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85'l'he list 5 l8 April 199]
Thom Dibdin dons his lederlzm‘en for a trip round the markets. music shops and cinemas of Munich.
From the runway. Munich airport looks like a picture from an early Ladybird book of flight. Lacking the clutter of l leathrow or the cracking concrete of Edinburgh. only the machine gun-toting guards belie the youthful naivety of the building‘s pure Slls functionalism.
If the Lego-like form sits well on the open vista of the airport. the same post-war style is stifled in those parts ofcentral Munich which suffered massive collateral damage during the war. l-‘ortunately. many of the oldest parts of the city survived and are definitely worth visiting.
Style is all in Munich. which probably has the highest fashion casualty rate in the known universe. ()n the l,'—Balin (underground) everyone. from winos and punks to housewives and designer businessmen. seems to be dressed as a tnovie extra. If they have come from the old town. pictured on a thoUsand .lapanese home videos. then they probably are.
After the costumes. whether lt’tft’l'lirn’t’n or the latest Berlin designer gear. the most notable thing about central Munich is the tranquillity. Much of the old town. still defined by several ancient towers. is pcdestrianised. Shoppers throng down Neuhauser Street. a gentle tide of tourists and townsfolk which indolently laps along the shop fronts from the Karlstor to the 19th century town hall in Marienplatz with its zany (i/ur‘kenspiel clock.
The hum of window shoppers is fine. if all you want to do is take in the architecture and stare up at the irnprobably onion-shaped Bavarian church towers. but not so good if you are in a hurry to get to the wonders of WOM before closing time. No.
57 BLACKFRIARS EDINBURGH EHl TEL: (031) 557
ST 1N8 6l36
Munich's very own twin peaks
WOM - World of Music — is a shop. not a pub. and is a must for lovers of any kind ofmusic. Over 2()() discs. from Bach to the Beastie Boys. can be heard on the overhead headphones. while any record of your choosing can be given the aural run through before deciding. or not. to buy.
For the food fancier. the open-air Viktualien Markt. just around the corner from Marienplatz. is the best fresh vegetable market east of the Portobello Road. Better. perhaps. because of Munich‘s proximity to the fertile fields of Italy. (ireat piles of radishes. a Bavarian speciality in three lurid colours. vie for space with exotic fruits and fresh Mediterranean vegetables. The only problem here is that few of the stall holders speak English and are not exactly enamoured ofthe British. whether they come from North or South ofthe border.
Away from the shoppers. great swathes of park land run up and down the Isar river. Beer gardens. which are Bavaria‘s own addition to the art ofalcohol imbibing. sell light (Helles) and dark (Dun/(cl) beer. A couple ofmass — litre glasses — of this
RESTAURANT
ST lNB bl3b
BLACKFRIARS EH] 557
bl EDINBURGH TEL: (031)
BACKLIST
heady brew and you too could end up supporting Bayern Munich or cooling offin the river with the crowds of locals. lfyou forgot your bathing costume. don't worry. just make for the Flaucher Bridge. about 3() mins‘ walk up-river from the city centre. where nude sunbathing is de rigeur.
lfsuch bouts of hedonism are a bit too much for the faint heart. Munich boasts a catholic collection of museums and art galleries. Classics. modems and old masters each have their own gallery and the Stadt Museum houses collections dedicated to photography. design and. ofcourse. beer-making. However. most important is the Deutsches Museum. which has an island on the Isar all to itself. llere.
every conceivable strand of science and technology is collected under a single roof.
Munich is the centre of the German film industry and the Bavarian Film Studio is the largest in Europe. A guided tour round the studio costs eleven marks and is reputed to reveal such delights as. gosh wait for it. the set for Never Ending Story.
Actually. the industry has a great deal to answer for. as anyone who has ever seen a Sean Connery film dubbed into German will quickly testify. However several cinemas show films in their original versions (OmU or ()oU ). 'l'he Filmmuseum has varied and often surprising retrospectives. with a decent bar in which to chew the fat afterwards. while the Museum Lichtspiele claims to hold the world record for showing the same film every night: fourteen years of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in its own specially decorated screen (goody bag one Mark extra).
Nightclubs are invariably expensive. Far better to find a quiet Km'ipe where you can buy a bite to eat as well as another i’lIuss. but beware anything which calls itself a bar as it will invariable be an overpriced tourist trap. Good parts of the city to start your search for that perfect hostelry are llaidhausen with its excellent North African Kncipe. and the student quarter around Schwabing where exotic street cafes abound.
For three Marks the local version of The List — .WllllC/lllt’fSlat/("102m — lists most things on offer. For those who can actually read the language. the ten or more pages ofcontacts delicately arranged by sexual preference are a hoot. In Munich gives bare listings with no comment and is available free from bars and cinemas.
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fully integrated. last and efficient public transport system. Day tickets are reasonably cheap. but probably the best way to see
thing.
Times. both printed in Frankturt. are availablelirst '
Getting there
airport and justoll Mariensplatz. An invaluable (to young and old alike) Young People's Guide to Munich costsjust
the city is by bike, Hire one Campus Travel ollersa i one Mark and containsall in town or at one ottne student and under-26 return the accommodation. s-eahn (suburban) railway lrom Glasgow lor £155. ' sightseeing. beer drinking stations (details lrom the Apex return from Glasgow and Balinll inlomalio" V0" Tourist Ollice) ' costs £189 and ham are likely to need to get
Shopping
The Germans are a lot nicer
Edinburgh via Birmingham costs £191. Under-26 return train lairlrom London is
started. A more comprehensive city guide costs 7.80 Marks.
to their workers than we £132.70l0V8f-2512135). i B ' are, which means that From London. the return i as'cs shops are not open in the bus fare is 299 it you are A lull passport or one-year evenings. Away lrom the over 26 and £87 it you are visitor's passport is centre at town. mostshops Younger. required tor all EC close for lunch lrom Contact student travel nationals. Non-EC passport 12,3Hpmand close at specialists Campus Travel holders may requireavisa. 5pm (noon on Saturday). atThe Hub, Hillhead Street. Non German speakers The only exceptions are the Glasgow (041 357 0608 and should have little difficulty shops at the central railway 041 552 2857) 0' at 5 : as most Germans speak station, which are open for ' Nicolson Square, Edinburgh excellent English. As a (raveners, ; (0316683303)and rough guide. there are
Edinburgh Travel Centre at about three Marks to the News l Brislo Square (031 668 pound.