One of them is the newly opened BMW World where picking up your new car has been turned into an art form. Right next to the futuristic design of this exciting new public space in Munich the BMW Museum will be re-opened later this spring. More immediately, visitors can also meet and dance with the friendly locals at one of the hundreds of “Fasching” fancy dress carnival events. But hurry, after the 20th February Lent starts with four weeks of the “Strong Beer Season”, supposedly a "spring health cure" invented by monks, who used to brew an especially nutritious beer to strengthen their bodies which had “grown weak from fasting” (this would explain a lot).
Stay dry and warm while shopping in one of Germany’s big shopping centres, the Munich Olympia Einkaufszentrum, with over 100 shops and quite a few department stores and restaurants for added choice. And while out hunting bargains, purchase a CityTourCard which offers you free public transport with reductions for many municipal sights and museums to boot. The CityTourCard is available from Euro 9.80 and includes a map of Munich’s transport system and saver offer.
Munich has a great choice of hotels and guesthouses. During the winter, special offers are available, such as the “Three for Two” at the Apart Hotel, where a 3-night stay in a double room incl. breakfast, Welcome Drink, a 3-day public transport ticket and a Bavarian Platter at the Weissen Brewery is offered from Euro 99.50 per person – offer ends 29.Feb 2008.
As a gateway to the Alps, the city offers many regular coach excursions to nearby sights. But why not try an action packed Ski-excursion for a day to the resort of Spitzingsee (until 27/03/08) for as little as €34? This includes your coach from Munich (Tue/Thurs only) to the resort in the morning and back at night, a ski pass for the day and 10% discount on your ski gear hire and/or ski school. The coach stops next to the ski lift station with, next door, ski hire at Snowcamp. The resort has 25 km of various downhill slopes as well as 33 km of cross-country ski runs and a snowboard funpark.
For those less energetic but equally shrewd, German Rail offers a “Bavarian Ticket” for a measly €19 (or €27 for up to 5 persons). Take a train to the artist town of Murnau, home of Kandinsky, Münter and the Blue Rider movement in the morning and continue to the picturesque Passion Play village of Oberammergau in the afternoon (leaflet available on request). You could be back for a night at the opera or a sumptuous meal in one of the city’s Michelin star restaurants, such as Schubeck’s at the Südtiroler Stuben (well, after all, you did save some money on the rail ticket, didn’t you…?).
