I arrive back in Munich in the early
evening and it’s still snowing, although to a lesser degree. The next step is
to navigate my way through the commuters and onto the local train to my hotel.
Once there, I meet Claudia Mitchell from the Bayern tourism office and we head
out for something to eat, which is where Munich really has a multitude of
things to offer. Preferring to sample traditional cuisine, we trudge through
the slush to the Brenner Grill, which considering it’s the middle of the week
is absolutely buzzing. Although the restaurant is reasonably upmarket, there’s
no air of snootiness that you get from some places back home in the UK. Here,
diners range from business professionals through to families and it’s a great
way to round off the day. The food’s not bad either.
The
Brenner Grill, which considering it’s the middle of the week is absolutely
buzzing
The next day
Thursday morning brings with it clear skies
and a slow thaw, which means Munich requires a swift once over. Luckily for me,
Tanya Olszak from the tourist office has hooked me up with an affable chap
called Andreas who will drive me around the city and give me the lowdown on the
facts, figures and sights to see. With time being too tight to take a
comprehensive tour of the city, I start a preference to see some modern museums
and I’m also keen to get along to BMW World. So we head over there first and
it’s just across the way from the site of the 1972 Munich Olympus site. Andreas
points out that you can now climb the roof of the huge stadium, which no doubt
provides you with another great vantage point for photos, just as long as
you’ve got a reasonable head for heights.
I’m more interested in BMW World though,
which is a must-see if you have any interest in cars and/or engineering. Not
only that – the location is at the heart of the company headquarters and the
buildings themselves here also make for perfect picture taking opportunities.
As with any scenario where you’re taking photographs of buildings or locations
owned by other people, it’s worth bearing in mind that you may need permission.
In fact, even with the right permits in place we run into just this scenario
later on in the day when a stony-faced official barks ‘Verboten’ as I frame up
for a shot of the Damian Hirst creation on the wall in front of me. Meanwhile,
BMW Worlds is a great experience though with loads to look at – you could
easily spend a whole day here and more besides. There are also tours of the
production line too, although Andreas also suggests Wolfsburg where they make
VW’s is an amazing place if you like industrial architecture and old buildings.
There
is fantastic architecture to be found at the world headquarters of BMW
Having had my fill of all things BMW, we jump
back in the car, eventually find our way out of the underground car park and
then head back into the city in order to do the museums on our list. First up
is the Pinakothek der Moderne, which encompasses four different museums inside
one building representing modern and contemporary art. There’s some really
great stuff inside this place and if you like looking at the design of
furniture and how, for example, computers have evolved down the years then
you’ll be in here for hours. The next stop is Museum Brandhorst, which is home
to over 700 works by seminal artists of the 20th and 21st
century, including Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst. However, be warned, you won’t
be allowed to take any photos inside here even if you have your papers in
order, just as we did. Nevertheless, it’s a fascinating building, both inside
and out.
Museum
Brandhorst
After the whistle-stop tour with Andreas
there’s just enough time to munch my way through a bowl of traditional Bavarian
sausages along with a pretzel or two before heading back to the airport for my
flight back home. If you’re got a few days spare and want to do something a
little bit different and take photos of everything from stunning mountain
landscapes through to fabulous old buildings then, take my word for it, Bavaria
has all of that and a whole lot more besides. Better still, it’s just a couple
of hours away on the plane. So, what are you waiting for?
