From the Archives - Germany

Halfway through my tour through Germany, I ended up in Munich, home of Oktoberfest. Unfortunately, I arrived in May, so the world-renowned beer festival still loomed a few months off. But that's not to say you can't get plenty of good German beer during the other 11 months of the year.

Munich is a gem. Berlin is a historical trove. Throughout the city, buildings and monuments still show the scars of WWII's relentless bombing campaign and Allied assault on the city. The architecturally mute Eastern side stands in stunning contrast to the vibrant Western side, a testament to the competing forms of government foisted on the citizens during the Cold War. It's one of the few true metropolitan areas in the country. If you like big cities, Berlin has plenty to offer.

Munich, on the other hand, just seemed like a great place to live and a better place to have a good time. Smaller than Berlin, and with less of a "big city" vibe, this old Bavarian town was equal parts history, equal parts beer hall.

Bavaria is one of the most Catholic areas in the world, and it's biggest city shows it. Church after beautiful church stretch skyward throughout the city, including the oldest Catholic church in Germany.

Munich also earned the dubious honor of political springboard for Adolf Hitler. Hitler began his political career by staging a mass protest in one of the city squares and later turned the Hoffbrau House into a Nazi meeting hall. The Hoffbrau House today is a large beer hall, popular with tourists and must-go Oktoberfest destination. I was told that if you look close enough at the ornate ceiling, you can still make out the swastikas painted beneath today's coating.

The Hapsburg palace also sprawls over massive grounds in central Munich. This palace once housed the ruling family of Bavaria. It resembles the Louvre architecturally, but enormous as it is, pales in size to Paris' famous museum.

How can you tell you're in a fun city? I was told by a tour guide (and this is unverified), that throughout the city, you can find buildings with gold facades pointing eastward to reflect the early morning rays of the sun (or the other way around...can't remember). He also stated that for centuries, Munich residents who have had a little too much dark German beer have used this phenomenon to guide themselves back home. If you know what direction on the compass point you are trying to stumble towards, let the gold be your guide!

The photo above is of the Glockenspeil (which I undoubtedly misspelled). This bell tower contains a rotating mechanical scene commemorating the wedding of one of the royals long past. At regular intervals during the day, the device engages, and serenades the throngs below with a catchy tune and a somewhat cheesy mechanical wedding (think Chuck E. Cheeses).

But let's be honest. The monuments, the old churches, the upscale pedestrian malls, the beautiful architecture...that's not what this town is about. It's about beer. And there is plenty of it. Get yourself a sausage, some kraut and brew. That's Munich. At least to this American tourist.

Beautiful city. Delicious beer. You can't go wrong.