Hey guys!

We are back home in Bali now, and having so much fun reliving our European summer adventures through these blog posts! After an exciting week in Rome with Explore Italy (more on that soon) we took the train north through Italy, Austria (the Austrian Alps by train are absolutely breathtaking!!) and into Germany to one of my favorite cities- Munich! I'd been to Munich once before with some friends years ago and absolutely loved it, so I was really pumped to experience it again with Tara. I studied German in school, so it's always fun to be back in Germany and be able to brush up on my German!

Munich is a great city for so many reasons- it's big enough to have everything you want in a modern metropolitan city, but it's small enough to tackle in a short amount of time. It's the capital of the German state of Bavaria, and is full of that quintessential German charm you want when you visit Germany. For example, the large Marienplatz square in the heart of the city is framed on one end by the new town hall, complete with a giant glockenspiel that chimes a few time each day with 43 bells and some 32 life-sized characters! Munich is the site of the world-famous Oktoberfest each year with the Hofbräuhaus as the launching ground, and the city is an important center of art, culture, politics, business and education. It is one of the few cities in Germany that rebuilt the majority of the structures that sustained damage from WW2 bombings to their former glory and revived much of the cityscape to it's pre-war splendor.

It's not just the city of Munich that has our hearts- the Bavarian countryside is the stuff fairytales are made of, and one of the most famous castles in the world, Schloss Neuschwanstein (pronounced noy-SHVAN-stine), is just a few hours drive south from Munich. The towns you pass through on the way are quaint and lovely, and in the summer nearly every single white house with brown timbers is adorned with colorful flower boxes. It's up there with the most beautiful road trips in Europe, in our opinion!

For our quick stop through Munich we wanted to stay in the heart of the city so that we could easily walk around and explore, and there's no hotel more luxurious in the middle of the action than the Hotel Bayerischer Hof! This grand 5-star property was originally built in 1841, and it has been owned and operated by the same family since 1897. The hotel is sprawling and boasts more than 330 rooms and suites of different styles, 40 halls and meeting rooms, 5 restaurants, 6 bars, a massive spa and a rooftop pool, a cinema, a nightclub and more! You could stay a week at Bayerischer Hof without leaving the property to experience it all- but of course we did our best to see the best of both worlds. Since there's so much to see here and we only had 2 days to fit it all in, we thought it would be the best (and the most fun!) to bring you guys with us on our adventure- "48 hours in Munich with Bayerischer Hof"!

48 Hours in Munich with Bayerischer Hof

DAY 1

6:30 AM

With only 2 days to fit everything in, we dragged ourselves out of the ultra-cozy bed in our room at Bayerischer Hof to take a morning dip and enjoy the sunrise!

7:30 AM

Breakfast is always our favorite meal of the day, and it's even better with a view over Munich's iconic skyline.

9:00 AM

We always try to fit a workout in when we have the chance, and the rooftop gym with city views made us feel less guilty about not being out in the city yet!

11:00 PM

Out to explore Munich's city center for a few hours! Frauenkirche, Marienplatz, the Rathaus-Glockenspiel and the Englischer Garten- all just a few minutes walk from the hotel!

2:00 PM

Shopping, coffee and major design inspiration from the coolest boutique we've ever been to: Sois Blessed. They have an amazing story and support incredible causes, so if you're ever in Munich, this place is a must visit!! We're obsessed.

4:00 PM

Back to the hotel for afternoon drinks in the "bird's nest" at the rooftop bar.

7:00 PM

Dinner time! Take your pick from any of the many restaurants in Bayerischer Hof... from traditional Bavarian to Polynesian and everywhere in between!

10:00 PM

It's been a long and exciting day, and tomorrow's even bigger- so it's time to get some sleep!

DAY 2

8:00 AM

Road trip! Quick breakfast at Bayerischer Hof Buffet and then off to pick up the rental car. Today we're driving 2 hours south to Neuschwanstein Castle!

11:00 AM

We stop for literally every photo opportunity we see, so the 2 hour trip took us 3 hours haha. Time to spend the day hiking and exploring the town of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein!

5:00 PM

In the car for the 2 hour drive back to Bayerischer Hof to freshen up and take in the sunset before going out on the town!

9:00 PM

Time to head into the city center for a giant beer and dinner at the world-famous Hofbraühaus to wrap up our time in Munich!

OK, that wraps up our 48 hours in Munich with Bayerischer Hof! There's so much to do and see in this amazing city and the surrounding areas, so hopefully this guide can serve as a starting point for your next trip to Munich! Just so that you have them all in one place, here's our top recommendations for you to start planning your trip:

WHERE TO STAY

Bayerischer Hof - Explore the property and book your stay by clicking below!

Hotel Bayerischer Hof

WHAT TO DO & EAT

Eat and take in the beauty of the Marienplatz
Watch the Rathaus Glockenspiel each day at 11am or 5pm (and 12pm in the summer!)
Visit the Frauenkirche
Castle hop from the Neuschwanstein Castle to the Hohenschwangau Castle
Shop, buy flowers and drink a coffee at Sois Blessed Boutique & Cafe
Watch the surfers at the Eisbach and have a picnic in the Englischer Garden
Road trip through the Romantic Road (Romantischestrasse)
Drink a beer and eat a giant pretzel at the world famous Hofbraühaus
Eat a Wiener schnitzel
Afternoon cocktails at Blue Spa Bar on the Bayerischer Hof rooftop
Polynesian inspired dinner at Trader Vik's in Bayerischer Hof
Explore the many beautiful churches around the city (like the Asamkirche)
Ride a bicycle like the locals
Check out the amazing street art along Tumblingerstrasse
View the city from the top of Alter Peter, the oldest church in Munich!
Pay respects and learn the dark history of the Nazi concentration camps at Dachau Concentration Camp
Rent a BMW and cruise the autobahn
Eat a schnitzel from Tripadvisor's #1 rated schnitzel in Munich at Steinheil 16
Eat a Bavarian specialty - Weisswurst!
Visit the famous Museums like the Glyptotheck, the Deutsches Museum or Museum Brandhorst