Great Things to See in Bavaria, Germany

Once again, my husband Bill was kind enough to take me with him on a recent business trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. This little town, popularly known as simply Garmisch, hosts the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, a place where members of the U.S. military and certain government officials can go for rest and relaxation. The Edelweiss Lodge and Resort also hosts a lot of conferences for military personnel. Since my husband was going to a conference, I decided to take a couple of tours and learn something about the German state of Bavaria. After two days of touring, I came away with a new appreciation for several interesting places in Bavaria and some sore muscles.

Munich

Obviously, if you're headed to Bavaria, you shouldn't miss Munich, which is its capital and the third largest city in Germany. The German tour guide who led our group last week told us that many Germans consider Munich to be the best town to live in, followed by Nuremburg. I don't know how true that claim is, but I do know that I had a great time traipsing around the city's cobbled streets. Naturally, the city is well known for Oktoberfest, which takes place every year at the end of September and attracts millions of beer swilling people to its massive tents for good food, live music, and a touch of drunken debauchery. But there's more to Munich than beer.

There are so many things to do and see in Munich, but unfortunately, I had only a few hours to spend in this great city. The first place I visited was The Rathaus Glockenspiel, which is in the Marienplatz area of the city. Every day at 11:00am, 12:00pm, and 5:00pm, it chimes and visitors flock to see two old stories from the 16th century re-enacted. Since this was my first time to Munich, I had to watch the show and listen to the jangly music played on the glockenspiel and watch the very impressive old figurines dance. This is a free and very popular attraction, so don't miss it... but keep an eye on your wallet or purse. Supposedly, a lot of pickpockets troll the area looking for easy targets distracted by the spectacle.