Work and play collide

A group of firefighters gather near the Isar River for a meal between trading off shifts. One of the big attractions of the first Isarinselfest was a slag line across the river. Fortunately no one fell in though a rescue boat was waiting in the midst as a safety precaution.

Isar River

The Isar River appears calm and quiet, however this coming weekend it will swell to several hundred thousand visitors for the first annual Isarinselfest. Munich always knows how to put on a city celebration and this one alone will cost roughly 250,000€, however as the city slogan says, "Munich loves You" and it will be free to attend the various performances and events.

Sweet relief

The city has been under a drastic heat wave that doesn't seem to be relenting. The best ways to deal with the heat include making a trip to the Isar River or finding a shady biergarten with plenty of cold beverages.

Germans occasionally tell their children if they don't eat their vegetables it will rain the next day, so it looks as though they should trade those veggies in for ice cream - pronto!

Geeky Chicy at the Muffatwerk

We caught the opening night of Ingrid Michaelson's European tour in Munich last night. The American singer will hit four German cities in four nights with her mix of music and comedy during her acoustic tour for Everybody, her latest CD release. The show was at the Muffatwerk Ampere, a club on the backside of the Volksbad, and just across from the Gasteig and Deutsches Museum. It was an interesting club, and great for an intimate show, with no more than 500 people attending. And the wide format of the hall, meant you were never more than 30 feet from the stage. Apparently when they are not running concerts there, it's quite the place for disco lovers. When the weather is nice, there is an exceptional beer garden outside, surrounded by parkland at the base of the Isar.

Beer Garden Maze

Just wait until you have a few beers. Then try to navigate through here. This scene is so common to Munich, and all that you see has been set for hundreds of years – the gravel (no cement), simple benches (no garden or plastic furniture), chestnut trees (no umbrellas). All of this was outlined in the 19th century in what Bavarians call the Beer Garden Decree. It’s no surprise that beer gardens originated in Bavaria. They started as outdoor establishments attached to breweries. All of the local breweries at the time would build caves into the banks of the Isar River (where this beer garden exists today) to keep the beer cool, as the Fermenting process needs to take place at 2-4 degrees Celsius. The beer gardens were so successful that over the past 100 years, it seems every restaurant in town has a beer garden or something quite similar to it. I’ve tried to find out how many beer gardens are in Munich, but it’s nearly impossible as many restaurants, cafes, businesses, and even schools have their own beer garden. Munich even has the largest beer garden in the world, the Hirschgarden with more than 8000 seats – all wooden benches of course. Fortunately, the rules for the visitor are not so strict: Get good food, a beer of your choice (as long as it’s Radler, helles, Weiss or dunkle – because that’s all that’s served in Munich) and simply…relax.

King Max Overlooks St. Lukas

Maximilian II, who was born in 1662, was known as Max Emanuel and was a Wittlesback ruler of Bavaria. He inherited the seat of power while still a minor and shortly after embarked on a military career. Shown here in this statue at the center of Maximilian strasse, he led the defense of Vienna against the Ottoman Empire, as well as the capture of Belgrade from the Turks. In the background is Munich’s St. Lukas Church, one of the most dominant church images along the Isar river. With its multiple domes overlooking the Isar, it has become a dominant piece of the Munich skyline.

Along for the Ride

Oh what a difference a few weeks makes. Everything in Munich is now in full bloom, and nearly every park you go to is filled with people these days. Everyone living in Munich was coupled up for a long and cold winter, and now they are ready to thaw out in the endless greenery, waterways, and nearby mountains. Today it hit 72 degrees in Munich, and the parks lining the Isar (like in this photo) were stunning. My suggestion is to grab your bicycle, ride for an hour or so, and then stop in a beer garden you’ve never heard of. It’s a great way to see new sides of Munich.

The People’s Bath

All I can tell you is my photo hardly does the “Grandest pool in Germany” any credit. It has been described as one of the most beautiful pools in the world, but the signs to not take photos and the pressure (as with most of Germany) to conform was enough to limit my ability to really show the grandeur of these pools. There are two large pools with amazingly high ceilings, statues, fountainheads spewing water, and intricate ironwork – which resembled an amazing Roman bath. That’s the gist of what we saw in the common area. I’ve already committed to returning and seeing the rest of the public baths. Believe it or not, the baths were given to the city of Munich as their first public bathhouse in 1901 by a wealthy engineer, Karl Muller. He bequeathed 5 houses to the city, which boasted a combined value of 1.8 million gold marks with the stipulation that the money was used to build a pool that could be enjoyed by the citizens of Munich. So we did our part, and it felt like we were back in 1901. What we ended up missing was the steam room and private cabines, which contain a locker, a bed, and a bit of privacy after your swim for a quick nap. Til next time…

