The third time was not the charm.

Yes, this blog is about Munich, but we were supposed to be in Costa Rica — our third attempt at visiting that country in the past five years. But yet again, it was not to be. Historic flooding, mud slides, road closures, and even an airport closure just days before our scheduled departure had us rethinking our plans. (And we made a good call because Delta canceled our flight at the very last minute.)

With airline credits and two weeks of vacation time to burn, we decided to pivot. I put my cheap flight searching skills (from a former job) to use and found nonstop tickets to Munich, Germany for not much more than our original flight to Liberia, Costa Rica — and for the same departure date just TWO days later.

So, we booked. And instead of packing for a tropical rainforest and beach vacay, we filled our carry on suitcases with winter garb fit for Germany and the Czech Republic in late November. This was also my first time in Germany and my 23rd country (including the U.S.).

With two days to plan, we kept it simple. Two days in Munich. Train to Prague. A day and a half in Prague. And a travel day back to Munich before flying home the following day. In my opinion, two days in one European city is typically plenty of time to see what you want to see — if you’re willing and able to go, go, go.

I am also a huge advocate for visiting at least two places on any trip to Europe longer than three days. Whether you hop a train or rent a car, take advantage of the fact that the next country over is likely only a few hours away.

READ MORE about my two week trip around Europe, including stops in Croatia and Bosnia.

If Munich is on your list, keep reading for my top recommendations for restaurants and things to do.

READ MORE about my recommendations for Prague here.

Where to Stay in Munich

Though we considered Airbnb options — and there were numerous apartments available — we decided on a hotel near the train station, München Hauptbahnhof. If being near the train station isn’t a priority for you, we saw plenty of other hotels and available Airbnbs all around the city.

But back to hotel vs. Airbnb. Normally, I prefer an Airbnb for the extra room and amenities. But we were barely in our room and one perk of booking a hotel is the ability to store bags there while walking around before check-in. Most Airbnbs aren’t able to accommodate that request.

We stayed at the Bayer 89 Vi Vadi hotel, and I would recommend it for the price, cleanliness, and lack of noise. However, it was about a 30-minute walk to Old Town. John and I were fine with that, but I know that doesn’t work for everyone.

Pro Tip: When choosing a place to stay, aside from cost, be sure to weigh what is most important to you — being closer to the city center or the attractions you want to see (for less walking) or being closer to the main transportation hub (or airport). Each option has its pros and cons.

Where to Eat in Munich, Germany

From bakeries to cafes to restaurants and breweries, the options are almost overwhelming, and we saw pretty much every ethnic cuisine represented throughout the city.

As a frugal traveler with a nasty dairy intolerance, I typically eat fruit and a protein bar or meat stick like Chomps for breakfast on the go, but my husband John bought a few pastries and croissant sandwiches for breakfast throughout our trip and he had nothing but praise for them.

If you have a dairy allergy or intolerance (like me), I would say the options are sparse. Many of the menus I reviewed did have at least one vegan option (which works for dairy free needs); however, I do enjoy eating meat and struggled to find true dairy free options that also included real meat.

John, on the other hand, was in heaven with all of the meat options, from sausage and beef to venison and

Viktualienmarkt

For lunch — or dinner — try some authentic Bavarian street food from any of the vendors at Viktualienmarkt, located in the heart of Munich’s Old Town. The daily market also features vendors selling other goods like flowers, various cheeses, honey, and souvenirs. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s a fun place to browse.

Münchner Stubn

Münchner Stubn was closer to our hotel and worked perfectly for dinner on our first night. The one vegan option on the menu was red beet sweet potato gnocchi with coconut milk chili sauce. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it was delicious and filling!

John ordered the pork knuckle (he highly recommends!) with fried potatoes and apple streusel with cream and ice cream for dessert — and he cleaned his plates.

Weisses Brauhaus

On our second night, we stumbled upon Weisses Brauhaus somewhere between Old Town and the river. After a quick scan of the menu by the door, I was sold. Finally, a place with more than one vegan option!

I ordered the vegan chili with pretzel bread and, while I didn’t get my real meat, it was thick and hearty and perfect for a cold day. But the pretzel bread stole the show for me. John ordered a sausage sampler with boiled potatoes and was completely satisfied with his choice.

