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Germany : Munich - April 2009

Country Code: Dial for Germany

As winter finally softens into spring, Munich – one of Germany’s warmer cities – positively blossoms. This year the city will greet the sun with a range of cultural events, including a major exhibition of Tutankhamun’s treasures in the Olympiapark, which opens on 9 April (tut-exhibition.com). Ben Knight tells us more

Getting around

Hamburg Airport

Bus: Buses leave for the city centre every 20 minutes, from 6am to 10pm. A single ticket costs €10, and a return costs €16.
Train: The journey from the airport to Hauptbahnhof (Munich’s central station) takes 40 minutes. The S1 and S8 trains run every 10 minutes and a single ticket costs €8,80.
Taxi: The average taxi fare to the city centre is €55 (€65 during rush hour).
Tourist information: There are two offices, at the main station (2 Bahnhofsplatz) and in the town hall (Neues Rathaus) in Marienplatz (tel. , www.muenchen.de).

ALTSTADT/LEHEL

Few town centres are as recognisable as Munich’s and few make such popular tourist haunts. Munich’s old town has restaurants, cafés and jolly fruit sellers on every street.

Sleep soundly – The five-star Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski (17 Maximilianstraße, 250, kempinski-vierjahreszeiten.com, rooms from €216) is in a 19th-century palace but doesn’t skimp on modern comforts.

Culture vultures – One of the most beautiful rococo theatres in the world, the Cuvilliés Theater (1 Residenzstraße) was restored and re-opened last year. Even if your German is rudimentary, it’s worth spending an evening here just to sit in its splendour.

Must eat – Lemar (4 Brunnstraße, tel. ) is one of the few Afghan restaurants in town and has garnered some rave reviews. Try the chicken with spinach and basmati rice studded with pistachios and raisins.

Shop til you drop – The music section of the Ludwig Beck department store (11 Marienplatz) is the definitive address for classical, jazz and world music. Expert advice is guaranteed.

MAXVORSTADT/SCHWABING

This grand old district has been reinvented since its early 20thcentury incarnation.

Sleep soundly – Four-star Fleming’s Hotel München-Schwabing (130-132 Leopoldstraße, tel. , flemings-hotels.com, rooms from €119) does a nice line in contemporary design in a great location. The Tulip Inn Munich Schwabing (26 Domagkstraße, 0010, tulipinnmunichschwabing.com, rooms from €129) has added a four-star arm to the original three-star hotel. In the middle of the commercial district, it’s good for business travellers.

Culture vultures – The Tutankhamun Exhibition (Event-Arena, Olympiapark, 4 Toni-Merkens-Weg) is much more than an exhibition – it promises to be a fully interactive adventure.

Must eat – Le Cezanne (1 Konradstraße, 1805) is a small but much-loved bistro.

Must drink – Schwabinger 7 (9 Feilitzschstraße) is a legendary bar that gives the word “dive” a good name. Think darkness, great beer and an eccentric clientele.

GLOCKENBACHVIERTEL

This is where Munich’s bright young things flock when they want a crazy night out. New night spots seem be opening up all the time here.

Must eat – Café Forum (2 Corneliusstraße, 881) is a student favourite, due in large part to its breakfasts served until mid-afternoon.

Must drink – The brand new Bar Corso (51 Müllerstraße) is a fashionable bar/ café on one of Munich’s liveliest streets.

Dance the night away – X-Cess (6 Kolosseumstraße) is a perenially packed club that lives up to its name, with OTT décor and very strange clubbers. The electro-disco Pimpernel (56 Müllerstraße) is quickly turning into one of the city’s wilder gay nights.

Shop til you drop – If you’re looking for a pair of classy but comfortable shoes – and unpretentious advice – look no further than Schritt für Schritt (37 Klenzestraße).

HAIDHAUSEN

This district is off the tourist track but still central enough to provide diversions for those new in town. Haidhausen is Munich’s multi-ethnic quarter, where every corner is liable to deliver a surprise.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Mariahilf (83 Lilienstraße, tel. , hotel-mariahilf.de, rooms from €65) is one of the cheapest and most comfortable options in what is a notoriously expensive city.

Must eat – You can’t go wrong with solid Bavarian cuisine and homebrewed beer, and Unions-Bräu (42 Einsteinstraße, 7677) offers just that.

Must drink – Arty Café Cafiko (6 Breisacherstraße) is one of the comfiest little cafés in Munich. It does good foccacia as well as amazing coffee.

Compiled by Ben Knight