Munich
Travel Advice for Seniors: Munich
Munich is a must-see stop and experience for any tour of Germany. It is imperative to experience a beer and pretzel at the Hofbrau Haus and to see the Glockenspiel in the Marienplatz at minimum.
I had been through Germany backpacking in the 90’s and it felt like going home to revisit Munich. It was a first experience for Mom, and we had signed on for a small group tour of twelve days through Germany.
We began with a driving sightseeing tour past the Olympic Stadium area and through the fashionable Schwabing district, arriving at Nymphenburg Palace. The baroque palace was the summer residence of the Bavarian royalty. Besides touring the fabulous interiors and exquisite ballroom, do take time for a stroll around the gardens and check out the birdlife.
For those ready for a little more current history, we stopped by the BMW Museum. It was fascinating even for those who aren’t into automative perfection.
We ended our day with a stop in the Marienplatz, waiting for the Glockenspiel to chime the hour of the day and watch the incredible mechanical show with life-sized figurines enacting snippets from Munich’s history and headed back to the comfortable Angelo Hotel Munich for a good night’s rest.
Second day we visited the sobering Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site. This was one of the early concentration camps, began in 1933. It is a much-sanitized version of a concentration camp compared with Birkenau and Auschwitz in Poland for instance, but it still exists in Germany as a memorial. Even though the work camps and crematoriums of WWII are repugnant subjects, it is important if for nothing else, to serve as a remember of what happened.
After a solemn morning, we continued our tour with a visit to the Frauenkirche, symbol of Munich and one of the largest hall churches in the world and the Asamkirche, product of two brothers who decorated every inch of the cathedral in exquisite baroque detail.
The final stop of the day was the much-anticipated visit to the world-renown Arte Pinakothek, home to Old Masters from 14-18th centuries, including DaVinci’s Virgin and Child and works by Rembrandt, Bruegel, Rubens, Durer and Raphael.
The final, final stop was a well-earned beer at the Hofbräuhaus. The beers here are very good and very large. Also, don’t forget to try the giant pretzels with obatza, a beer/cheese dip. They also serve several German meals including sauerbraten, be sure to ask for an English menu. They do have them, but you may have to wait a bit for one if you don’t want to use the translator app on your phone. Prost!
Where we stayed: Angelo Munich Hotel.
How we got there: Bus from Bamberg to Munich. This was part of a ten-day small group tour through Germany with a side trip to Czech Republic.
General Accessibility Information: Major tourist sights, newer hotels, transportation in most major cities are accessible. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more accessibility information.
