We had been thinking for some time about doing a city trip in Europe without the children. The best way for this seemed during the summer holidays in Estonia, where we would have been able to leave the kids with their grandparents. Not wishing to spend too much time for flying, we were only looking for direct flights from Tallinn or Riga. Our final choice was Munich, with the possibility to visit also Salzburg. We had already been in Germany - in Berlin before we had kids, and in Frankfurt (not counting the stopovers in the airport), and Munich as a Bavarian capital with its old town seemed very appealing. It was difficult to make travelling decisions during Covid, but in summer the contagion rates were low and we decided to give it a go. My sister and her husband were also travelling with us.
Our flight was leaving from Riga airport in the afternoon, but we already left Tartu in the morning - it takes around three and a half hours from Tartu to Riga airport and during Covid times we wanted to be there on time or even a bit early. The airport was mostly empty and three-quarters of shops and restaurants were closed. As we arrived a bit early, it was not so great, but fortunately we still found a place to have a bite to eat and a coffee.
Our 2 hour 15 minutes Air Baltic flight went smoothly, we were given disinfectant wipes and masks (although we already had our own) at the entrance of the aircraft and the flight was only half full. We decided to take the train from the airport to the town - our hotel was not far from the central station. We got an excellent deal for the hotel, very likely due to the lack of travellers because of the Covid restrictions. A brand new Premier Inn Munich Center hotel just a short walk from Karlsplaz for only 39 euros per night for a double room. The room was nice and modern with a spacious bathroom. There was no breakfast served due to Covid restrictions, but all guests could grab a complimentary coffee and croissant from the lobby in the morning. In Germany the masks were compulsory in all public indoor spaces and public transport, but everything - museums, bars, restaurants, markets - was open.
Munich is an excellent city for walking around and the center is mostly car free. There were lots of great looking restaurants on the squares and in the courtyards and we finally chose a nice square with several restaurants just behind Frauenkirche (the cathedral with two towers) for our dinner. Munich is an easy place for vegans to travel to, as plant based choices are widely available.
On our way to Marienplaz
Our first morning in Munich looked cloudy and looked like it could rain and we decided to head to Residenz München - a Bavarian palace that served as the seat of government and royal residence for Bavarian dukes, electors and kings from 1508 to 1918. It is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open as a museum. The complex of buildings contains ten courtyards and displays 130 rooms. We bought the tickets (9 euros) and started the visit, realizing we were almost the only visitors. It was definitely worth going and taking a look into Bavarian history. Much of the Residence was destroyed during the Second World War though, and it has been gradually reconstructed to its former grandeur from 1945.
No visit to Munich is complete without going to the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, probably the most famous brewery and beer hall in Munich. That was exactly where we headed for the real Bavarian beer hall atmosphere.
During the day we stopped here and there, to have quick bite in several places to eat or take a coffee. We loved the little Asian food outlets, be it soup, dumplings or bao buns...
The next morning we needed to pick up our rental car from the central station and head towards Salzburg in Austria. The one and a half hour drive passed some beautiful landscapes - Lake Chiemsee, hills and Bavarian Alps.
Salzburg is a lovely town by the Salzach river, probably most famous for being the birthplace of Mozart and also as one of the filming locations of The Sound of Music. The Mozart name is seen everywhere - Mozart park, Mozart square, Mozart university... We took a stroll in the charming center and old town and then headed for lunch in a vegan restaurant GustaV, a short walk from the center.
Delicious vegan lunch at GustaV
