Munich March 2006

As you can see Korina and I made another visit to Munich in March... for a number of reasons, mainly just to catch up with each other after her visit to Bristol at the end of February, to see a few old friends, a bit of shopping as always, and especially with the little one on the way, and basically just for a bit of a break; oh and to use up my free HiltonHonors points gained whilst away with work. We were very fortunate enough to be able to meet up with a number of friends whilst in Town, thanks in part to the organisational assistance of Mr Martin Smith. We managed to have a much better time on this occasion than the last (New Year) thankfully!

A look at the Theatre (from the outside) then a traditional Bavarian lunch at Zum Franziskaner on
Residenzstrasse to fill the fires ready for some stoking with a few beers later...

Drei Helles Bier... Bitte!

Münchener Schweinsbraten (von der Schulter)
mit Kartoffelknödel und Apfelblaukraut

Ofenwarmer Apfelstrudel mit Vanillesoße

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is perhaps most famous for beer. The Oktoberfest, the biggest party in the world, has been held here every year since 1833, but the brewing goes back much further than that. Most breweries were founded by monks or royalty as a way to find a replacement for food during Lent, to make money or to kill time. There are over 700 breweries in Bavaria, making up 30 percent of breweries worldwide and they produce around 40 different kinds of beer. Another interesting statistic: Bavaria serves about 2.7 billion litres of beer annually, 500 million of which are consumed in the two-week long Oktoberfest. On this occasion it was not the Oktoberfest that was celebrated with the tasting of a unique beer, but Starkbier Bock...

Starkbierzeit & Salvator - the Terminator beer

Starkbier Bock and Doppelbock are the strongest Munich beers, containing 6-7 percent and 9 percent alcohol respectively. They are dark amber and have a heavy malty taste. Kulmbach is said to be the strongest bock lager worldwide at 9.2 percent. These lagers originate from Paulaner monks who brewed it in 1634 and are most popular during the Lenten Starkbierzeit ‘strong beer time’, which begins on or before St. Joseph’s Day (March 19th)

Märzen is a type of Bock named after the month of March because Monks consumed it during Lent. The most famous Starkbeer is Salvator, produced by Paulaner and when served by the Maβ (litre) quite dangerous. Other breweries have come up with copycat Starkbiers using the –ator suffix: Augustiner's Maximator; Löwenbräu's Triumphator; Unions-Bräu's Unimator. But only the original, Paulaner Salvator serves Starkbier all year round. Other silly names include: Animator, Optimator, Delicator, Aviator, Celebrator, Operator, Prädikator and Jubilator

Soccer has a lot to offer in the realms of art and culture - and the same goes for Munich! On March 14, 2006 was the start of André Heller's Football Globe, which will help get the city warmed up for the Football World Cup. This portend of things to come is set up on the Marienhof (behind the city hall), it is an entertaining, interactive doorway to the exciting world of football

Football from every angle can be seen on the first level of the globe, fans will be able to trace the development of the game from the earliest sewn bladders to the modern synthetic ball, plus a treasure trove of footballing memorabilia. Upstairs on the second level, the heart of the edifice, visitors can try their luck at virtual penalty-kicks and test their knowledge of past World Cups. By day a it is a hub of interactive information, whilst by night the globe is transformed into a stage for soccer stars, the literati, musicians, politicians, scientists, you name it… A fascinating, fun-filled program illuminating the game of football from every angle

"A time to make friends"™
The mobile pavilion began its three-year tour of the twelve German cities that will host 2006 FIFA World CupTM matches back on September 12, 2003. The Football Globe is symbolic of the eager anticipation that already fills the hospitable host nation. Created by artist André Heller, the globe is designed to playfully capture the imagination and fire the emotions of its visitors

I have to say, it didn't seem too impressive to me, just the standard theme you see within most half decent Football ground Museums

Residents of Munich enjoy a high quality of life. Mercer HR Consulting consistently rates the city among the top 10 cities with highest quality of life worldwide. The 2005 survey ranked Munich as 5th. Munich enjoys a thriving economy - principally information technology, biotechnology, and publishing. Environmental pollution is low, although currently the city is concerned about levels of fine dust in the air. The public transport is extremely efficient, although delays on the S-Bahn (commuter train) often cause frustration during extreme winter weather. The crime rate is very low. This high quality of life and safety has caused the city to be nicknamed "Toytown" amongst some of the English-speaking residents, and if you wish to hear other views from the 'ARC' based self imposed exiled pats click here!

