Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [249]
East of the Altstadt lies Haidhausen, a trendy neighbourhood packed with pubs. South and west of the Altstadt, and near the Hauptbahnhof, is Ludwigsvorstadt, a half-seedy, half-lively area packed with shops, restaurants and hotels. The Westend, further west, bristles with renovated villas, cool cafes and wine bars, all near the Theresienwiese, home of the Oktoberfest.
North of here is cosmopolitan Neuhausen, a more residential area that’s home to Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Palace) with its lovely gardens a little further northwest. Munich’s airport is almost 36km northeast of the city.
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INFORMATION
Bookshops
Geobuch (Map; 265 030; Rosental 6) Best travel bookshop in town.
Hugendubel ( 01803-484 484) Marienplatz (Map); Karlsplatz (Map) National chain with tonnes of English-language books.
Max & Milian (Map; 260 3320; Ickstattstrasse 2) The city’s best gay bookshop.
Munich Readery (Map; 1219 2403; Augustenstrasse 104) Germany’s biggest collection of secondhand English-language titles.
Words’ Worth Books (Map; 283 642; Schellingstrasse 3) An excellent English-language bookshop.
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Cultural Centres
Amerika Haus (Map; 552 5370; Karolinenplatz 3)
Goethe-Institut (Map; 551 9030; Sonnenstrasse 25)
Institut Français (Map; 286 6280; Kaulbachstrasse 13)
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Discount Cards
City Tour Card (1/3 days €9.80/18.80, 3-day card for up to 5 adults €29) Unlimited public transport and up to 50% discount on 50 museums and attractions.
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Emergency
Ambulance ( 192 22)
Fire ( 112)
Police (Map; 110; Arnulfstrasse 1) Police station right beside the Hauptbahnhof.
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Internet Access
The city libraries (Stadtbibliotheken; below) have cheap access, but you may have to wait.
Coffee Fellows (Map; Schützenstrasse 14; per hr €2.50; 7am-11.30pm) Order coffee downstairs, check emails upstairs.
Cyber!ce-C@fe (Map; 3407 6955; Feilitzschstrasse 15; per 30min €2.50; 9am-midnight) Ice cream and Apple Macs near the Englischer Garten.
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Internet Resources
Munichfound (www.munichfound.com) Expat magazine.
Munich Tourist Office (www.munich-tourist.de) Munich’s official website.
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Laundry
Laundries are thin on the ground. Typical costs are €3 to €4 per load, plus about €0.50 for 10 to 15 minutes’ dryer time.
City-SB Waschcenter (Map; Paul-Heyse-Strasse 21; 7am-11pm) Charges €4 per load.
Schnell und Sauber (off Map; Parkstrasse 8; 6am-midnight) A short walk from the Hauptbahnhof.
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Left Luggage
Gepäckaufbewahrung (Map; 1308 3468; Hauptbahnhof; per piece €5; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 8am-6pm Sun) A staffed storage room, in the north part of the station’s main hall.
Lockers (Map; Hauptbahnhof; per 24hr €3-10; 24hr) In the main hall of the station and opposite tracks 16, 24 and 28-36.
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Libraries
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library; Map; 286 380; Ludwigstrasse 16; reading hall 8am-midnight)
Stadtbücherei (City Library; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri) Haidhausen (Map; 480 983 313; Rosenheimer Strasse 5); Schwabing (Map; 4521 3630; Hohenzollernstrasse 16); Westend (off Map; 189 378 380; Schrenkstrasse 8)
Universitätsbibliothek (Map; 2180 2429; Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1; 9am-10pm Mon-Fri)
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Media
Abendzeitung Light broadsheet that, despite the name, has a morning delivery.
Münchner Merkur The city’s arch-conservative daily.
Süddeutsche Zeitung Widely read regional paper with a liberal streak. Monday’s edition has a New York Times supplement