Splendors of Southern Germany – Part Two

Hope you enjoyed part one where we talked about Southern Germany and discussed beautiful Heidelberg.  Join us as we now discover Stuttgart and Munich!

Stuttgart

This is a destination for travelers who want it all.  Stuttgart boasts a world famous Ballet Company, fabulous green spaces, an award winning opera, the Mercedes-Benz museum and restaurants that will leave your mouth watering.

I found Stuttgart to be cool and sophisticated – oozing art and culture.  If you are a design buff, visit the Le Corbusier residence, which was an optimistic 1927 venture intended to showcase the best in world architecture.  Several designers collaborated on a collection of post First World War houses that threw out then modern conventions and reexamined how families could live and coexist.

Of course, car fans will want to visit the Mercedes Benz museum to see all things sleek, shiny and German.  You can even see a Pope Mobile – up close and personal!  Take note that the museum only allows 1,000 visitors at a time.  The weight of the building and the vehicles it contains makes it unsafe if too much extra weight is allowed in.

If you are looking to have an amazing supper before the ballet or opera, visit Amici restaurant and enjoy steak that can be cut with a butter knife and fresh delectable salads.

A must is to visit the 200 square kilometer park located in the center of the city.  It achieves its goal of providing forests, biking paths and a place to relax in the densely populated city.

Make sure you plan time to explore the interesting public markets with flower stalls, food, chocolate and maybe even the coveted white asparagus.

Munich

There is more to Munich than Oktoberfest!  You can visit world-class galleries, haute couture shopping and of course, traditional Bavarian food. 

Did you know that there are 70 galleries, 58 theatres, 45 museums, 3 orchestras and a museum of technology?  It would take multiple trips to this fascinating city just to uncover all the amazing things to do.

If you are a jazz fan, you’ll want to visit Club Unterfahrt, a dimly lit place that features both great music and a scrumptious kitchen.

If you are a history and architecture fan, visit Schloss Nymphenburg, once the summer residence of Bavarian electors.  It is a massive structure, but you can begin with the wee hunting lodge, complete with kennels for the dogs.

Another stop you must take time to make is the old Residenz, a marvelous palace in the center of the city.  It was once home to King Ludwig and is a testament to the astonishing amount of money he spent.  At the Gallery of Beauties, the portraits of young lovelies seduced by the king are breathtaking.  Be sure to book several hours if you want to make it through the majority of this amazing place.

The public transit system is cheap and efficient – but make sure you have a ticket!  It is a 40 Euro fine and if you don’t have the cash, and they will seize anything from your passport or wedding ring as ransom until you pay up.

Of course, a trip to Munich isn’t complete without a trip to Ratskeller Munchen, a massive restaurant featuring wheat beer, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and baskets of warm pretzels.

I hope you get a chance to visit Southern Germany and to take in many of these wonderful sights!

Posted by on 06/01 at 03:19 PM

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