Munich, the German city with a population of 1.4 million, is not Berlin; nor does it want to be. The Bavarian capital is one that often feels more like a charming cluster of cobblestoned towns—in fact, its cozy sprawl has earned it the nickname “Millionendorf”, or, “The Village of a Million People.” Oktoberfest, the beer festival that runs from late September to early October and which draws masses of (largely lederhosen-clad, American, and college-aged) tourists—but locals too—is perhaps Munich’s most (in)famous offering. As a boy Einstein himself, who grew up down the road, helped his father wire the first electricity to an Oktoberfest tent in the massive field it occurs—take this as your first indication that there’s also innovation bubbling in the city year-round. In fact, it’s well worth a visit they when drinking for sport is just one of many pastimes; a plethora of art galleries, fine dining, museums, bike routes, and verdant gardens await.
Munich has the best Bavarian cuisine just about anywhere (come in the spring for the seasonal white asparagus), a vast and verdant English Garden (it’s larger than Central Park, and positively pastoral despite its urban setting) and a nightlife scene distinct from its northern neighbor. There’s the aforementioned tech and industry bringing an artful edge to the city’s outskirts in contract to the classical center. The many museums are unmatched—with one such entry, the Lenbachhaus, houses Maria Franck-Marc’s aptly titled Tanzende Schafe, or Dancing Sheep. One of my favorites, done in gouache, chalk, watercolor, and pencil; sheep dance against a gray-green industrial background—mostly in pairs, balancing upright on each other’s shoulders, their front legs crossing like matchsticks. It’s this easy contentment and simple serenity, that I felt in Munich; dancing like those sheep from one beautiful sight to the next.
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The best things to do in Munich: museums, history, and gardens
The aforementioned Kunstareal museum district is a great place to start. The northwest neighborhood houses eight major museums (and plenty of galleries), all of them excellent and easy to choose between if you have limited time and decided interests. The Big Three Pinakothek (meaning “picture gallery,” from the Latin “pinacotheca”) flank two blocks of Theresienstraße like great houses: Alte Pinakothek is the joint of this L-shape—Alte means “old,” and the applications are twofold; this is one of the oldest galleries in Germany, having opened in 1836 and housing art from the fourteenth to nineteenth centuries, and its walls largely showcase the works of the Old Masters. (One could kill hours staring into the depths of each Peter Paul Rubens hanging in the dedicated Rubens Hall.) Go straight to the Pinakothek der Moderne, and take in four mediums under one roof: art, graphics, architecture, and design (Die Neue Sammlung, or the Design Museum, is particularly excellent). There’s also the Neue–which, unfortunately, is closed to the public through 2029 due to renovations.
Once you’ve had your fill, stroll on over to the Lenbachhaus to see the dancing sheep: Franck-Marc’s work hangs alongside those of her husband, the prolific Franz Marc (his Blue Horse I is a strong second, in terms of animal portrayals within these walls). The Marcs’ compatriots—Kandinsky, Münter, Kawlensky, and more—can also be found here. Lastly, check out Museum Brandhorst—eye-catching for its stunning ceramic facade, and just as much so for its massive collection of Cy Twombly canvases.