Nightlife is thriving with over 6,000 licensed establishments in the city. Cafe culture is strong in Munich, especially during the summer. There are many restaurants accommodating all preferences of cuisine. And possibly the most important free time activity during the summer: the beer gardens. There are around 20 major beer gardens with four of the most famous and popular being located in the Englischer Garten - one of the largest city parks in the world

Robert in Petulring with a view to the BMW Turm, which is the headquarters of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), the largest company in the north of Munich. Initially, the company started in 1916 building airplane engines. In 1923, BMW started building motorbikes and eventually in 1928 they started building cars. The main attraction for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that visit BMW yearly is the four-cilinder BMW-tower and the bowl-shaped BMW-museum next to it. The museum displays the technical development of the car and motorcycles, together with the history of BMW itself. Many old cars and motorcycles are on display and there are also films and videos on display in English. The highlight is the spectacular cinemascope show on automobile history. The main building itself, officially called the BMW-verwaltungsgebäude (BMW administrative building), was designed by the Viennese architect K. Schwarzer after a four-cylinder engine and was completed in 1972, just before the Olympics took place in Munich

Fröttmaning U-Bahn Station, which as you can see is not actually Underground, which is probably best really as...

This is where you will probably see one of the great battles of the forthcoming World Cup, when a large number of English Supporters (drunken yobs) will be mingling (fighting) with an even greater number of German Supporters (even drunker yobs) whilst making their way to the Stadium to play each other, dependant upon how successful each team are in their respective group of course

The new World Cup arena is also known as the "UFO", "dinghy", "lifebelt". These are just some of the imaginative metaphors used by the local press to try to describe the unusual design crafted by Herzog and DeMeuron. In February 2002, the Swiss architects were given the go-ahead to build Munich's new football stadium. Like the Olympic stadium three decades earlier, the aim was to leave a lasting architectural impression, this time in Munich-Fröttmaning on the city's north-eastern edge. I have to say, from the outside it is still a little rough around the edges, and has a rather desolate feel to the place

Robert and Korina in Fröttmaning outside the rather damp and wind swept Allianz Arena

The whole arena is enveloped by a smooth plastic outer skin, and since the skin is translucent, it can be lit up differently for different events. The new stadium therefore glows in a kaleidoscope of colors dependent upon which team are playing there, with past colours being Red for Bayern, Blue for 1860, and White for Germany

The stadium was officially inaugurated on the 30th and 31st May 2005, with TSV Munich 1860 and 1FC Nuremberg, two Bavarian football teams with long standing traditions being the first to take the field in the new arena playing on the 30th, and a day later, the German national team and Bayern Munich played the second opening match in the new super-stadium

Amazingly, the bit of a hill that we are standing upon and which seems to be waste land, actually houses a number of underground car parks, and that is why every so often you see a concrete structure which are air vents and steps leading down to them

Whilst we were at the stadium 1860 were playing Sportfreunde Siegen, and just happened to win convincingly 3-0

A quiet Sunday at the pedestrianised shopping centre of Munich with all of those wonderous retail outlets closed thankfully, so enabling the more relaxing and stressless enjoyment of a beer and a bite in Augustiner

The Alte Justizpalast in Munich is a monumental building with projecting wings on either side. It was severely damaged in 1944 and completely renovated a few years ago. Designed by Friedrich von Thiersch and erected between 1887 and 1897, this superb example of Late Historicist architecture incorporates elements of both the Renaissance and Baroque.

The Munich Airport is situated to the north of Munich, about 30 km (as the crow flies) from the city centre. The airport's passenger volume of 26,8 million (2004) places it in the European top ten. It is undisputedly number 2 in Germany. The new airport, which replaced the Munich-Riem site and began operating in 1992, has received many awards for its architecture. Mid-2003, the opening of Terminal 2 with its daring design was an important step towards further extraordinary growth. Apart from the airline passengers, the airport greets 1,1 million guests a year, including those who come to pick up the passengers, but also visitors who want a closer look at the workings of an important airport. The latter can turn to the special Visitors Park (tel.: +49 89975 41 333) for assistance. The Munich Airport offers its guests exceptional shopping facilities and a variety of gastronomical treats. There is even a small brewery called "Airbräu" between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The Munich Airport is certainly the first airport in the world to have its own (mini) brewery!

In 2002 Munich Airport Centre was the winner of the Distinguished Building Award, and this is why...

A huge arched truss with a glass canopy roof announces the architects’ ambitious intention for this “Airport City.” Serving as connection between hotel, retail stores, and service functions, the covered plaza or “Forum” aims to create urban, rather than mall-like, experiences that introduce the traveller to the city to which she’s just arrived. This innovative centre establishes “a new prototype that probably has international significance.”

All photographs were taken in Munich - Germany from the 14th to 17th March 2006.

Copyright © 2010 No1Els