Ever since I took German in high school I wanted to visit Germany! I got older I really got into German beer and it’s still probably my favorite so of course I had to go to Munich. I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but we were only there for two days, and we had a great time. I really wish I had done better with German and remembered because it turned out to be very useful on this trip, but luckily my friend who also took German was pretty Fluent!I also thought it was very accessible lots of transportation, even though we had a couple problems that you will read about later. My favorite thing was definitely the beer Gardens and how nice the bathrooms were.
Transportation
- Train– We took the train from Amsterdam to Munich using the German national railway called Deutsche Bahn. It was a pretty easy process, but i was with my friend who spoke German. We were slightly scolded for not calling ahead of time, but once on the train, I felt it was very roomy and easy to move around. It took nearly eight hours though and you need to email or call to get tickets or book accessibility help. I emailed them after I bought the tickets here: https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/accessible-travel
They also have an online booking site https://msz.bahnhof.de.
- Tram– we took the tram a few times and it was very accessible and a fun way to get around town. Most stops are accessible.
- Chair– Our hotel was close to the old town, so wheelchair travel, pretty easily, got me where I wanted to go.
- Airport– Now this should have been easy, but we had all kinds of problems getting there. The night before, we asked the hotel concierge if they would reserve us a wheelchair accessible taxi to pick us up at eight in the morning. The airport is about an hour away from downtown Munich. But when the taxi arrived the driver said they could take a manual wheelchair but not a power wheelchair. They didn’t know any taxis that could take us. Our only option was to race to the train station to catch a subway to the airport. When we reached the station, the elevator was broken so we had to rush to the other side to use a different one. All this caused us to get to the airport with only an hour before the flight, so of course the check-in agent berated us for not getting there earlier. Still, they rushed us through to the gate and got me on the flight. I definitely recommend taking the subway to the airport
Hotel
Hotel München City Center, affiliated by Meliá– when I stayed here it was called the TRYP Munchen City Center Hotel so it may have changed since then. It was a nice hotel in a great location close to the train station. The room was a good size and the bathroom was nice
Beer Gardens
Löwenbräukeller – Das Original– Another beer garden that was walkable from the hotel. While not as big as Augustiner, it was nice andwe had a great time. The reason we went to this one, besides being close to our hotel, is because one of my friends’ nickname is Lowen – so I had to go. Again, we got the pork knuckle among other things and then dessert – all of it really good. We enjoyed this place for a long time chatting with some people from Sweden. They also had a really good bathroom
Augustiner-Keller– of course when you go to Munich, you have to drink beer at a beer garden. This one was very close to the hotel so we were able to walk there. This landmark beer garden has a huge outdoor and indoor space. We had to eat inside because we got there so late. I loved this place, especially the schweinshaxe, which is a pork knuckle with a crispy outside. Amazing! They served it with potato dumplings, also good. The place was very accessible and the bathroom was great. I definitely recommend going here. Oh yes, of course the beer was good too, and I love German beer
Attractions
Deutsches Museum– A huge science and technology museum. I love a good science museum and this one is so amazing. There is an extensive collection or transportation vehicles airplanes, and engines. There are all kinds of different science and hands-on experiences. I definitely recommend going here. The entire place is accessible. Admission is discounted for those with disabilities
Marienplatz– The main plaza of the city center where the new town hall and other historical buildings are located. There are also many shops and restaurants. I found this area mostly accessible so I stongly recommend coming here
Bürgersaalkirche– one of the many churches close to the Marienplatz. It was smaller than the others, but the inside was cool and accessible, and has an interesting museum of the 400-year history of the congregation
St. Paul– A beautiful catholic Gothic revival style church, right by our hotel. It was closed when we were there but it was still cool to see the neo-gothic architecture from the outside
New town hall a.k.a.the Neues Rathaus– A neo-Gothic main government building with ornate details and a glockenspiel clock that plays a song and show scenes from historical events. It goes off at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m., plus at 5 p.m. from March to October. It also goes at 9 PM and shows a different scene and music
Fischbrunnen– or the Fish Fountain, is an old fountain in front of the new town hall that dates to the middle ages. The real reason I mentioned this, is because I did drop some of my brother‘s ashes into this fountain. Supposedly once a year people wash their money here for luck.
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