Marienplatz
Marienplatz is a lively, central square in the heart of Munich, Germany. Its name translates to "Marienplatz," derived from the column with the golden statue of the Virgin Mary that stands prominently in the center of the square. This iconic landmark has served as Munich's main square for centuries and is a hub of activity.
Throughout the year, Marienplatz hosts numerous events, festivals and markets. The Christkindlmarkt, a traditional Christmas market, transforms the square into a festive wonderland during the Christmas season. Locals and visitors gather here to buy handicrafts, enjoy Bavarian cuisine and soak up the lively atmosphere.
Saint Peter’s Church
All you can expect of a historic church is here, with reverential atmosphere by the marvellous architecture of the church and priceless artworks hanging throughout the bulidings.
And one special activity you can do here to enjoy the marvellous city-view from thirteenth-floor of the church. Well mind you that there’s no elevator, thus you have to climb in pretty narrow stares. So I would not recommend to anyone with vertigo and/or claustrophobia.
Olympiapark
The sun is set now, and this maybe my final destination before heading back to THE TENT. Boarding off from the U-Bahn and heading up, there you are, the BMW Museum is welcoming you to visit.
BMW World was built in 2007 and, with its unique architecture, is a masterpiece itself. I myself is not so fond of cars, but visiting and admiring the building, and then entering it to see the breathtaking collections
of cars and motorcycles will always remain in my mind as an unforgettable experience in Munich.
Chil at a Beer garden (Biergarten)
talk about beers in munich, which beer is recommended, how you chill and which food you have got yourself.
On the second day, through a free guide tours around Munich from THE TENT (One more plus point!), I get to know new people and together we spend time wandering around the city, and then into the Englischer Garten and eventually spend a whole day in a Biergarten chatting and drinking and drinking and drinkinggg.
Through the tour, I also know more about Munich beers, of different types of Beer brands here. And one of the best beer recommended by the tour guide is Augustin. Well, at least for me, as an amateur who drinks beer once a month, I can say that they all taste the same for me :’D.
Also, one special thing about Biergarten is that there are two separate areas, one is for self-service, you will order yourself, bring your food to the table and enjoy. Here you can also sit with your friends the whole day without having to buy anything. It’s usually the long benches outside.
And the second area is when you want to be served, it’s usually a much smaller tables and usually it’s inside the building, and for this, you must reserve as it’s always full. For us, as spontaneous travellers, we chose to sit outside and enjoy the weather (Actually because the inside was full so we had to move out).
Here they serve beers, big Brezn, and all types of Baverian traditional dishes. Here are the prices:
Beers: a liters is about 8 euros
Mega Brezn: 5 euros. For me, not worth it :’D You can also buy this in a supermarket, and it tastes as delicious as this, and it’s much cheaper.
Main dishes: ranging from 12 to 25 euros. My dish is 18 euros.
Deutsches Museum
Experience in the museum, fun, innovative but a little tiring because it’s too big.
On the third day, I visited the Deutsche Museum, which is said to be one of the most famous Museum in Germany.
Indeed, it’s gigantic and one can get lost in it for a whole day. A thing is, it’s too big that after 2 hours or something inside, I got tired and couldn’t stay any longer :’D But it’s a must-see and should be on your bucket list!
The Tent
THE TENT is a camping site which opens only during summer with various extremely affordable options for your accomdation in Munich. Young, lively, creative, friendly… All the beautiful words I can describe this. I have had such a wonderful experience here, with new people, new friends, new cultures. Almost all the people here that I met, they are making an inter-Europe trip, using Interrail ticket. Talking with them, listening to their stories and experiences, something sturs inside me. I realize that this kind of journey isn't merely about visiting famous landmarks or checking items off a bucket list; it's about the personal growth that comes from stepping out of one's comfort zone, embracing uncertainty, and finding beauty in the unexpected. I want to be like them! - I scream (in silence, of course), the idea of embarking on an inter-Europe journey starts to take root in my mind, filling my thoughts with dreams of new landscapes, cultures, and friendships waiting to be formed.
Thanks to this amazing trip, I know what to do next summer!
Bicycling around the city
One of the best parts is to rent a bike and ride around the city, and it’s farely easy. All you have to do is to down the MVV App, then set up your account, connect the app with your bank, find a bike and enjoy your trip around! The renting price is just 0,09 euro/minute, which means for an hour, it’s around 5,4 euros!
So I rent the bike for nearly 3 hours, ride through corners, aisles of Munich and enjoy the city's vibrant culture, historical monuments and picturesque landscapes. Munich's well-maintained bike paths and bike-friendly infrastructure make it a delightful adventure for locals and tourists alike. Especially if you want to explore Olympiapark, riding on a bike will do absolute wonder!
But be caution or you will end up like me :’)
End
Will I make a trip to Munich again? Yes! To travel around the city? No, once is enough :’) In fact, when you are in Munich, you can travel to various hot spots of Europe, like Die Alpen, to Austria, to Italy, to a small beautiful country Liechtenstein, to the Neuschwanstein Castle, the castle which inspires Disney movies, and if you love hiking, definitely Zugspitze!
