germany

Munich, Germany

The land of Oktoberfest and the heart of Bavaria 

Munich Tips: 

  • Drink all the beer. Duh. 

  • Munich is super diverse, far more than most European cities. Take it in, talk to the locals, get to know different cultures. 

Adventures & Ales Top Munich Recommendations: 

  • Head to the English Gardens to see people surfing the river, locals soaking in the sun in the summer (some naked, heads up!), and the beer garden in the center

  • Augustiner Keller: Hugeeee beer garden, really delicious beer, and an isolated atmosphere away from the crowds and heat of summer. Probably my favorite! 

  • Go to Dachau. The concentration camp is jarring but it's a must. It's an easy train and bus ride combo from Munich, plan to spend at least half a day. 

  • Lowenbrau Brewery: Another great brewery, slightly off the beaten path which is a nice reprieve 

  • Spend a day at Lake Starnberg. A quick train ride takes you to the lake, then jump on the boat where you can get on and off at the different little lakeside villages. My favorite was Seeshaupt, don't miss the tiny little beer garden on the lake! 

Marienplatz

The Classic Tourist Spots in Munich Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Hofbrauhaus Brewery: Touristy but a must! 

  • Marienplatz: The main square of the city, home to the gorgeous New Town Hall, Old Town Hall, and the Column of St. Mary

  • Karlspatz: The old city gate and fountain are a nice place to sit in the evenings and relax. Pro Tip: the gelato place to left of the gate has delicious gelato that makes your time sitting by the fountain fantastic 

  • Schlobpark Nymphenburg Palace and Gardens: Classic European Palace!

Dachau

Other Munich Things To Do:​

  • Stroll along the river, but beware of the naked sunbathers! 

  • Explore the Glockenbachviertel Neighborhood. A more local area, home to lots of restaurants and a cozier vibe

  • Vitalmarkt: A pretty large market filled with all kinds of food!

  • The Beer and Oktoberfest Museum: Don't get your hopes up, this is super cheesy and ridiculous, BUT I still recommend it. I learned a lot about Oktoberfest and the beer culture in Bavaria. It is extremely small so don't plan on it taking too long. No worries, that means more time for drinking the beer instead of learning about it!

  • Paulaner Brewery: One of the Munich locations for Paulaner is right around the corner from the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum. There are several throughout the city so take a seat and drink up

  • Der Pschorta Brewery: Right off the Vitalkmarkt, another traditional German beer garden

Berlin, Germany

You know that emoji with the heart eyes? That's how I feel about Berlin. GO.​

Berlin Tips: 

  • The city is quite large so be prepared for lots of trips on the various Bahns

  • Berlin is very upfront with it's negative history, so be prepared to see memorials and museums telling it exactly how it was everywhere you turn

  • My best advice is go see history, go to a beer garden, go see history, go to a beer garden. Repeat until bedtime. 

  • This is weird but don't go to a neighborhood called Wedding. I had heard it was up and coming and trendy. It is not. 100% not worth your time. 

Adventures & Ales Top Berlin Recommendations: 

The Classic Tourist Spots in Berlin Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Topography of Terror: A really well done memorial with pieces of the Berlin Wall and stories of survivors and victims

  • New Europe Walking Tour: I did a free walking tour here and it was quite informative. We started at the Bradenberg Gate and stopped at places such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler's bunker, and more. There is no cost to join but they only operate on tips, so be sure to bring some cash to pay for your experience!

  • Reichstag Building: Take a tour of the Dom. The security is very intense so be sure to bring your passport. The audio guide is really awesome as you walk up and back down the curving dome giving you history specific to the building but also on Berlin in totality 

Part of the Berlin Wall

Other Berlin things to do:​

  • Mauerpark on a Sunday: Absolutely one of the wildest things I've seen. The park was packed to the brim, there is karaoke happening between hundreds of people (pictured below), and pop up artist shops with awesome pieces

  • Checkpoint Charlie: The tourist haven. See the point where East and West Berlin were divided then roll out before you get taken over by the herds of Americans snapping selfies

  • Museum Island: Hang out in the lustgarten, gaze at the Berlin Cathedral, and venture into the museums if they spark your interest! They have free museum nights so be sure to look into that before paying for admission

  • Hackescher Market: A market with restaurants and vendors, pretty touristy but still decent. 

    • Weinhenstephan Beer Garden is located here and had good beer!​

  • Palace of Tears: ​Where families were split during the Cold War