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This 3 hour bike ride was so fun, now I need to go buy a bike lol #bikeride #mikesbiketours #amsterdam #exercise #funtours (at Mike's Bike Tours Amsterdam)

#amsterdam #funtours #mikesbiketours #exercise #bikeride

24 Sept., 2016 - Munich - Bike Tour

We met our Bike Tour in Marienplatz, the old town city center of Munich. The Mike’s Bike Tour team is comprised of ex-pats who were particularly ragged on this Oktoberfest Saturday afternoon. They split us into smaller groups, got us onto 3-speed cruisers, and began giving us the rundown of Munich.

Marienplatz has been Munich’s main city square since 1158. In the Middle Ages, markets and tournaments were held here. It’s the home of the famous Munich Glockenspiel, and tons of tourism, shopping, hotels, and restaurants.

From Marienplatz, we jump onto our bikes and rode to the National Theater in Max Joseph Platz. Incredibly, the National Theater has been burned to the ground and rebuilt multiple times since its original opening in the 1700s. The current one standing today was only opened in 1963. Off of this square are very high-end, luxury shops like Prada and Bally.

Near the theater was our next stop, the Residenz. As the name implies, this was the home of the Wittlesbach family, the royal family of Munich from 1180-1918. Today, the Residenz is a museum housing the family’s treasures. Largely destroyed in WWII, much of the home was rebuilt in the 1980s. To cut corners and spend less money to rebuild, parts of the palace are painted to look like windows, stone, and statues, instead of the real thing.

Off from the Residenz is Odeonsplatz, a key location during WWII and the rise of Nazi power. In November 1923, Hitler and other Nazis staged a coup to try to overthrow the government in Munich. While it didn’t work and many were killed in the process, it brought national fame to Hitler. He was put in jail for treason and during his nine months there wrote Mein Kampf.

Next to there is the Hofgarten (or Court Garden) which backs up to the Bavarian Staatskanzlei (or State Chancellery). This building was heavily bombed by the US during WWII (like much of the city), and has been rebuilt with all glass to reflect transparency of the German government.

We then biked into the Englischer Garten. This urban park is 1.4 sq. mi., larger than Central Park, with open space, running paths, a river to swim/tube in, and even a point where surfers practice shredding the gnar. On a nice day, there’s sunbathers, gathering of friends over beers, nudists, and families enjoying the sunshine. We grabbed a German dinner at the Chinese Tower there and drank wheat beer - typical to Bavaria.

The tour wrapped up after dinner and we jumped onto the U6 metro line to go to Goetheplatz, the stop nearest the Oktoberfest grounds. Once we got there, it was like nothing we’d expected. It felt like being at a carnival or fair - tons of rides, food stands, and people of all ages. We had a quick beer in one of the larger beer tents: Schottenhall.