Munich Day 1: Altstadt (Old Town)

We began our stay in Munich with a visit to a traditional beer garden, the Hofbraukeller, for dinner.  It was a nice evening so we ate outside under the lights.  The best part was that there was a playground for kids nestled into the back of the garden so the kids could enjoy the slide while we enjoyed our pint.

The next morning, we got out early and headed straight to the Virtualienmarkt.  It is a big farmer's market with everything from bread, cheese and meat to fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables.  For breakfast we bought a selection of breads -  croissants (my dad's favorite), pretzels (really big ones) and grilled sausages.  We were definitely in the minority that our breakfast was not accompanied by a beer.

 After breakfast, we climbed 306 stairs (no small feat!) to the top of St. Peter's church.  The stairs were very narrow and seemed to never end.   J gets extra brownie points for carrying K up most of the way. At the top we went out on a tiny balcony where we had great views of the entire city.

 We timed it well enough so that we were there just as the clock hit noon.  When the church bells rang, it was LOUD and then the balcony started moving.  Not a pleasant sensation.

 But what was pleasant was having a birds eye view of the Glockenspiel performance in the center of the Marienplaz  (video taken from earlier in the day).


That night we had dinner at the famous Hobrauhaus.  This may have been my favorite part of our entire trip.  It was exactly what you'd expect from a beer hall - large, loud and fun with lots of food, beer, singing and dancing - plus a sense of camaraderie with all the other diners.  Even the kids really enjoyed themselves.

C was enamored with the dancers and even managed to get her picture taken with them.  Truth be told, watching them twirl and twirl started to make me dizzy.  

Then again, it might have been the beer.