Climbing the tower of St.Peter's Church

Beautiful Munich. Lovely Germany.

I'm sure you already have an idea of my impression of Bavaria's crown jewel. Munich is a city that draws many, as I can assure you with all of the crowds I walked through during my visit. It is that whole quintessential German experience. There's the food, the culture... and it goes without saying, but the beer. And I don't even like beer, but I found one that suited my tastebuds. So I'm sure you'll find what you like in Munich because from the food to the parks to the activities, there's something for everyone.

On the weekend that I spent there, I was in straight up tourist mode. And also on a student budget mode. My friend and I were looking for the best way to spend our money without breaking the bank, because in Munich it is very easy to do that (It is the most expensive city in Germany). We also only had two days, so getting to see all of the city was going to be a little problem.

But, problem solved! The tower in St. Peter's church by Marienplatz. Just a minute's walk from the city's main square, Marienplatz, and you'll find the beautiful St. Peter's church. The outside looks kind of plain compared to the city hall nearby, but the inside is quite nice. We walked in on a Sunday morning, completely forgetting that there would be mass. Although, we did find the exit that would bring us a little closer to Heaven (in a sense). We were soon back outside following signs for the tower. There was a little booth where they were selling tickets to climb up the tower. Only 2 euros with a student ID!

The tower has 306 steps which didn't sound so bad, but then you walk through the door and realize the staircase is tiny and some people are on their way down. I mean, that's the price to pay for wanting good views I suppose. It does help when you have to stop to let people pass you because then you can have a little break... I mean, 306 steps later I was definitely glad for it.

(View from the top)

Upon reaching the top, you exit out to a beautiful view of Munich. Even though it was a cloudy day, I could see very far out and get a view of most of the city. On a clear day, apparently, you can see the Alps when looking south. But that day, I took joy in our timing because we made it just in time to watch the Rathaus Glockenspiel do its show which plays every day at 11 am, 12 pm and 5 pm (at least in the summer). The Glockenspiel just feels timeless and I was honestly rather entranced by the music and the moving characters that display scenes from Bavarian folklore.

(Rathaus and Frauenkirche)

We did our loop around the top so we could get a glance at some other notable sites, like the Olympic Park, the strikingly yellow Theatinekirche (Theatine Church), and the equally lovely Frauenkirche (Women's Church). If you have the chance, you should also take the chance to walk into these churches because they are splendid on the inside as well.

(The yellow building behind the Rathaus is the Theatinekirche near Odenplatz and way in the distance, near that thing that looks like a needle, is the Olympic Park)

Going back down was a little bit faster, but I would say hold on to the railing because it does get rather steep and nobody likes falling DOWN the stairs. Once we popped back out into the street, we got ourselves a nice little coffee fix in the café literally across the street. It was also one of the only places open on a Sunday, so beggars can't be choosers in that case. Although, it was a really good latte, so I'd say it was well deserved after all the steps and successfully not falling.

Overall, I can't come up with a better and cheaper activity that gets your heart pumping and is literally worth the climb at the end.

(seeing so far out)