This past week, I was in Germany on vacation. The first portion of my trip, my husband and I stayed in Berlin because I was running the Berlin Marathon and then we ended our trip in Munich at Oktoberfest.  

Going to Germany was not necessarily on my list of places to see in my life, however, having a goal of completing all 6 of the world’s marathon majors brought me there and I am so glad that it did. Germany is a beautiful country with lots of history and unique places to visit. It is definitely worthwhile to see if you have the opportunity.  

Berlin is an amazing city. It is very clean and modern, but offers a lot of old school charm. The Berlin Marathon was a great way to explore and see a lot of what the city has to offer.  I got to see the Brandenburg Gate, The Holocaust Memorial, The Television Tower, Berlin Cathedral, Charlottenburg Palace, and the German Parliament. It was fun to take in all of the sites along the course.

Munich was very different from Berlin. Munich is in Bavaria, which is the largest state in Germany. Many people who live there consider themselves Bavarian’s first and German second. People are proud of their Bavarian culture and its evident as you travel around the city. Throughout the city, you’ll find both the Bavarian flag and Munich flag hung, but not too many German flags.   Much of Munich has been renovated (since it was 80% destroyed in WW2), but built to
look like it did decades ago; maintaining its original architecture.  When in Munich, exploring the city center near Marienplatz and the nearby parks is a must.
My husband and I also drove 90 minutes outside the city to see the Bavarian Alps and Neuschwanstein Castle, which was the inspiration for the Walt Disney castle. Definitely a must see if you’re in the area.  

All in all, it was a great week.  We tried to immerse ourselves in the German culture, had a lot of fun, and many adventures along the way.  

This weeks blog highlights some of the things I learned during my trip. Some of the items I’ve listed may not be on sites like tripadvisor, but are helpful if you’re planning a trip to Germany any time soon. Enjoy!!

Things I learned in Germany:

• Everyone bikes everywhere. They have bike lanes on the sidewalk and if you dare walk in them, you will get run over.  Always be mindful of your surroundings and stay out of the bikers way!
• Most Germans understand and speak English so it’s pretty easy to navigate. There are English signs and if you have questions, most people are pretty helpful. Except don’t ask for a post office, they do not know what that is. There it’s called a post bank and they are hard to come by. Look for a yellow sign with the letters DT.
• German history is important, both the positive and negative.  The Germans have a done a good job making sure people do not forget the atrocities that occurred during WW2.  There are many subtle and pronounced monuments and memorials to the millions who were persecuted during the war.  
• Many restaurants offer English menus so you know exactly what you’re ordering! This was very helpful! Don’t see too many restaurant in the US offering menus in different languages.
• Many places (especially in Munich) only accept cash or German bank cards; they do not take credit cards. Fortunately we had enough cash to last us, but it was close.  I was lucky to find a Starbucks nearby that took cards, so I stocked up on coffee, vegan snacks, and water!
  
• Speaking of water…they do not offer tap water at restaurants. They only sell bottles of water. You could get still or sparkling, but be prepared to pay. Water costs about $3 for a small 12 oz bottle. I bought bottles of water, but then filled them up at the filtered water cooler in the hotel’s gym. I like to drink 8-10 bottles a day. Could you imagine paying $30 for water in one day?
• I was surprised at the amount of vegan restaurants they had.  The two we visited- one in Berlin, Kopps and one in Munich, Max Pett, were both delicious. However, I highly recommend making reservations. They sat us easily because it was just two, but it’d be much more difficult with larger parties.
  
• Day drinking is the thing to do. The German culture highly revolves around drinking, especially in Munich. They love their beer and their outdoor beer gardens.  On nice days you will even see people walking the streets drinking beer.
  
• Sixteen is the drinking age for beer & wine and eighteen is the drinking age for hard alcohol. However, if you’re tall enough to see over the bar, they will serve you.
• The Germans eat a lot food that is fried. With all the drinking and eating people do, I was surprised at how fit people looked. Must be all the biking they do everywhere.
• Smoking is big in Germany. This was tough for me. I had a hard time breathing because of all the smoke at times. Be mindful of that. People walk and smoke, so try to avoid getting burned.
• When driving around, speed limits are suggestions. On the highway you can pretty much go any speed, but don’t tailgate. They have cameras that measure the distance between cars and if you’re too close, they’ll mail you a ticket.
  
• If you don’t wear a Bavarian outfit to Oktoberfest, you will be the odd man out. Everyone dresses up. You can purchase one anywhere in Munich, but they are a little pricey. Expect to pay around $90 for men’s and $50 for ladies. We opted not to buy them so we stood out, but had a great time anyway.
• Oktoberfest is the world’s largest bar. Many people from around the world go; everyone gets along, sings, dances, and no one fights. It’s quite amazing. Pretty much anythings goes- you can dance on tables, sing at the top of your lunges, and compete against the table next to you in a chugging contest, etc.. It’s a cool place to meet people and make new friends.
• The public transportation is fast, efficient, clean and safe.  You can get anywhere in the city on the bus and train systems.  The trains are very easy to navigate, are clean and run very frequently.  There are signs above the track that let you know exactly when the next train is arriving and where it was going.  Don’t be intimidated to try to explore the city by train.
• The Germans are very efficient.  You really don’t see any lines anywhere in the city (except at the Adidas store, weird right?).  Even at Oktoberfest, there were no lines for food, drinks, rides… When you sit down at a table in a beer tent, a waitress is over in seconds and you beer is there within 2-3 minutes.  Their efficiency keeps everyone happy!

CHEERS!