Munich & Dinkelsbuehl.

We checked in a little early to the Hotel An Der Oper in Munich, and I was pleasantly surprised to find our room already ready. Hooray! – After driving in endless circles trying to circumvent Munich’s tiny one-way streets and pedestrian old town sections (I’m sure we broke more than one law), collapsing on crisp clean sheets = yes please. So a little bitta that, and we grabbed our city map & set out. Our hotel was ideally situated on the Marienplatz near the infamous (loud) Hofbrauhaus (but thankfully not too near), the Viktualienmarket, the Rathaus (New Town Hall) & Glockenspiel, and all the shopping (oohh, the shopping). Friday was for site-seeing, Saturday for shopping, and Sunday to take a day trip north. On site-seeing day we enjoyed the aforementioned places, plus Munich’s amazing old churches - St. Peter’s (8th century, pre-dating the city itself, destroyed in the great fire in 1327 and rebuilt in Romanesque gothic style), the Cathedral of Our Lady (a Catholic church dating to 1468), St. Michael’s (1583, the largest Renaissance church in Germany), and finally the extraordinary Theatinerkirch (1690, high-baroque style). This basilica seemed almost understated (compared to the others) in that everything was carved of white stucco and stone, but it is the incredible detail in the carvings that make it so amazing. Finished the day with – you guessed it – a hearty traditional German dinner at the Augustiner, Munich’s oldest restaurant, dating back to the late 13th century when monks from the Augustinian monastery began brewing beer of the same name. Also of culinary note was the Spaten-Franziskaner beerhouse (we had lunch there the next day), where I found the white weisswurt sausage – a Munich delicacy - quite delicious. I learned to take a tip from the locals and try what you see them all eating. Sure, you have no idea what it is, but put those baby cow morals aside and dive in. When in Rome, you know.

We’d planned our last day to be a leisurely drive up the historic “Romantic Road” north from Munich, and back again. I had a rough map, but like most things in Europe, the roads are dubiously marked so it took us forever to get on the right road. And we drove for miles with NO ROMANCE! Perhaps we were spoiled from the spectacular castles & sites that we had already seen, but the small infrequent ‘castles’ and churches spotted along the route weren’t much to write home about (had I become a ‘castle snob’?!). We finally stopped for lunch in the picturesque village of Dinkelsbuehl, ready to give up the quest and drown in espresso. Surprise surprise – Dinkelsbuehl turned out to be a fantastic hidden gem of beauty and history! It turns out this modest little town dates back to the 8th century, and remains the only completely unbroken walled medieval town in Germany to survive both World Wars undamaged. And on this last day, in St. George’s Church (12th century, rebuilt in 1448), we stumbled upon the very oldest thing seen all trip – enshrined in St. George in his ceremonial garb are the actual remains of the martyr St. Aurelius, who was beheaded in Rome for his Christian faith under Nero in 64 AD. 64!! Behind the main altar is the hidden Ciborium alter, a shrine of St. Mary, which is said to have sweated blood and water as an omen whenever the town of Dinkelsbuhl was in danger and became a site of many pilgrimages in the 17th century. St. George itself is a huge gothic church with soaring 60-foot vaulted ceilings and a slightly scary vibe (in the best of ways!) While we were inside, the organist decided to surprise us all with a booming impromptu recital. Perfect!! Fanastic!! So thank you, Dinkelsbuehl, for making it worth the drive.

Our last night’s dinner was to be spent at the famous Hofbrauhaus – yes it’s touristy, but one’s first trip to Munich really can’t be considered complete without it. It’s a HUGE (really huge) beer hall with long galley tables and dinners served buffet style. I was quite surprised by how good the pork knuckle was (yes, knuckle. And believe me, that is not the weirdest part of the pig that we tried during the trip). The beer was served in huge steins and the show was rollicking fun for the whole crowd. Much like a Hawaiian luau - you can tell that the production is put on for the tourists, but it’s clear that the performers are having fun too. A good way to finish our trip. Be warned however – you need to make reservations in advance for the hall & dinner show (the regular restaurant downstairs needs no reservations, but what’s the fun in that?).

Monday morning was an early wake-up call (our only morning setting any kind of alarm), sad schlepping of our luggage through the quiet early-morning streets, and a flawless departure for the airport. Ironic that only on saying goodbye to Munich did we not get lost driving in it! The flight home was smooth and uneventful, and now we are back and wishing we could hop back on the plane and return. I’m rather proud that this itinerary, which we created ourselves with suggestions from family & friends, went as well as it did. It was ambitious to see so much in such (relatively) short time, but it suited us perfectly. We enjoyed Italy very much and I’m sure we’ll go back someday to see it’s southern regions, but I think we both agree that it was Austria & Germany that we fell in love with. Having experienced just the Bavarian parts of both countries, we can’t wait to go back and see the rest.

Click the thumbnails for larger images & descriptions!