(Very) Quick Trip to Munich

The Alte and the Neue Pinakothek are both incredible...

 

Just spent a nice long weekend in Munich again. Even though I don't mind the Oktoberfest at the Wiesn, I am also not a huge fan. Rather spend a nice few days around town, drinking various of my favorite beers and eating the great food. What a great town!

 

That was probably Edelstoff (export-strength Helles). Yes it is a fantastic bier Bayerische a anstich.

 

If it's Augustiner Keller, I *think* that's all they serve on tap. Edelstoff on tap and weissbier from bottles have been the only options I've ever seen there.

 

I'm glad to see that @NizzleEGizzle had a great trip - even if it was just for one day!

And, not to hijack this thread, but since it is still active and going I thought I'd use the opportunity to reach out for some advice.

I just got the go ahead from the wife to return to Deutchland in spring/early summer of 2020 with the main emphasis being to visit family in Berlin but we'll have time for something else. I'm just torn about what it should be. I'm guessing 3 or 4 days.

• I absolutely love Bamberg, and I haven't seen enough of the outlying places.
• I can also say the same about München, having only visited for 3 days and spending most of one of those days at Oktoberfest I don't really feel I've gotten the full experience.
• On top of that I've never been to Köln/Düsseldorf...
• or the Schwarzwald, which was supposed to be our next trip.
• Finally, schwarzbier and gose seem to be drawing me towards Bad Köstritz and Leipzig although I don't know how much I'll find there.

So, what say ye?

I'm kind of leaning towards Köln/Düsseldorf as it seems easy and I could hit Dortmund and Hannover on the way over to Berlin.

And I think another trip to Bamberg/Kulmbach/Bayreuth/Forchheim and then München would be in order in-and-of-itself.

Is there something I'm missing in the north?

 

If you've never been to Köln/Düsseldorf that would be my choice.

 

Don't go to Bad Köstritz for the beer. If you have the time to see Leipzig it is worth a trip, but I agree with @spartan1979 that Köln/Düsseldorf are more entertaining and the trains are easy way to move around.

 

Another vote for Koeln/Duesseldorf. You can hit a bunch of breweries in a short time in both cities.

 

And the Dom in Köln is awesome. An overused word, but appropriate in this case.

 

My wife and I did Düsseldorf paired with Brussels a few years ago. We were only there a couple days, but had a blast. The brewery bierhalls are mostly concentrated in a single area along the waterfront (the altstadt) and it's very easy to visit them all if you're staying nearby. We drove in, but were able to just leave our car parked the entire time. While maybe a little more metropolitan overall, Düsseldorf has a similar vibe as Munich. The beers are mostly of the same quality, too. At least the altbiers based out of the altstadt area are. I'd recommend it to anyone. Even if you don't think you like altbier, the fresh stuff will change your mind.

We've been tossing around doing that trek again, but doing Brussels/Köln this time. Driving in Brussels was HELL, so I think the plan will be to take a train next time.

 

Another vote for Koln + Dusseldorf - planning to go back for the third time next year myself.

 

When we went last year it was also right after a trip to Belgium. I couldn't see being in Europe and not going to Germany for at least a couple of days.

 

Thanks Domingo, this was very helpful. I'd thought of Brussels since it's so close but also thought I'd do a whole Belgium trip at one point but now I'm not so sure. Meine Schwiegermutter might be on this leg of the trip with us so I'll have to see what she says about that. I''m honestly not sure that she's been to Belgium.

 

The only reason I thought of it was a passage in the Brewmaster's Table talking about how Köln was closer to the low countries than Bavaria. Not sure why, but that line stuck with me. We'd already planned to rent a car and visit Westvleteren, so I started looking into a second side trip to the east. This group actually recommended Düsseldorf vs. Köln, so that's what we went with. It's highway driving 90% of the way and only about 2 hours from Brussels. If you avoid peak traffic times (or drive like mad on the Autobahn) you might be able to shave 15 minutes off of that. It's not much different than Munich to Bamberg.
The neat thing about doing that combo is that the food, beers, sights, languages, etc. in the two are almost nothing alike. It makes for a hell of a contrast to go from lambic, seafood, and beef stew to pork and altbier.

 

Just visit Bamberg, it’s unrivaled in so many ways. Dusseldorf is a day trip, good beer but a little ubiquitous. Kölsch is pretty boring although not bad. Oberfranken is the gift that keeps giving though, a no brainer in my view but everyone is different. If you want a beer with a local let me know.

 

First timers always want to taste Kölsch in Köln. Me? We talked our friends into 3 nights in Bamberg vs the one night they wanted. After the trip it was their favorite city. They also makehad to see Munich, and Dusseldorf Köln

The wife and I are talking 2 weeks in Bamberg next year. I might take you up on the meet up offer.

 

Same here. Spending a week there in early May. I could spend much more time than one week in Bamberg. If only Bamberg had Prague pricing....

 

Come on it’s hardly extortionate... I would rephrase, ‘if only Bamberg looked after their beer lines, glassware and tapping like they did in Prague’

But we’re splitting hairs.

 

Yeah I can understand that about Köln. It’s quite a big foreign style in the US I guess. I went once in 2007 and haven’t been back, enjoyed it just never got round to it. Always preferred Dusseldorf but I should revisit both soon.

Just contact me on here when you’re in Bamberg if it works.