Art & culture

I admit I’m not a lover of Bavarian food. I guess it’s one too many encounters with meat-feasts and greasy spätzle.

There are a couple exceptions – my mother in law’s cooking and Paulaner am Nockherberg. The food here is very authentic, high quality, and the ambiance is terrific. Whether you’re inside enjoying a meal, celebrating during one of the fests, or lounging under the chestnut trees at the biergarten in the summer, it’s always a great way to spend a day the Bavarian way.

Despite the Nockherberg biergarten consistently being voted the best in all of Munich, and being featured in the Bayern München team photos, it still remains a locals’ secret. That may be part of the reason local celebrities also frequently can be spotted there during warmer months and at the restaurant year-round. This is a place you can virtually always have your own table, since there are 2,000 seats!

As a side note: it is completely acceptable to bring your own food to the biergarten, although drinks must be purchased there. So you can always soak in the ambiance with the food of your choice. 

It is also possible to arrange a tour of the brewery for € 8 per adult. Pre-booking on the provided link is essential.

Three times a year (during May, July, and typically October) the Au neighborhood celebrates with this traditional market at the foot of the Mariahilf church. The name changes according to the time of year: May – Maidult, July – Jakobidult, October – Kirchweihdult, however the name Auer Dult (meadow festival) encompasses them all.

The first year I went I’ll admit I was rather disappointed. Every woman I knew talked it up and would mention the lovely antiques. I was instead distracted by the feeling that I was at a glorified fair with rides for the kids, German carney foods, and people selling everything from ‘As seen on TV’ products to women’s underwear. No one mentioned those aspects.

Once you accept there are some bizarre things for sale you also realize they overshadow the wonderful array of ceramics, antique maps, unique books, and kitchen goods that really make the Auer Dult special. It’s even fun peruse for the most obscure things being sold.

Each of the Dults lasts for 9 days, so if you are lucky enough to be in Munich during one it’s an interesting look into a long standing city tradition in a quiet neighborhood setting – or perhaps a great place to pick up some dental tools, depending on who you ask.

The Jakobi Summer Dult will be held Saturday 27 July – 4 August.

Joining this Munich tradition requires waking up early – very early. Well before dawn break people slowly trickle towards the English Garden’s Chinese Tower to grab a table and join in the revelry. Arriving later than 05:00 means finding a place to sit, even on the ground, is rather difficult, even though the beer doesn’t start flowing until 06:00. Yes, that’s in the morning.

This event is most definitely worth sacrificing a night of sleep for and a great excuse to join people ages to enjoy ‘feiern wie die Bayern’ (partying like the Bavarians).

What was once the annual Cooks Ball, for the help and servants, has grown into an excuse to dress in dirndls and lederhosen and celebrate at the wee hours of the morning. Roughly 15,000 people are in attendance, including Munich’s Mayor. Some gather to enjoy breakfast, beers, and dancing, while others go for the sheer spectacle – and believe me there are some elaborate characters in amazing costumes.

Everything is typically over in just a few hours, since that is when the workers would return to their less exciting jobs.

The event is held the third Sunday of July (this year, on the 21st) and in the case of inclement weather the Kocherlball will be held the following Sunday. 

Each year the residents of Munich gather to celebrate the city’s founding for the two day Stadtgründungsfest festival. The actual founding date was 14 June 1158. This year the 855th celebration will take place the weekend of 15-16 June.

Duke Henry the Lion is said to be the founder, which explains the city’s fascinations with the lions that can be seen everywhere from the lamp posts to the 4 lucky lions outside the Residenz (just make sure to rub only 3, or you will be considered greedy).

Way back in 1158 Emperor Barbarossa gave permission to redirect the salt road from Freising to Munich, by paying off the bishop of Freising, and we are now eternally grateful to all involved.

During the Munich city founding festival there are activities in and around Marienplatz, including people dressed in medieval costumes, street performers, fine arts, special events, and like every good celebration in Munich – plenty of beers + sausages.

It’s truly a great time to be in the city and to get a first hand look at better understanding what gives the Munich residents such a high quality of life. The sense of community is fantastic, so stop by if you are around. After attending you might just want to pack your bags and move here.

Enjoy the festivities and don’t forget – München mag dich! (Munich Loves you)

Admittedly, this is a weird one. I had past this shop many times always wondering who would buy those strange silver plates with motives such as body parts or animals displayed in the shop window. So one day I went inside and asked the lady what they were. She had to repeat the word “votives” about three times as I always understood “motives”. My bewildered face made her laugh and she explained to me that these plates were so called votive offerings.

Apparently votives had their peak time in the mid 18th century and then again in the Period of Promoterism in the late 19th century. So if people had a broken foot or back pain, if they were trying for a baby or if a farm animal was ill they would buy the appropriate plate and take it to a pilgrimage church. After the recovery they might buy another one with the letters G.R. being Latin for “thanks that I was given”.

The shop is located in the city centre close to the Sendlinger Tor. They also sell antiques and other things, such as cutlery from the period of Promoterism / Wilhelminian style. If you keep going towards the Karlsplatz Stachus there are a lot of nice little shops very different from the shops in the main shopping street.