Gaby's Guide to Munich

It feels like just yesterday that I was running around Munich trying to squeeze in every last schnitzel, sausage and beer, but in reality it was 2 full months ago! Time flies and I'm already counting the days until I'm back on German soil. So until that happens, here's my guide to Munich so you can make the most of your upcoming trip! (especially if you'll be in the area for christkindlmarket!

I've always had a love of German food and life! My Omi (that's German for grandma) grew up in Germany and my mom spent a lot of time there as a kid. We've been to visit a handful of times over the course of my life but this last time was the first time I went with such an open mind when it came to food! (Remember I used to be a crazy picky eater) So with my open mind, we hit Germany hard!! It was a full on food and beer fest and today I'm boiling it down the the best of the best so you can enjoy these on your next Munich visit!

What to eat:

Kleinschmecker - we're kicking off the eating section with this restaurant because it blew all my pre-conceived notions of German fare out of the water. The food was out of this world delicious, the service was better than anything I've ever seen here in America and their patio made me wish I wasn't jet-lagged so I could have stayed all night and just drank aperol spritz's and mingled with the locals. Every dish that was brought out was outstanding - the pasta, the fish, the bread, ugh. I could have died and gone to heaven. It's absolutely not to be missed. 

Viktualienmarkt - the biggest market right smack in the middle of Munich offers up some of the cities best eats. Take a self guided pretzel tasting tour (literally all you do is walk abour and eat pretzels from every street vendor) or do the same for a Sausage tasting. There are a variety of beer halls mixed in, so when you get full, grab a seat and chill for a few minutes with a pint before continuing your food tour!

Schuhbeck’s Eissalon - while touring downtown Munich, make sure you wander in every nook and cranny so you can discover the towns best ice cream. There are all sorts of fun creative flavors and nothing is better than a double or triple scoop while wandering the town.

Dallmayr - imagine a German Eataly or Chelsea Market. Dallmayr is a gorgeous food hall with various counters where you can get everything from roasted chicken, smoked salmon, oysters and champagne, coffee, tea, chocolate, the list goes on. It's everything you could imagine in one giant room - and then a restaurant to boot upstairs! It was my idea of heaven and I never wanted to leave.

Elisabethmarkt - another incredible market situated right outside of town. You guys know I can't resist a good market!!

What to see:

Nymphenburg Palace - the palace is not to be missed! The rooms are over the top gorgeous, bright, and shiny and the gardens make me wish I grew up hundreds of years ago so I could frolic around on a daily basis playing hide and go-seek on a property the size for like 6 football fields.

Marienplatz - Go for the Glockenspiel Clock and stay for the people watching! It's just in the middle of town, so it can't be missed. If you're there in the winter, the christkindlmarket will be in full force and word on the street is that it's the best in all of Germany!

Where to drink:

Hofbrauhaus Muchen - one word. Beer. There's nowhere in the world more famous for their beer and while it might be a popular tourist destination, it's by no means touristy! It's fun, loud and awesome! 

Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Muchen - cocktails on the roof of Hotel Bayerischer are not to be missed. The rooftop deck overlooks the entire city of Munich and on a gorgeous clear day it's really easy to spend an entire afternoon there.

Augustiner-Keller - one of our favorite beer halls of the trip! It's a bit outside of town and opens at 10am which was great as we were trying to hit EVERYTHING in such a short period of time. Beer and sausage for breakfast - totally acceptable and normal while in Germany!

Where to stay:

Hotel Laimer Hof - Hotel Laimer Hof is the sweetest little Bed and Breakfast right next to the Summer Palace - so it's pretty much perfect if you're planning to visit the sprawling grounds. It's tucked away in a neighborhood about 15 minutes outside of town and it's an easy metro ride in! Growing up we ALWAYS stayed in the cute B+B's in town, so I felt very much at home here with their incredible hospitality!

Hotel Sofitel Munich Bayerpost - if you're looking for something in town the Sofitel is my hotel of choice! Plus they have an excellent tea service and it's right next to the train station which makes life really easy when you're traveling around by train (that's what we did!) 

Next up... we're on our way to Frankfurt!

Major thank you to the German National Tourist Office for sending me on such an incredible trip!