How To Spend a Day In Munich

• Take in the Glockenspiel show in Marienplatz. At the very center of Munich’s Old Town is the public square known as Marienplatz. It dates to 1158! Every day at 11 am and 5 pm, people gather to watch the Glockenspiel show, when the mechanical figurines in the famous Neo-Gothic clock tower reenact stories from Munich’s history. It’s a famous Munich tradition (and will only take up about 20 minutes of your day).

• Go for a swim and detox at Müllersches Volksbad. This Art Nouveau public bathhouse, a short walk from Marienplatz, was built in 1901 and has changed very little in the 125 years since. It’s like going swimming in an old church. Even the locker rooms and showers are still intact as they were when the building originally opened. From the moment you step in, it feels like you’ve stepped into a time machine. The building, with multiple pools, hot tubs, cold plunges, steam rooms, and saunas, feels so rich with Bavarian history, it’s as if the walls are talking to you. The experience of going for a swim here feels alternately haunting, invigorating, refreshing, sacred, creepy, exhilarating, kinda scary. When I was there, I followed the strict bathing routine exactly as the door attendant explained it to me and I left feeling like a million bucks. (Be forewarned: soon after entering the steam room, I realized Müllersches Volksbad was bathing suit-optional, with most people opting not to wear bathing suits. A few minutes after that realization, more people walked in and I found out the steam room was a co-ed bathing suit-optional facility. Nobody had told me any of this in advance, so I got an unexpected education in weisswurst in that steam room that day). Set aside two hours of your day here.

• Residenz München, also a quick walk from Marienplatz, was the home of the Wittelsbach dynasty until 1918. The buildings were built in 1385 and are filled to the brim with Bavarian royal artifacts. Don’t miss the breathtaking Great Hall (the Antiquarium). Schedule two hours for a walk-through of the Residenz.

• Munich’s Old Town has several gorgeous churches (Frauenkirche, St. Michael, Theatine Church, St. Peter), but, if you must pick one to visit, let it be the Baroque Asamkirche. Built by two brothers in 1746, it’s a stunning monument to what belief in a higher power can inspire. Schedule half an hour for the church visit.

• It’s not for the faint of heart, but a visit to the Jewish Museum gives you a basic education in the long, sad history of Jews in Munich. It’s not fun to confront this history, but it’s important and gives you a more complete understanding of Munich—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Put aside an hour and a half for the museum.

• Of course, if you’re in Munich anytime from late November through Christmas, you must visit the famous Munich Christmas Market at Marienplatz. One of the most festive in Europe, this Christmas Market offers handcrafted tree ornaments, wooden nutcrackers, pottery, artisan jewelry, and much more.

• Also, of course, if you’re in Munich, or anywhere in all of Bavaria, at any time from late September through early October, you must spend at least some time in an Oktoberfest beer tent on the Theresienwiese. If you don’t plan your Oktoberfesting well in advance, hotel rooms in Munich this time of year are hard to score. Luckily, the Theresienwiese is only about a 15-minute walk from the Munich train station (Hauptbahnhof), making it easy to get to if you’re staying outside the city.

For lunch, have a taste of Munich’s famous baked goods, including a great apple strudel, at Rischart. A selection of yummy-in-the-tummy cakes, sandwiches, tarts, donuts, and breads.

For your dinnertime fix of beer, sausages, sauerkraut, pretzels, and potato salad, there’s no shortage of traditional Beer Halls in Munich’s Old Town. My favorite of these is the centrally located Augustiner Stammhaus. Lots of ambiance and lederhosen and a massive beer selection.