1. Munich or München (home of the monks in German) came into being because of the monks of the Benedictine monastery. In 1157, the Duke of Bavaria gave his permission for the monastery to build a market and this became the foundation for the city. Munich’s coat of arms pays homage to its origins. In modern day, Munich has evolved to be the heart of the Bavarian economy as well as the German economy. It is home to six large companies including BMW, Siemens, Munich Re, Allianz which comprise the elite DAX 30 blue chip stock list of Germany. As a result, it is a prosperous city with a high cost of living. 

2. Marienplatz is the downtown core of Munich. There is no dearth of biergartens here but  Hofbrauhaus offers a small taste of an Oktoberfest tent throughout the year. Peterskirche (St Peter’s Church) with its whitewashed walls, golden statues and ceiling frescoes is one of the few but worthy religious monuments in the entire city. One can also climb up the church tower for a bird’s eye view of the area. The lavish wedding of Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V is recreated in a mechanical clock on the Marienplatz tower. The act involves 32 life sized figures and 42 bells and lasts about 15 minutes. It is one of those unique fun things in Munich. 

3. The cycling culture could rival that of Denmark’s. There were a good number of recreational cyclists as well as commuters. After receiving a few cold stares from the locals, I learned to avoid straying into the cycles lanes which run parallel to walking lanes on the sidewalk.

4. Oktoberfest is the mother of all beer festivals. I was pleasantly surprised at the scale of the event. I was lucky enough to be around on the opening day to witness the parade and cask tapping by the Mayor. After having tried my luck at some of the popular tents, I finally found seating at the Lowenbrau tent. With a giant mug of cold beer and a bigger pretzel to boot , I rejoiced in the festive mood with some nice Germans who as I was told would continue to drink for the rest of the day. 

5. The town of Dachau is about 30 minutes from Munich. It was home to one of the longest running concentration camps during Nazi rule. It was commissioned by Heinrich Himmler, the architect of the worker camps and operated from 1933 until 1945 when it was liberated. I wasn’t at all prepared for the grimness of this place. Although the camps no longer exist, the museum built around the ruins is a stark reminder of those dark days in German history. The gas chamber evoked gut wrenching emotion as I could visualize the horrors portrayed in every holocaust movie. The entry gate with the word “Albeit Macht Frei”, German for work sets you free is a symbol of how hatred was deeply embedded in the ideology of the Nazi party. 

6. German food is utilitarian, hearty and nutritious. We had a couple of meals at the City Hall canteen. It was usually a breaded fried protein, mashed or boiled potatoes and strudel in custard for dessert. The classic apfelstrudel looks deceivingly simple but is scrumptious nonetheless. It can safely say that it is better than all versions of apple pie that I ever had. While I was spoilt for choice in terms of bread but viennoiseries were doughier and less buttery than their French counterparts. I had this eggy shredded pancake called kaiserschmarrn for breakfast at the Oktoberfest complex. For a sweet tooth, it is a German alternative for French toast. Spaezle is a cross between dumpling and egg noodles but I found it to be bland and doughy. It was a good standby though when vegetarian alternatives were hard to come by.

7. Trains in Germany are punctual, clean and efficient. I look forward to every opportunity to ride the Deutsche Bahn. Munich is extremely well connected and centrally located. I took advantage of it for a day trip to Salzburg.I turned out to be far more adventurous that I would have liked. It was the peak of the migrant crisis in EU with borders being sealed at short notice, I felt so fortunate and privileged to be able to cross the border back into Germany.