Munich, Salzburg, Nuremberg
Once we arrived at the Munich airport and got our luggage, our Airbnb host picked us up from the airport for 50 euros. We were so happy not to have to figure out transportation the minute we got off the plane. We found a great Airbnb located near public transportation. The apartment was very cute with a bed and sofa in the main room and a little kitchen and bathroom. There was also a coin washer and dryer in the basement. The cost was $100/night (including taxes and Airbnb fees).
After checking into the Airbnb we decided to explore Marienplatz, the city’s main square. We took the nearby subway and only had to make one transfer. We purchased a 3-day inner city transportation pass for 2 people for 29.30 euros. You have to validate the ticket the first time you use it and then you just hold onto it in case a controller comes up to you and asks to see it. If it is not validated you will have to pay a fine in cash on the spot. The ticket is good until 6:00 AM on the 4th day.
We walked out from the subway and were in awe of the beautiful buildings. There were a variety of stores and restaurants so after walking around a bit we went to Ratskeller Restaurant for dinner, a very large and popular Bavarian restaurant that seats 1,100 people and has 15 different dining rooms. The restaurant provides English menus. They sat us at a table for 4 and later on two other ladies joined us, so don’t be surprised if other people join your table. We had really good potato pancakes, Munchner Goulasch, and Huhnchen Cordon Bleu that we both loved. The restaurant was so cool to walk around in. After walking around we hopped on the subway home to get ready for the next day.
We started our first day with a walking tour of the city with Radius Tours. We met them at the Main Central Train Station and Jova, our tour guide, walked us through the city telling us interesting stories and facts about this city. I had no idea that 80 percent of Munich was destroyed by WWII. Jova was very entertaining and even extended the tour since we were all having a great time. We took a break to purchase beer to drink as we walked because that is what they do in Munich, walk the streets drinking beer.
After the tour we stopped to have lunch at Zum Franziskaner. The restaurant had a variety of rooms to eat in and a lovely outdoor covered patio. You need a reservation for that room, so if you are going to eat here plan it advance. The food and service were very good for lunch.
After lunch we took the subway and tram to Nymphenburg Palace. As I walked up to the palace I was in awe over the grand size of this building. It was built in 1664 and extended in 1701 and 1715. The Great Hall is exquisite with the ceiling fresco, the paintings, and the chandeliers. Nymphenburg Palace was a popular summer residence for the Bavarian rulers. You can rent an audio guide that explains the different rooms, as well as the art and furniture. After touring the Palace we visited the Marstallmuseum next door. The Marstallmuseum is the former “riding stables” of the Palace and has court carriages on display. I purchased a combo ticket for the Palace and Marstallmuseum (11.50 euros) along with the audio guide. There is also a garden that you can stroll through behind the building that is free.
For dinner that night we went to Wirtshaus in der Au. You know it is a good restaurant when it is located off the beaten path and still very crowded. I was able to get a reservation that night and they sat us at a communal table. The restaurant was packed and the service was great. The drinks were very good and refreshing. I had the Stenz and my daughter had the Raspea. We ordered the Schlutzkrapfen, a ravioli filled with creamy lemon-thyme-mascarpone, and the white asparagus special, served with a filet. Both of our dishes were wonderful.
We started our next morning at Mr. Pancake, a very small restaurant with around 10 tables and only 8 different menu items (all pancake variations). I had the Mr. Banana Pancake with Nutella, and my daughter had the Mr. Bacon. Both were wonderful and I have to say this was the best bacon I have ever had, so if you do visit this restaurant be sure to get the bacon with your pancake. After breakfast we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp. Admission is free but I purchased the audio guide. It was a little difficult to match up some of the guides with what we were seeing as the numbers did not correlate, but I am still glad to have had the audio guide. It was a very solemn day.
Later in the day we visited the "The Englische Garten ("English Garden"), which is a beautiful park (think Central Park). We walked around a bit, and then had lunch and listened to the live music as we sat at the outdoor tables in Hirschau beer garden. It was a great vibe with good energy.
In the evening we went to dinner at Schneider Brauhuas, a very popular restaurant for Bavarian food. We had the “Wiener Schnitzel” and the “Pork Knuckle,” both of which were very tasty. We finished our “German filled evening” with a beer at the famous Hofbrauhaus, where everyone was drinking big glasses of beer and moving to the band playing German music. It was a great way to end the evening.
Our last day in Munich we took a day trip tour to Salzburg with Radius Tours. We were so lucky to get Verena as our tour guide. She was thoroughly entertaining, had a great personality, and made sure we were always together (even when we had to switch trains due to an issue they were having). Once we arrived by train to Salzburg we took the bus to the city center. We crossed over the Makartsteg Bridge, the pedestrian bridge over the Salazach River connecting the new part of the city with the old town (Alstadt). The bridge is covered with love locks wherein people write their names and throw the key into the River. Once we crossed the bridge, Verena walked around with us pointing out the various sites that we would want to return to on our own. After a 90-minute tour we had 3 hours to explore on our own. After walking around the cute streets and shopping, we stopped at Gasthof Goldgasse to have lunch and Salzberg’s famous dessert, a Salzburger Nockerl. The soufflé is baked to resemble Salzurg’s snow-capped mountains. It was amazing, so light and fluffy. It takes 20 minutes to bake so be sure to let them know ahead of time that you will be ordering it. After lunch we took the funicular to the Hohensalzburg Castle. What a fun place to explore. There was no line for the Funicular so we just hopped on. It went pretty fast so the ride is only around 15 seconds. The cost was 12.20 euros for both the funicular and exploring the fortress and the amazing views from above. Once we returned we walked around the streets further, explored a church that was beautiful, and visited the Mirabell Gardens where scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed.
The following morning we departed early for Nuremberg. We had a DB Ice Train ($29 each) scheduled for 8:48 a.m., but when we arrived early at 8:18 I was informed our train was leaving early at 8:22…we ran to the train and jumped on. There were plenty of seats and it was a very comfortable ride. About 30 minutes into the ride they came to check our tickets and we discovered that our actual train had been delayed and we got on the earlier train. This still does not make sense to me, as this train was the correct number. She said no problem but we were sitting in first class seats and we had a 2nd class ticket so we had to move back to those seats. I didn’t realize that our ticket had a car number and seat numbers that we had reserved for us…lesson learned.
Once we got to Nuremberg, which took a little over an hour, we put our suitcases in luggage lockers and went to explore. We had lunch at a wonderful restaurant called das Paul overlooking the river. The food was amazing and beautifully displayed. After lunch we walked to Nuremberg Castle, a group of medieval fortified buildings. We purchased a combo ticket for 7 euros each that gave us access to the castle, the deep well, and the tower. It was so much fun exploring. The castle had various rooms with medieval items such as knights’ gear and weapons. It was amazing to be in rooms built in the 1100s. The deep well takes groups in every 30 minutes to demonstrate how deep the well really is. To visit the tower you need to climb a lot of steps but when you reach the top the views are spectacular.
After the castle we just walked the streets. We found the street called Weißgerbergasse, which was our favorite street. Every house surrounded by cobblestones was so cute. This is such a beautiful city with the beautiful houses and shops, bridges over the river, and magnificent churches.
Apps that were helpful in Munich:
MyTaxi - enter credit card info in advance
MVV – Transportation information with timetable for Munich
DB – Status of DB Bus and Train for Munich, Nuremberg, and Prague