Munich Zoo "Tierpark Hellabrunn"
by claudia1975
Munich Zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn)
The Munich Zoo is one of the biggest Zoos in Germany. Even if you are not a special fan of animals behind bars: Zoos can teach children to understand the variety and biodiversity of our planet and the Munich Zoo is famous for many animals being born there. So maybe the parent animals do not feel all that bad and even have some “privacy” ;-).
While some animal houses need some reconstruction or extension of space for the animals (hippos, serpentarium, monkeys) , other animal houses or garden areas a beautifully landscaped and spacious and meet very modern standards (aquarium, bat-house, terarium, birds, turtles, buffalos, sea lions etc etc.). In spring and summer the Munich zoo is a beautiful park with many flowers, great landscape architecture and pools. One highlight in the zoo are the childrens playgounds. They are very well designed and have equipment which support fantasy and educational playing. Additionally the zoo has some caffees and a restaurant, little shops selling ice cream and candies, crepes and popcorn. Especially with children the Munich Zoo is worth a day long visit including a nice family picnic, reading, strolling the wildlife areas. In winter a zoo visit is also okay, but many animals hybernate (sleep over the winter) and others can only be observed in restricted tile floor rooms, which can look depressing.
The zoo offers some special programs like e.g. sometimes they have “a zoo visit at night”, where you can watch the animals past the closing hours when it is dark outside and some animals are more awake than during the daytime. How to get there:
If you come by subway exit the U3 at “Thalkirchen (Zoo)” and then you can already see the entrance. But there is also enough parking in the surrounding area.
By bus take line 52 from Marienplatz to the last station „Tierpark“, stops directly at the entrance.
URL:
http://www.zoo-munich.de
Entrance Fees:
Adults: EUR 9,00
Children 4-14: EUR 4,50
Students / Seniros: EUR 6,00
Opening times:
October to March 9 to 17:00
April to September 8 bis 18:00
Planetary on the Museum’s Island
by claudia1975
If you visit Munich and are even only slightly interested in natural sciences, technics or related fields, then a visit to the German museum (Germany’s largest museum and the biggest of its kind in Europe with exhibitions on cars, ships, trains, planes, physics, chemistry, mining, manufactoring, electricity, architecture etc etc) is an absolute MUST.
However, most people do not know that there is more on the small “Museum’s Island” in the river Isar than only the German Museum. Right in front of the German museum there is a planetary. The planetary features advanced projection systems and near horizontal seating, where the night skies and astronomic phenomena are projected in a hallf dome above your heads. A visit to the planetary is eductional and also very relaxing (very comfi lean back chairs ;-)). It is a great activity with children as well as when having a general interest in easy-fed natural science knowledge or astronomy. You can also book the plaetary for large groups – e.g. after a conference in the German Museum’s Conference Center or after a business meeting in one of the very close conference hotels. The planetary is located on the Museum’s Island in the Isar River right next to the German museum. For detailed directions to the German Museum see www.stadtplan.de.
URL:
http://www.forumamdeutschenmuseum.de/planet/
Tel. (089) 2 11 25-180
Tickets between 5 and 10 Euro
WEIN PROBIERSTUBE
by LysDor
If you prefer german wines as I do, there are many 'Wein Stube' where you have the opportunity to sit at a shared wooden table, take part of a current discussion and taste one of the local wines-.
You can choose from trocken wine:'dry', never contains more than 9 grams of residual sugar per liter, often less or halbtrocken:'off-dry', may have not more than 18 grams of residual sugar per liter.
FUN TIME GUARANTEED even if there are no beers - ONLY WINES but you will make friends!!
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Address: residenzstraße 1, Munich
Phone: 225628
Don't have to tip unless you...
by Erdinger99
Don't have to tip unless you want to.
Greet people by saying Guten Morgen-morning, Guten Tag-good day, hallo. or whatever you want.
When ordreing from a menu (as in any foreign country) either learn the food translations or be ready to eat what you point at. (don't worry though because all of the food is good)
Mad Ludwig's Castle
by jlfloyd
Dont do the organized tours, which are a rip off. You are basically paying for someone to escort you on the train there and the tour at the actual castle is only given by castle employees.
Get a ticket to Fussen. You can buy the Bayern Ticket to Fussen and it is good for up to 5 people I beleive for roundtrip for the same day. I want to say it is 29 Euros, but that was last summer so it may be a bit more now. Its about 1 hour 45 minutes there. Once you get to the cute little fussen train station, walk through it and out front and there will be busses that will take you on the few minute bus ride to the base of the castle. I cant remember if the Bayern ticket covered the bus ride, I want to say no, but the cost wasnt too much, a few Euros maybe.
You will most likely have to wait in line for the tickets, and they are given for a very specific time, you expect some time to walk around the the little town around the ticket office. The tickets were about 12 Euros. If you walk down by the lake it there are amazing views and spectacular photo ops. To get up to the castle itself, there it a steep, uphill walk. There is the option of buying another ticket for a bus to take you up the hill, although there is still another walk after that, but it is mainly down hill to the castle. The bus up the hill is something like 4 Euros roundtrip. It saves about 30 minutes of extra walking. The bus gets extremely cramped, so get in line early and expect an uncomfortable ride, but it is short. The whole trip, bus up the hill the walk to the castle, takes about 30-40 minutes. Give plenty of time to get to the castle, because they are very strict with making your time, and if you miss it you will have to go back down to the ticket office and hope they have any tours that day left.
The tour is alright, but you have to endure it to get inside, as taking an organized tour is the only way. It of course ends in the over prices gift shop. One of the more interesting things to see at this location is the bridge over the waterfall. When you take the bus up the hill, you will be let off at a stop among trees. You can read the signs, the path to the castle is to the left, the bridge (I think is is the Maria Bridge) is to the right. It is a think, but stable, bridge over a narrow valley with a waterfall below it. There is an amazing view of the castle from on it, with my favorite, another great photo op. There is no fee to go onto the bridge. If you have some more time in the area the day you are there, there are hiking paths all over around the castle, including one down to the waterfall and lagoon below the bridge.
This is an interesting site to go see and one of those things you have to do when you are in Bavaria.
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