Munich Local Customs

I guess we all agree on this on; there is nothing more exciting than going travelling - exploring another country, experiencing a different culture, travelling around in new ways, sampling the local cuisine and chatting to the local people for a different perspective on life.

However during our travels we learned that there is one certain thing that you should be aware of and prepared for to make sure that the trip is as easy and enjoyable as possible. We always try to see everything once we're there, but this is not always an act of responsible travelling. We always talk to the locals and we know that they have the information about just the right spots to visit and how to undertake them. It will not only enhance your experiences but also avoid any unnecessary hassles.

For us the travel tips we have written in this section made the most of our travel experience and we came home in the same happy, healthy state that we left.

One of Munich’s icons, apart from the famous ones like Frauenkirche and Rathaus of course, is Münchner Kindl, the one in my photo. It decorates buildings, beer coasters, beer mugs, an abundance of souvenir things, can be seen public transportation vehicles and many more. It is also part of the coat of arms of Munich however it seems that this is not widely known.

Originally the kindl is a monk, dressed in a black coat with yellow (or gold) stripes, who holds a book in one hand and the other hand raised for the oath. According to the official sources, the monk represents the monastery of Tegernsee, which is said to be the place where “original” Munich was built. And München, the town name, is said to have derived from Mönch, the German name for monk. Over the years, the monk was somehow transformed to a kid, hence the name Kindl (German for little kid). The Italian name for Munich is Monaco, Italian for monk. As far as I know it is the only language where the name still refers to Munich’s roots.

© Ingrid D., September 2010.

This is more of a fun “tip”, but fits very well into Munich’s local custom section. Munich stands for beer all over the world. Why else is there an Octoberfest existing in countless countries or cities? Oh well, yes, beer is maybe the most famous icon of this town, and more so the huge beer mugs which holds one litre: the Mass.
When we walked through Englischer Garten Saturday afternoon, I almost fell into the lake from laughing when I saw this special illumination for the beer garden in the northern part of the lake. Beer mugs, Mass, what else....

© Ingrid D., September 2010.

The Eisbach ("Ice Creek") is an artificial creek in the Englischer Garten. At the end of it, there is a standing wave that is constantly produced. Most of the time, you will see some surfers there who try to surf this wave.
It is not prohibited, but there is a sign that says that only very skilled surfers should do this. It is quite risky because the water is of course not deep.

I think it was quite funny to see those cool surfer boys in the middle of a Bavarian city :-)

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Well, I've seen it for myself so it's true. Surfing in downtown Munich.

I'm told someone created this artificial wave on the fast flowing river which runs into the Englischer Garten under Prinzregentenstr. So, Saturday lunchtime at Easter the surfers are out showing off their skills.

Only the Beach Boys missing...

All state owned museums in Munich can be entered free on Sunday! This includes the “alte Pinakothek” and the “neue Pinakothek”, the “Pinakothek of modern art”. You can save a lot of entrance fees. If you are an art love you might take a whole Sunday for each, if you just want to get a first impression to come back later and see certain exhibitions in details then you can scroll two (or even three) in one day. I like the “alte Pinakothek” (get the audio guide! – each painting there has its own interesting story) and also the “Pinakothek of modern art”, which has a small but great section on architecture of famous buildings and construction principles. All the “Pinakotheken” have caffees and museum stores. Further “Sunday-free” museums include the "Bavarian national Museum", the "Munich City Museum", the "Glypothek" and others. Not included in the free offer are privately owned museums like the “Lehnbachhaus” .

For the “Pinakotheken” exit the U2 or bus 53 at Königsplatz. Then follow the signs. By car you might find parking in the area around, but this might take some time. For detailed driving directions see www.stadtplan.de.

It is like the Karneval in Cologne.
Everyone dresses up in February and gets drunk, throw confetti and glitter around Marienplatz & Viktualienmarkt and sing "Alice, Alice, Who de F*ck is Alice". People go mad, basically.
Pity I do not have any photos of it, but it was fun. Pic is from www.serve.com

When you - as a tourist - go to Oktoberfest, you will certainly not need to dress formally ...

For bavarian farmers outside of Munich Oktoberfest was a long time ago the only kind of entertainment, they would go to during the year, also because of the fact, that every second year Oktoberfest is combined with a big agricultural exhibition on Theresienwiese ( would there be any better excuse to go there ??:-)

You will see plenty of bavarian people there, even whole families with several small children , all dressed in their traditional costumes...

This pic was taken inside "KÄFER-Schenke" , a place where mostly only the Jet Set of Munich will go !