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Travel Blog: Four Days in Munich History, Beer Halls & The Bavarian Alps

A packed long weekend exploring one of Europe’s most fascinating cities

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Visiting Munich in early September turned into one of the most packed, exhausting and rewarding city breaks we’ve ever done. With early flights, heavy walking days, moving historic sites and two major day trips into the Bavarian mountains, we squeezed the absolute maximum out of a long weekend that lasted from 6th to 9th September.

This blog covers the arrival day and final day, with separate posts dedicated to our visits to Neuschwanstein Castle and The Eagle’s Nest both highlights of the trip in their own right.

🇩🇪 Day 1: Arrival, History & The Longest Day

The alarm went off at 3:15am and we were on the road shortly after. A 45-minute drive took us to Manchester Airports Terminal 2, where we boarded Lufthansa flight 2505, departing at 06:50.

A smooth flight later, we touched down in Munich at 09:50, and that’s when the day really began.

🛫 Getting Into the City

We grabbed an Airport City Day Ticket (EUR16.30 each), which covered all public transport across zones M–5 including trains, trams and underground services. For first time visitors, it’s a bargain.

A 45 minute S-Bahn ride (S1 or S8) delivered us to Munich Central Station the city’s transport hub and our launch point for a day that combined architecture, food, and some incredibly powerful history.

🏛️ Architectural Warm-Up

We walked across to the Justizpalast, a grand courthouse with a stunning glass dome. It’s free to enter, and worth a quick look even if just to appreciate the neo-baroque civic pride of the building.

From here we continued past the Wittelsbacher Brunnen, a monumental fountain and a popular meeting spot.

🍽️ Lunch at Park Café

We grabbed lunch at Park Café, whose grand, neo-classical style speaks to Munich’s darker architectural past. It sits on the edge of the Old Botanical Gardens, and while it’s a scenic spot to rest weary feet, it also acts as a subtle introduction to the contradictions of Munich’s history beauty layered with ideology. The menu was good and atmosphere took you back in time. You could easily imagine the SS all sat outside at the cafe. Well, I could anyway 😂

🕍 Two Hours at the Munich Documentation Centre

Our next stop and one of the most impactful parts of the trip was the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism. Located on the site of the former Brown House, it details Munich’s central role in the rise of the Nazi Party. One of the guides spent some time explaining the history behind the films and pictures.

It’s not sensationalised or theatrical. Instead, it’s deep, dense, honest, uncomfortable and absolutely essential.

⛪ Führerbau & Königplatz

Next door sits the Führerbau, once Hitler’s office, looking out toward Königsplatz, which functioned as a Nazi parade ground.

Standing there today, now a peaceful square, it’s hard to reconcile the tranquil present with the charged imagery of the past.

🏛️ Wittelsbacher Palace & Feldherrnhalle

We continued to Wittelsbacher Palace, once occupied by the Gestapo and used to detain political prisoners, before walking to the Feldherrnhalle, the site of the tragic end of the Beer Hall Putsch. Unfortunately, due to some mobility event over the weekend it was closed off so we couldnt get close up.

Even without guide commentary, Munich wears its history on its streets.

🌿 Hofgarten & The Residenz

A gentle wander through the Hofgarten provided a breather before we spent two hours inside the Munich Residenz, former seat of Bavarian royalty. The opulent rooms and extensive collections are sublime a total contrast to the stark minimalism of the Documentation Centre. I’d lost my patience with this part of the trip. It felt we had to rush it (only just made last admission) and the grounds and buildings were vast. We could have spent the rest of the day wandering around. So, we had to bail and make our way towards dinner.

🍻 Dinner at Hofbräuhaus

After a full day of walking, learning and absorbing, we headed to Hofbräuhaus for dinner and beer. Touristy? Absolutely. But it’s also the birthplace of early Nazi rhetoric, so it carries historical significance as well. This was good, started off fairly quiet and we shared dishes on the menu. Then a party arrived in fancy dress which added to the atmosphere along with the dude playing the accordian dressed in traditional lederhosen.

Beer, currywurst, music exactly what you want on a night in Munich.

🚇 Manchesterplatz: A Strange Curiosity

From here, we jumped on the U2 from Lehel to Moosfeld and walked to Manchesterplatz, a quiet residential square with a stark memorial. It marks the site of the Munich air disaster of 1958 which killed members of the Manchester United team. Being Manchester United Season Ticker holder this was especially poignant for us and something we just had to do. I would have liked to have spent more time there and wandered to what was the site of the airport.

It wasn’t a long stop, but it was sad, reflective and peaceful.

🏨 Finally, The Hotel

After another train and a 15minute walk, we reached ibis München City West, checking in around 9pm over 17 hours after starting our journey. I must admit I was hanging on at this stage, absolutely knackered with an earlyish start the following day to 🏰 Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau

A long day, but a brilliant one.

🏰 Day 2 & 3: Castles & The Eagle’s Nest

These deserve their own posts, because they were full-day adventures into the Bavarian Alps:

🚆 Day 4: Dachau, Munich Highlights & Home

After two intense excursion days, our final day was left unbooked and flexible, with a plan to explore more of Munich before heading to the airport for our evening flight.

We left the hotel around 10:30am, grabbed food from Münchner Backpalast, and walked to Hirschgarten, picking up a Group Day Ticket to cover the day’s travel.

🚇 To Dachau

The S2 northbound took us to Dachau, followed by a quick Uber to the memorial site.

We spent three hours at the concentration camp, a sobering, moving experience that deserves time and mental space. By this time the rain was heavy having had a pretty good weather the previous days. However, we did manage to get around most things. I’ve been to Auschwitz before and this was just has harrowing.

The museum is vast, informative and unflinching. It leaves you tired emotionally more than physically.

🕍 Back to Munich

An Uber back to the station and train into the city dropped us near Frauenkirche, which is free to enter. We timed our visit with the Glockenspiel show in Marienplatz, which runs at 5pm.

From there, we worked through a handful of central sights:

Without rushing, but without lingering too long either. Munich rewards wandering.

🍽️ Dinner & Departure

After dinner, we made our way to Munich Central Station, catching the train to the airport in in good time for our Lufthansa 2504 flight at 21:55.

Touchdown in Manchester at 23:00, and just like that, a huge four days came to an end.

❤️ Final Thoughts

Munich is a city of layers, contrasts and surprises.

In four days, we experienced:

It was beautiful and heavy, fun and thought-provoking, and endlessly rewarding.

Between the architecture, history, landscape and food, Munich offers something that few European cities do a deeply immersive experience that sticks with you long after you’re home.

I’d go back in a heartbeat.

📸 Photo Gallery

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