A Weekend in Munich

This was an absolutely fantastic weekend.

10 years ago, I participated in an exchange program through my high school. I was partnered with Leonie and went to spend 5 weeks of the summer with her in Eutin, Germany. Then, she came and spent 5 weeks with me in Lawrence, Kansas. Four years ago, Leo was able to visit me again in Oklahoma. I was so excited to get to go visit her in Munich this time.

I got up super early on Saturday to get to the Berlin train station, because my train to Munich left at 6am. The train ride to Munich was a very pleasant ride. They just added a new line a few months ago that was a direct line between Berlin and Munich, and only took four hours.

Once I arrived in Munich, I got some coffee and met up with Leonie and her friend Magalie for the weekend! Then we packed up and drove to the Walchensee. The Walchensee is a lake in the middle of the Bavarian Alps south of Munich. We spent most of the day lounging around enjoying the spectacular views. There were people boating and windsurfing on the lake. There were even people swimming, although I am not quite sure how because the water was frigid! We ate a picnic lunch and rode the cable lift up to the top of the mountain. We did some walking around at the top, and then rode the lift back down. If you are ever in the Munich area, I would definitely recommend the drive to the Walchensee.

After getting back to Munich, we took a much needed nap. Then we went out to a traditional Bavarian restaurant. I was excited to get a schnitzel and Bavarian beer. I also got to try schweinshaxe and another dish that I’ve forgotten the name of. The food was absolutely delicious! We then wandered around the area and found several bars to explore. The bar Lola was our favorite for the night.

Sunday flew by just as quickly as Saturday. We started the morning by getting breakfast at a local cafe. Then, we went and viewed several churches in Munich. One of the churches had a service going on, which was interesting to observe for a little while. Then we went to the English Garden and enjoyed the great weather. The English Garden is a giant park in the middle of Munich with walking trails, grassy areas, tree groves, and the river Isar running through the middle. We watched some surfers surfing in the river, walked along the river and enjoyed settling into a spot where we could sunbathe and watch several sports. There were people playing volleyball, some game with a ball and a trampoline and a group of Australians playing cricket. The park was beautiful and sitting by the river was very peaceful. Apparently, floating the Isar river is a popular activity for warm days. Next time I end up in Munich, I would love to join in the floating of the river. After enjoying the park for a while, we went and found some ice cream and frozen yogurt.

In the afternoon, we went to a street festival in the middle of town. We wandered around and enjoyed the atmosphere. There were kids activities, bikers doing tricks, and tons of food and drinks. I was so excited to find flammkuchen! It tasted absolutely fantastic, even better than I remembered. As I ate, we walked toward the glockenspiel in the middle of town. We got to see a little of the 5pm show before heading back to the train station.

It was so sad to say goodbye to Leo and Magalie, but I’m so glad we had the whole weekend together to explore Munich. Hopefully we can meet up again soon before another four years pass!

This trip has been incredible so far, and I’ve loved exploring so many places. I have missed my friends, so it was wonderful to get to spend a weekend combining both – exploring with friends.