in Deutschland ein Schwein haben
I swear my intention is not to just blog about travel. But I do have a long backlog of places we’ve been that I’d like to tell you about!
Last summer, we spent some time in Munich and the Bavarian alps. It all started when a Miss T Alison Sw*ft said she was going to fight the Ticketmaster overlords but in reality she just enabled scalpers to resell her tickets at exorbitant prices. Lucky for me, I am married to the most understanding and down-for-the-adventure husband. Here’s how the conversation went one warm day in August 2023:
Carla: What are you doing almost a year from now?
Kevin: … where are we going?
Carla: Can we see TS in concert? Tickets are super cheap for floor seats .. in Europe.
Kevin: sure
And that folks, is “How to keep your wife happy 101.” But really, Kevin was very chill with me planning our summer almost a whole year away around a concert that’s a 6+ hour flight away. To be fair, we weren’t going to Munich then turning around and going home (which a lot of people did!) Instead, I found a way for us to go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen - a quaint town in the Bavarian alps known for beautiful hikes and incredible scenery.
After an overnight flight from Newark, we started our trip in Munich or München .. and a-munchin’ we were (ba dum-tss). But seriously - Munich is a serious food town. We had great döner, pretzels, pork in all its various forms from knuckle, to sausage and everything in between. We only had two full days in Munich before going to the mountains. I regret not being able to book more meals as Munich is home to 26 Michelin starred restaurants. I will definitely be back to eat and enjoy more of the local food.
Aside from eating we did also enjoy the art and architecture of the city. We enjoyed works of art from Van Gogh, Hieronymus Bosch, and Rubens x Brueghel at the enormous Alte Pinakothek. We walked around the palatial grounds at Schloss Nymphenburg while imagining what it’d be like to be royalty. We people watched around Hofgarden and Marienplatz. One of my favorite parts of Munich was how pedestrian/ public transit friendly it was in the city. We had zero issues getting around. The public transit system was even integrated into the concert! I could not believe that my tickets came with free admission to use the Munich transit system (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram and bus).
Speaking of the concert - seeing T Swift at Olympiastadion will probably be one of my most memorable concerts. I love her songs. I love the high caliber of production that goes into her shows. But what I loved most is the sense of community that came around to the concert. There were ~70k people in the stadium from all over the globe and 30k more people sitting in the hills outside the stadium enjoying her music hoping for a glimpse of the magic —and magical it was!
After the concert we drove a little over an hour to Garmisch Partenkirchen. Driving in Germany is fairly easy - roads are clearly marked and well maintained. The only nuance you should probably be aware of is the strict speed limits. These are enforced by cameras and radar so it’s really important to adhere to the rules both on the autobahn and local roads.
Even though it’s only about an hour from Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a world of its own. We stayed in the beautiful 4* resort Obermuhle with a halfboard set up (our breakfasts and dinners were included with the stay). I can’t decide what I loved the most about this hotel: the delicious meals (4 course dinner every night!), the spa (sauna/ hot tubs after long hikes were the best!), or the gorgeous view of the Zugspitze. All in all, this hotel would be a great home base for adventures in this region.
Here are some must visits while you’re in the Ga-Pa area:
Castles: Burgruine Eisenberg, Hohenfreyberg (2 castles, 1 hike), Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau (as for some FUN homework listen to the Even the Royals podcast episodes on King Ludwig II of Bavaria!)
Hikes: Hoellentalklamm gorge from Kreuzeck cable car (13km), Zugspitze summit to Eibsee
Souvenirs: if you love Christmas like I do, you MUST stop at Kathe Wolfthart
Food: Dinners at Obermuhle were great but we also took one night to do a Michelin meal at Das Marktrestaurant in Mittenwald. This 1 star restaurant is Kevin’s favorite “fancy dinner” we’ve been to in recent memory. Not only did the chef have spectacular local options (look at that cured meat!) but my husband, was treated to an incredible NA drink pairing. The service and attention were above and beyond !
PHEW! This was a long post. But I persevered (and so did you, thanks for reading) because I knew if I did multiple parts I would not have finished this recap.
TLDR: Hiking in the alps is incredible (we’ll be back this summer!) Eat all the food. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, marry someone who says yes to your crazy schemes.
