Bavaria, December 2011: Welcome to winter!

16 December 2011

Guest Blogger Yashivan Govender and his take on Munich

 

Today's blog comes to you courtesy of our first guest blogger - Yashivan Govender. Yashivan is the founder of FirstStep.me, author of The Fun Side of Being Serious book series and main character of the online travel documentary Breaking Stereotypes. “

Life in Bavaria is different to say the least, Germany has various sub sectors built into it but Bavaria is a whole different place or scope on its own. As the winter finally begins to raise its levels by throwing in a bit of snow in the morning, the sun quickly sets itself back into place, weathering what is now looking like a forgotten winter.

A promised white Christmas is what was put forward to me and now I am wondering maybe I have brought my South African heat to the north of the planet without warning the locals. However as the mystery of Bavaria creates its whimsy, tomorrow I might wake up to a fully snow-white encrusted landscape as my backyard, you just never know what to expect in Bavaria, everyday is different and life changing!

Station Munich

The station in Munich

At the moment I am based just outside of Munich close to Lake Tegernsee. Opting for the best of both worlds, the city life as a day to day setting with the backyard surroundings of the Alps. However Munich is my draw card of adventure, bustling with atmosphere and multi-cultures, friendly and masterful, historic yet modern it’s a city that is a tonic for the soul.

Winter see’s the end to the madness of the Oktoberfest and the start of romantic winter festivals. The first which is always a key to visit is Winter Tollwood, it’s the sister spinoff of the Munich Summer Tollwood, which features some formidable modern music legends, this is the more cosy and subtle winter feature showcasing local and international entertainment, interesting shopping opportunities and of course the best of the best Glühwein!

Besides the warmth of Glühwein and the entertainment of Tollwood, there is much more on offer in Munich, specifically in winter. Every feature of this city offers something different for each season. From a winter stroll through the English Gardens, to the wonderful exhibitions on offer at its famous museums, the essence of Munich is portrayed differently according the environment.

Even the Munich Zoo feels and seems different, in this case the polar bears feel better off than most of their neighbours. The daytime shopping, bistros and cafes are quenchable whilst the night life offers something for any individual’s preferences. It’s a solid city that maintains a fast moving city ideal with a shortcut escape into neighbouring Bavarian Alps.

If you looking for quick fire tourist attractions, than you have to check out the Munich Olympic park, BMW World and the BMW Museum. Throw in a trip to the Bavarian Film Studios the same place where they filmed The Never Ending Story and of course a quick trip to a therme (and yes you have to be naked for this!).

Munich has a lot to offer but the true and inner beauty of Bavaria lies on its outskirts within the magic of the Alps. However you have to wait until my next article for more on that, until next time when hopefully I will have some much awaited snow to talk about.

 

Websites to check out

BMW Welt: http://www.bmw-welt.com

Bavaria FilmStadt: https://www.filmstadt.de

Olympiapark München: https://www.olympiapark.de

Deutsches Museum: https://www.deutsches-museum.de/