Happy Valentine's Day

Were you struggling for a little romance on Valentine’s Day? Like most western holidays, the city of Munich is not overrun by Valentine’s day. You could see signs of it in the shops throughout downtown, and a good line up at the chocolate shops today. But there was no shortage to interest couples. There are a few Munich mainstays that I find romantic any time of the year, such as the restaurant atop the Olympiadorf with views as long as the eye could see, or a drink atop the Bayersherhof Blue Spa overlooking the rooftops of the Altstadt. If you prefer some daytime romance take a nice walk through the Hofgarden at the Residence, or the parkland around Nymphenburg Palace. One evening that I think is amazing any time is a couple’s swim at the art deco Volksbad pool, a dinner in nearby Haidhausen (where you will find the city’s best restaurants), and then a movie across the street at the Museum Lichtspiele where the theatres each seat about 30 people. Grab two big German beers and enjoy the show together. If you wanted something special today though, there were also a lot of choices. You could pick “the Fairy Queen” based upon Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or the London Symphony Orchestra, or a piano recital (both at the Gasteig - see yesterday's post) focused on Handel, Mozart, Chopin, and Brahms. Finally, for those mixing meals with music – “A Gourmet Klassik” combined chamber music by the Goldnagl Ensemble with lunch by acclaimed chef Alfons Schuhbeck. And if all else fails, it’s Saturday. Take a nighttime skate at the Nymphenburg canal. The lights and the music will sure to be romantic tonight.

The People's Pool

One of the most attractive pools I’ve ever seen is based on the side of the Isar River. The Volksbad, or people’s pool, is an amazing mix of Moorish, Roman, Art Nouveau and South German Baroque buildings – all in one. And did I mention, it’s great for swimming too. The building opened in 1901, thanks to the donation of Carl Mueller, a Munich engineer, whose only stipulation was that the city of Munich builds an attractive swimming pool. And the city did just that, as it’s been called “grandest baths in Germany” Inside, you will find a Gentleman’s Pool as well as a Ladies pool, a Finnish Sauna, steam baths and at one time there was even a doggy bath, which unfortunately disappeared during the last renovation.

Riding Through the Isar

I have mentioned several times before that Munich is one of the best bike riding cities in the world. One of the biggest reasons is the more than 800 KM of cycling paths, and get this – bikers not only have the right away – but drivers respect that right to bikers. It’s safe and amazing. There are points where you can ride from the heart of the city along the Isar, and make it all the way to the forrest in the North or South, without ever stopping for cars. This picture was taken from Zweibrukenstrasse with the Isartor or Isar Gate in the distance. The Isartor is part of the original wall that surrounded Munich, and is one of three gates that remain, including Sendlinger & Karlstor. The Isartor tower was build in 1337 and was the main thoroughfare towards the Isar River. It was recreated to show the dimensions and appearance of the original structure and today accommodates the Valetin Museum.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Munich Pop History Day 2: As I understand the story, way back around the time that Munich was founded, the real Bavaria powerhouse was the city of Freising – which is currently a suburb of Munich located just North of the airport but was founded 500 years earlier. Freising grew into a city because it possessed the one bridge that crossed the Isar River, and thus controlled the salt trade coming from nearby Salzburg into Western Germany and France. When Henry the Lion founded Munich, he burnt the bridge at Freising in order to create a new market town in Munich, which was in his duchy. By charging a toll for passing, Henry built Munich into a viable city. Munich surrounded the monestary of Trappist monks, who built their parish at the present day site of Alte Peter, which is just beyond Marienplatz. The shift was a defining moment for Munich’s history, and the bridge stood near the present day Isartor Gate, which is the home of the Deutches Museum and the Volksbad (pictured here).

Bavarian Alpine Village

Well not exactly, as this picture was taken over the Isar on the Mariannenbrucke, but I love the Bavarian Alpine hats that the couple are wearing. And everyone knows Munich is more of a village than a city. These are very popular all over Bavaria, and even more so as you enter the mountains. The Church in the background is the Lutheran Saint Lukas Chruch, located along the Isar river and on the edge of the Lehel neighborhood. The inside of the church is just as beautiful as its exterior with a mix of early gothic, but heavy influences from the Rhineland.

Munich Heats Up

Most of Munich head for the water and for cooler environments as temperatures took everyone off guard and went into the 80s and 90s farenheit for two days. It was quite uncharacteristic for this time of year. The image shows one of the bends in the Isar river, the Marianen Bridge, and the Maximilianeum, which houses the Bayerischer Landtag or Bavarian State Parliament. The park that lines the Isar through most of downtown Munich, is really quite amazing. In addition to the beaches along the Isar, the maximilliansanlagen has hundreds of acres of trails, which sit on several levels of the hill that lines East side of the Isar. One thing that is very unique to Munich thanks to these intricate bike lanes, is you can start in the heart of downtown and ride your bike out to the surrounding forests or to farmland – without ever crossing lines of traffic.

Men are From Mars, Women From Venus

Two boys have fun sparring on the snow covered grass along Munich’s Isar River. Contrast that image with the delicate, half naked image of a young woman overlooking the scene. Her gesture is vulnerable, yet powerful at the same time. This unmarked statue stands south of Munich in one of its many open parklands. The bike paths draw south from here past the zoo along the Isar, and before you know it you are outside the city and well into farmland or even forest. That’s one more thing that amazes about Munich, how quickly you get beyond the urban boundary and are in a completely different world.