Eclipse Grill Bar

On our final night in Munich, we wanted something different. After Googling numerous options, we both felt the urge to try Eclipse, an authentic Israeli restaurant in north Munich. It was a 40 minute walk from Old Town and a 30 minute walk back to our hotel, but John and I both agreed it was worth the extra miles.

For one, the menu is filled with vegan (and vegetarian) options. But what I especially loved was the ability to order meat skewers with sides, so I could finally eat real meat in Munich. I opted for the marinated turkey skewers and mashed sweet potatoes with a side order of lafa bread. The turkey was perfectly seasoned, the mashed sweet potatoes were the best I’ve ever eaten — not too sweet with a hint of garlic and crispy potato curls on top, and the lafa bread was like pita bread, only better.

For dessert, John ordered a dense chocolate cake with ice cream, and the cake came in five round brownie-like pieces with very fluffy ice cream. He finished every bite while I salivated, wishing it were dairy free.

Beer in Munich

If you’re looking for beer recommendations, I’m not the one to ask. I hate the taste of any and all beer. But John likes a cold beer and ordered two drinks at dinner every night. Though he’s normally not a fan of darker wheat beers at home, he actually preferred the dark over light in Munich. On our last night, he ordered a local Hofbräu and enjoyed that, too.

And that’s a wrap on the food. Next up…

Top Things to Do in and Around Munich, Germany

Whether you have two days or a week, here are my top recommendations for things to do in and around Munich.

Explore Old Town

Old Town Munich is alive with shopping and unique architecture. It’s touristy for sure, but there is plenty to see and do. Be sure to hit these top spots:

• Marienplatz —Visit this city center plaza on the hour to witness the old town hall glockenspiel come alive.
• Kaufingerstraße — This is the main strip for shopping in Old Town.
• Odeonsplatz — This open square is surrounded by historic buildings and churches.
• Viscardigasse — Located just one block from Odeonsplatz, this pedestrian-only cobblestone alley is paved with a bronze path to memorialize brave Germans who took that route to avoid Nazi SS guards who stood nearby and required everyone who passed to give a “Hail Hitler” salute.
• Viktualienmarkt — As I mentioned above, this daily farmer’s market is a MUST if you walk through Old Town.
• Istar Gate — If you happen to walk closer to the river, you can’t miss this massive gate, marking the south-east boundary into Old Town. The gate also houses a museum, but we didn’t go inside.

Day Trip to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

Dachau was the first concentration camp in operation under the Nazi regime, first opened in 1933. From Munich to Dachau, the train takes about 20 minutes, followed by a 10-15 minute bus ride from the station to the memorial site.

At Dachau memorial, you can pay for a guided tour or an audio tour — each for a minimal fee. Note that the guided tours are only offered twice daily in English, at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

I am sure we would have learned more from a guide or the audio tour; however, the grounds and museum include plenty of signage detailing information about each area and the camp in general — both in German and English — so we were able to walk through and read about the history on our own and in our own time. Still, we spent about 2.5 hours at Dachau, which is the same length of time as a guided tour, just FYI.

We took the bus back to the Dachau train and bus station, walked around town for a bit, and grabbed lunch at Familienbäckerei Kistenpfennig, a bakery across the street from the station. It was the perfect spot for a quick meal with a variety of sandwiches, salads, breads, and baked goods. Then, to get back to Munich, we took the next train. They seem to run every 20 minutes, give or take, and it was a short 20-ish minutes back to the city.

Pro Tip #1: Purchase a single day ticket from Munich Hbf (München Hauptbahnhof) and then you can take any train back to Munich. This way, you can take your time at the Dachau memorial site.

Pro Tip #2: Another option is to pay for a five hour tour via Viator. We considered this, but the cost is $45 USD per person. And we only spent $11 USD per person for the all-day train and bus ticket.

Other Interesting Things to Do in and Around Munich — That We Didn’t Have Time to Do

Olympic Park — The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, and you can visit the old Olympic Park, including the stadium, concert hall, walk of fame, an observation tower, aquarium, and more. I had it on my list, but it was too far to walk, and we just didn’t have time to fit it in.

Day Trip to Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps — I saw several Viator tours available for the castle; however, they required a 10 hour time commitment and we opted for Dachau instead. Likely you’ve seen this castle in photos. It’s also the one that inspired Walt Disney’s design of the Cinderella Castle at Disneyland in California.

If you’ve visited Munich, feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments!