Surfing in Munich

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Surfing in Munich

May 30, 2011 byLaurel 30 Comments

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Surfing in

Munich? Whynot?

Munich is likely

not the first place

that comes tomind when you

think of surfing,

river surfing is

quite popularalong the man-

made Eisbach

River that flowsthrough

theEnglischer

Garten inMunich.

At the south end of the Englisher Garten, near the Haus der Kunst Museum there is a

standing wave measuring ~ 1 meter high, meaning you can surf it for as long as yourbalance holds up.
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This is not how I pictured a river used for river surfing, but it is beautiful.

When I pictured river surfing, I pictured a wide raging river, so I was surprised to seehow narrow the Eisbach is and other than the standing wave used by surfers, the rest of

the river just kinda bubbles along. Its a small peaceful looking river, definitely not what

I had in mind for river surfing.Watching the surfer

paddle upstream

looked like it washard work.

Despite this, the

surfing is only

recommend for

experienced surfers. Ihave never surfed

before but this wasapparent even to me.

A one meter wave

isnt that big, but it isfast moving and being

quite shallow, it would be easy to hit your hit on the bottom if you fell. Its also cold,


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despite the 25C temperature on the day that we visited, all the surfers were still wearing

wetsuits. Besides that, I dont think I would want to try surfing with the rather large

crowd of curious onlookers that surfing in Munich attracts. This is one case in which Imquite happy to sit on the sidelines and find a quieter, less public place to learn how to

surf.

Have you done river surfing? Would you try it in front of a crowd?English Garden: Munichs Playground & Sanctuary

May 15, 2012 by Laurel 15 Comments

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The English Garden in Munich is one of the worlds largest city parks. Its larger thenCentral Park in NYC, but smaller than Richmond Park in London. Its whereMnchners

(Munich residents) go to play, or to relax, drink beer, or to surf, or to sunbathe naked...It

all happens in the English Garden!The most popular stuff:

The English Garden is divided into two parts, separated by the Isarring, a road that goes

through the English Garden. The southern part is the most popular section of the park

where you can find:Surfing in

Munich at the

English Garden

Surfing at the

English Garden inMunich - not for
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the faint of heart.

Near the Haus der Kunst Museum there is a standing wave measuring ~ 1 meter high.

Surfers surf the wave for as long as their balance holds up. Ive been quite a few times,and it never fails to captivate my attention for at least a few minutes. Those are brave

souls in wetsuits and being judged by a crowd! SeeSurfing in Munich for more photos.

The Naked Area of the English Garden Schnfeldweise (Schnfeld Meadow) liesbetween the Monoptereos (small Greek temple) and the Japanese Teehouse. Its where

youll find the naked sunbathing area, but dont take pictures. Apparently (and not

surprisingly) people get very angry. Not wanting to be chased down by a naked German,I wasnt about to find out, so will leave this to your imagination.

Chinese Tower (Chinesicher Turm) Munichs second largest beer garden, often with a

brass band playing in the evening. Its is a popular place for locals and tourists alike.

Ive spent quite a few evenings here.Kleinhesseloher See (Lake)

Enjoying a beer on the Kleinhesseloher See (Lake) in the English Garden.A popular man-made lake where you can rent paddle boats. Im a fan of the beer garden

right on the lake which is popular with both locals and tourists.

Now What I Consider to Be the Good Stuff, the northern part of the English Garden:

Dont get me wrong, I like the southern part of the English Garden as well, but thenorthern part is where I go for tranquility and to see what the locals are up to. Like the

southern section, the northern section also has two beer gardens, the Hirschau, located at

the southern end of the northern section which has a playground so parents can drink a
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beer while watching their children. At the far north end of the English Garden is

Aumeister. Both are popular with locals.

Near the Hirschau and Tivoli-Kraftwerk is where games of ultimate Frisbee are played onWednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons, organized through ToyTown, a website for

expats. I watched them play but am not convinced that my rusty skills are quite up to par.

It was fun coming across this group who was practicing their balancing skills on ropes

strung to trees.

I also love the unexpected things you find in the English Garden, like the club that was

practicing their balancing skills on ropes, which I watched for quite a while.


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A deserted walking path in the north end of the English Garden = tranquility and

relaxation.But the real reason I love the northern part of the English Garden is for the tranquility,

away from the crowds peace in the middle of a city.

Know Before You Go to the English Garden:

The English Garden is ~6km long, so choose the section you want to visit, prepare

to walk for several hours (with 4 beer beer gardens to provide sustenance), or bring a

bike with you to see most of the park

The total length of paths found in the English Garden comes in at around ~75km

There are over 100 bridges in the English Garden (according to Wikipedia, I

havent counted them myself)

The English Garden is home to between 50-60 species of birds, making it a good

place for bird watching when you get tired of people watching.

You may also want to visit the Munich Residenz which is nearby

Check out the above locations onGoogle Maps

This post was submitted as part of our German Stammtisch where a group of expat

bloggers get together to write about a specific topic. This months theme was parks

chosen by Travels of Adam. See more posts on parks here:Castles, Cycling and Climbing in Prien am Chiemsee

July 24, 2012 by Laurel 7 Comments

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Prien am Chiemsee is famous for Schloss Herrenchiemsee (Herrenchiemsee Palace).


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Its King Ludwig IIs largest palace and is based on the Palace of Versailles. In my

opinion Neuschwanstein has nothing on Schloss Herrenchiemsee! Its incredibly ornate,

and even on its own island dont worry, theres a boat so you dont have to swim over.Schloss Herrenchiemsee is one of my favorite castles in Germany and I highly

recommend checking it out (more details coming in an upcoming post).

Seeing as how I had previously visited Schloss Herrenchiemsee on several occasions, Iwas eager to see what else I could do in Prien am Chiemsee. Electronic-biking (e-biking)

seemed like a great option for exploring the country side. E-bikes still require you to

work, but they give you a little extra oomph. You decide how much help you want byadjusting your settings. My husband and I rented our bikes from additive bike and had a

choice of two different models.

We stored our water in the specially designed additive bags, which are basically like a

backpack for your bike and off we went through the rolling country side around Prien amChiemsee.

Several hours later we returned famished for our picnic lunch. Its been years since Ive

had a picnic but there are so many perfect picnic spots around the lake, like the

Prienavera Beach. We promised ourselves that we will do this more often.Bellies full, it was off to Kletterwald (Climbing Forest). Ive done different versions of

this in Italy and in Austria, and LOVED it. It was J.P.s first time and he was intrigued.There are a total of 13 different courses, each course having several challenges. They

vary in difficulty, starting from courses that are low to the ground and aimed for children

as young as 4 years old and up. Watching 10 year olds move through the courses waslike watching monkeys they were fearless and fast moving.

Being just slightly older than 10, I moved somewhat slower and less gracefully. And

while I consider myself to be reasonably athletic, two hours and four courses later, my

arms were shaking in exhaustion. Each of the courses we did was challenging with theTandem Course (where you have to work with your partner) being one of our favorites.

The Climbing Forest had kicked my but AND I hadnt even done the two toughest

courses yet I couldnt help smiling. It was daunting but exhilarating to look at achallenge and think I cant do it to Ill try to Im doing it to I did it!

Now that my arms have stopped shaking, Im thinking about the two toughest courses

that I have yet to conquer.and hiking the Kampenwand, the most picturesque peakaround the Chiemsee without the help of a gondola of course.

Prien am Chiemsee is only 90 km south from Munich, but we felt like we were miles

away. It was the perfect getaway from Munich.

Know Before You Go to Prien am Chiemsee:

Prien am Chiemsee is easily reached by train or auto.

6 night packages can be arranged from 127 EU (what a great deal!). Contact

Prien am Chiemsee Tourist Information for more info.

