At the beginning of our Southern Germany autumn road trip, we visited the Bavarian capital of Munich. Since Christian is often in the city for work, he already knew some beautiful spots and wanted to finally show them to me. Until now, I've only ever driven past or through Munich on my way to my ski vacation. So it was high time!
BMW World at the Olympic Park
From our small but newly built Motel Einstein in Erding We drove toward the Olympic Park. There's a P+R parking garage where we could park for a reasonable €1.50 a day. From there, it was only a few meters to the BMW World, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au. I really wanted to see it because of my job as an architect. Christian isn't really interested in cars, but the time there was quite interesting.
Test drive with the BMW i3 from DriveNow
Years ago, Christian had already registered online for the car-sharing service DriveNow, but was never able to authenticate himself with his driver's license. This was possible at BMW Welt. We received an RFID card that can be used to open the car using a reader in the windshield. If you would also like to register with DriveNow, you can do so using the following link (https://de.drive-now.com/#!/registrieren?prc=NIFODQQPZT). Registration costs only €9.98. You also get 15 bonus minutes, which you can use for rides at any time.
We used the DriveNow smartphone app to find a BMW i3. We'd been itching to drive an electric car on public roads for a while – and now was our chance. Unfortunately, the nearest i3 was over three kilometers away from BMW Welt. So we grabbed a nearby Mini convertible and drove the short distance!
After Christian held the RFID card to the windshield, the doors unlocked. We then had to unlock the car with a personal PIN on the navigation system, and then we were ready to go. The cockpit is minimalist, ultra-modern, and the lack of a center console between the driver and passenger creates a generous feeling of space. However, you should be a fan of recycled materials.
After pressing the start button, nothing happens... oh yes... the indicator on the gearshift lever jumps from P to D. The accelerator pedal is more like an electric pedal. In the BMW i3, this not only controls acceleration but also energy recovery. If you take your foot off the pedal while driving, the i3 decelerates so significantly that even the brake lights come on. This meant we could drive the car almost entirely using the electric pedal. We didn't even need the brakes on the 20-minute drive into the city center.
One of the best features of DriveNow is that you can park your car in almost any public parking lot. There are no parking fees. However, finding a parking space near the university proved a bit difficult, and we had to drive around a few times.
Burgers at Hans im Glück
For lunch, we were determined to go to a "Hans im Glück" restaurant because Christian had raved about it so much. I wasn't familiar with this restaurant chain, so I wanted to try it out. The decor is truly unusual and imaginative. Fairly simple wooden benches with cozy cushions, large tables with felt coasters, all sorts of sauces, and a tankard with cutlery. Simple and functional. Plus, you feel like you're in the forest, as everything is furnished with birch trunks that stretch from floor to ceiling.
The food on offer is actually quick to explain: There are burgers and fries, as part of the set menu or individually, plus salad. What's special about the whole thing, however, is the type of burgers: they come in countless variations, with whole-grain or wheat buns, grass-fed cheese, and all the trimmings. This has nothing to do with fast-food burgers. Here, they only use select, high-quality ingredients. Christian ordered a burger with cheese and bacon, and I ordered a large portion of fries. My God, it was delicious! And then there were the various sauces! It was slowly getting more and more crowded in here. When we came in, there was hardly anyone there, but now every seat was taken. There were clearly a lot of companies spending their lunch break here. Christian quickly grabbed a coffee, and then, well-fortified, we set off on our Munich tour.
Sightseeing Munich
English Garden and surfers on the Eisbach
We walked past the university and partly through the courtyards of Munich University towards the English Garden and the Eisbach. I already knew this artificial wave from pictures and from television, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes. The weather had cleared up and it was brilliant sunshine. Perfect for the English Garden. We walked a bit through the greenery and admired the beautiful autumn colours. Then we came to the Eisbach… and nothing was there. Everything was quiet, no waves, hardly any water and therefore no one surfing the wave. I was disappointed. Apparently it had been too dry the last few weeks and not enough water was coming in. Now I'm here once and there's nothing going on. What a shame! But a good reason to come back again. But then in the summer.
Court Garden
Afterwards, we walked to the Hofgarten. This beautiful baroque park was already bathed in the most beautiful autumn colors. The warm rays of sunshine meant there was quite a bit of activity. We wanted to rest for a while on one of the park benches, but almost all of them were full, and of course, we didn't want to sit in the shade where the empty benches were. In the middle of the park is a pavilion, the Temple of Diana, where a few musicians began to play beautiful classical music. One could have spent the whole day here, but then I wouldn't have seen anything more of Munich.
Dallmayr House
After a short, idyllic break, we made our way to Marienplatz. Just before you get there, you pass the famous "Alois Dallmayr" department store. Everyone knows the Dallmayr coffee advertisements, but I think few realize that they offer not only coffee, but also exclusive food, drinks, and tobacco products. From wine to chocolate to oysters, you'll find the best top-quality products here. It was incredibly crowded, but we still took a stroll to look around. Some things we could, but didn't want to, afford! For example, there's also a completely normal meat counter, like at the butcher around the corner, only the prices are a bit higher. ;) We bought a little something for my mother for her birthday: a lemon schnapps, which she really likes.
Munich Town Hall at Marienplatz
After the "shopping experience," we walked to Marienplatz. The neo-Gothic town hall was beautifully decorated with flowers. Unfortunately, we had already missed the Glockenspiel by hours! It rings every day at 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. But we have to hear it sometime. We did a little shopping in the shops around Marienplatz. I absolutely wanted a gingerbread heart, and Christian got a beer stein. Now that's what we call true Bavarian! :)
Since we had dinner with friends that evening, we headed back to our car. This time, however, we took the subway instead of a DriveNow car. That was too far away. We were quickly back at the Olympia Center and then headed toward Ismaning.
And no, we don't get anything for this post, and we don't have a deal with DriveNow. We just think the concept of car sharing is fantastic.
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