Saturday, October 13, 2012

BMW Welt Tour







BMW is an iconic car brand with aficionados from around the world.  Whether or not you're a big fan of their automobiles and motorcycles, visiting BMW is a must-do when in Munich.

First, they have many different things for tourists, including a BMW Museum, the BMW Welt, and the factory itself.  In order to best experience all of these, booking a Premium Tour is our advice, but please note you should do this several weeks in advance to ensure you get in.  You must call them up in order to book this.  We saw people get turned away who just showed up expecting to be able to get on a tour.

If you do this tour, the first part is the BMW Museum.  While this can be easily explored on your own, the tour allows the guide to give you plenty of context about what you're seeing and also give you a full history of the company and how they've evolved over the years.

Next, the main portion, is a tour of the factory (no cameras allowed).  You'll be able to see every single portion of the manufacturing process including the process for painting the cars, welding the cars together, quality control, and much more.  This is a very unique experience that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of your enthusiasm for cars.

Finally, you get a tour of the BMW Welt, which includes seeing a motorcycle stunt show.  You'll also learn how you can get a personalized experience if you purchase a car directly from the plant here.

This was definitely a highlight of our trip to Germany and we'd recommend it to everyone!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Bier and Oktoberfest Museum


Tucked away near the Marienplatz is the Bier & Oktoberfest Museum.  There is actually a restaurant on the first floor, but we didn't get a chance to try it.  On the next few floors is the museum, which shows a history of how Oktoberfest came to be in Munich and how it has developed over the years, along with a history of how beer has evolved in Munich of the centuries.  A lot of the text in the museum is just German, but it's still something that is worth a visit when in Munich, especially if you go at a time outside the Oktoberfest festival.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Heimatmuseum (Wood Carving Museum)

Berchtesgaden is a quaint town to walk around.  On the outskirts of it is the Heimatmuseum, which is a museum of wood carvings.  Most of the text on the exhibits are in German, but you can still appreciate the wood carvings when visiting.

There are several floors to see, and you'll probably only need 30 minutes to see the entire collection.  While there were definitely neat things to see, it wasn't anything overwhelmingly impressive that you'd need to ensure you hit this spot on a trip.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Bavaria FilmStadt



When people think of movie studios, most people think of Hollywood.  However, Germany has a big time movie studio as well, the Bavaria FilmStadt.  Granted, most of the movies and shows they produce are for German audiences, but they did have a huge American hit in the 80's, "The Neverending Story".  That alone was reason enough for us to visit.

On your visit, you get to experience a 4D ride, which is pretty fun, albeit short.  After that, you get a 90 minute tour of the studios, seeing actual props from various movies and shows.  The highlight was getting to ride on Falcor from "The Neverending Story".  There's also plenty of things to see before or after the tour as there are props scattered throughout a park in front of the actual studios.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower)



The 1972 Olympics were held in Munich, and where the main games were located is now Olympia Park.  In the center of this park is the Olympiaturm, a 291 meter tower that gives visitors a gorgeous panoramic view of Munich and the surrounding country side.

It costs 5.50 Euros to ride up to the top, and it is well worth it.  At the top, you'll get amazing views, especially if you visit on a clear day.  There is also the Rock Museum at the top, which has various memorabilia from different rock musicians, which does add something worthwhile to your visit as well.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Residenz




Located in the heart of Munich is the Residenz, which served as the main location for the Bavarian Government from 1508 to 1918.  This is a gorgeous complex to visit, as of course the Bavarian Royalty would have it no other way.  For 13 Euros a person, you can explore the entire grounds and see this beautiful building.  Out of all the things to do in Munich of historical significance, this is definitely a top choice that all visitors should come see.