Reserve your additive e-bike in advance to ensure availability

Prien am Chiemsee is known for its local cuisine, especially fish so you can plan

your own picnic using local food

Allow at least 2 hours (more is better) for the Kletterwald (Climbing Forest)

Check with thePrien am Chiemsee Tourist Information for more ideas about what

to do
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View Larger Map

Thank you to the Priem am Chiemsee Tourist Office for hosting me.

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My Favorite Castles in Southern Germany

April 11, 2012 by Laurel 34 Comments

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There are an incredible 25,000 castles in Germany!

With so many castles its difficult to pick out just one favorite, so Ive picked out my

favorite castles in Southern Germany based on different criteria, since no two castles are

alike:Favorite Touristy Castle in Germany: Heidelberg Castle

Yes its touristyand on the

Japanese tour bus

circuit, but this700 year old castle

overlooking the

city of Heidelberghas survived fires

and a lighting

strike and thecastle tour isworth fighting the

crowds.

Inside Heidelberg Castlevisitors can also visit the Worlds Largest Apothecary Museum

showcasing over 20,000 pharmaceutical items and the worlds largest wine barrel. Thecrowds reach an all time peak in July and August so go at another time if possible, if not

go early or later in the day.

Favorite Elaborate Castle in Germany: Herrenchiemsee New Palace
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One of crazy King Ludwigs castles, the Herrenchiemsee New Palace is the mostelaborate, costing more than the combined total of famed Neuschwanstein and Linderhof.

Its decadence at its finest and is even housed on its own island (Herren Island) on the

Chiemsee. Photos are not permitted inside, but the exterior hints at the luxury waiting

inside. Not surprisingly its also a popular castle so its best to go off-season when

possible.Favorite Small Castle in Germany: Lichtenstein Castle

Lichtenstein Castle is

sometimes referred to asNeuschwansteins Little

Brother, since theyre

both white castles,although Lichtenstein is

a much smaller castle,

but to be fair it is only a

hunting castle. What itlacks up for in size it

makes up for by

perilously clinging tothe edge of a limestone

cliff.

Favorite Castle Tour inGermany: Ludwigsburg
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Palace

After a while many castle tours seem to blur together, but not theLudwigsburg Palace

tourwhere visitors will learn all about the secret lives of royalty including DukeEberhards libido which unfortunately was reserved for his mistresses and not his wife.

The tour also includes a look at the servants quarters where you can only imagine how

difficult it would be to live in a cold dark room, while everyone else was surrounded by

luxury.Favorite Hike to a Castle in Germany: Hohenzollern Castle

There are much

easier ways to

reachHohenzollern

Castle than a

12km hike likedriving to the

parking lot, but

knowing thatyour destination

is a castle is very

good motivation
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to visit one of the most popular castles in Germany. Hohenzollern Castle dates back to

the 11th century and has seen numerous wars including the Thirty Years War, fallen into

ruin and even suffered from an earthquake. Go early to avoid the crowds and check theschedule in advance if youre looking for an English tour.

Favorite Castle in Munich: The Residenz

The largest ceiling fresco Ive ever seen is in the Munich Residenz.There are two castles in Munich, The Residenz and Schloss Nymphenburg and

Schlieissheim Palace located just outside of Munich. Schloss Nyphemburg and

Schlieissheim Palace are more impressive on the outside, but I love the interior ofTheResidenz, and its one of the largest castles in Europe. Plus it also houses the

Treasurywhere visitors can look at the crown jewels. The Residenz is conveniently

located in downtown Munich.Castle Ruins in Germany: Old Castle in Baden-Baden
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I spent over an hour exploring these castle ruins for which there is no tour nor entrance

fee. Despite the nice weather there was only a handful of other visitors there. I loved

having free run of the place.Ive been to dozens more castles in Germany, but these are some of my favorites.

What are your favorite castles in Germany? You have more than 24,990 to choose from.

373
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Surfing in Munich