MUNICH, GERMANY... A City Like No Other 🇩🇪 (Travel Documentary)

After all, when I told my friend I was going to Munich, I asked what there was to do here, and he said, well, just drink beer, I guess. And that's the kind of con... Ow. As I get attacked by that tree. Good afternoon, YouTube. Welcome to Munich, the biggest city in the south of Germany, the region known as Bavaria, which is traditionally associated with a lot of the ideas you might have about Germany, the traditional style of dress, the beer gardens and Oktoberfest, you know, this old world German style. But what if I told you that Munich is a quickly changing place, as shown by this neighborhood that I'm staying in? I've actually, I booked a hostel in a place called Werksviertel, and there's conveniently a little map of the neighborhood as you enter. Check this out. Look at all these modern style buildings all placed together. That's where I'm staying. So it's a hotel, and then there's a building right next to it with a climbing wall. This is like a little food court area. This is like a bunch of bars and nightlife. Just around the corner, you have the Ostbahnhof, which is the east train station. And in the middle, you have a Ferris wheel. And then you can see all around here, there's cranes. They're clearly still building and expanding this area. And so what I like about this neighborhood is even though it's very new, it still feels distinctly German. For example, here you can get the local beer, which has been around, by the way, since 1328. Yeah, you could say there's a long beer drinking tradition in this part of the world. That is for sure. And it also feels like it was built for people and bicycles and not for cars. Unlike a lot of new neighborhoods in North America, where they will build a giant parking lot and then a giant shopping mall. And then if you want to go anywhere else, you have to get in your car and drive to it. Here, they say, no, we're going to build this walkable, unique, artistic neighborhood next to the east train station. And we're going to use this area that was once very industrial and there wasn't too much going on here. And we're going to turn it into a vibrant community area. I think that's pretty cool. And when I arrived here, it was the first sign that maybe Munich has more than first meets the eye. After all, when I told my friend I was going to Munich, I asked what there was to do here. And he said, well, just drink beer, I guess. And that's the kind of comment, as I get attacked by that tree. And that's the kind of comment that you sometimes hear about Munich. Drink beer and get attacked by trees. That is what you do down here in Bavaria. But today, let's dig a little bit deeper and see what else we can find. Now, of course, I could have taken the train from the east station to the center of Munich, but I decided on a beautiful day like this, it'd be nicer to walk. I'm now walking towards the old town. We're not quite there yet, but already you can see a very different neighborhood, more classically European, I would say, than where we started. And like so many of the great cities of Europe, no shortage of little parks and squares to hang out in. On a hot day like this, everywhere you go, you see people just sitting on benches, enjoying their life. A lot of people watching around here, you know. And in general, the Germans, I know, all like to spend a lot of time outdoors. I mean, it's a stereotype, but I think it's true. Germans really get into nature. They're not the type of people to be spending endless hours in their room on the computer. If you are one of those Germans, I'm sorry, but I think you know what I mean. Now, as much as I've been walking around and showing you bicycles and stuff like that, Munich is also a car city. The BMW factory is not far from here. And so a lot of famous automobiles have been made right here in Bavaria. That famous German engineering, which can do so much, except for make a train arrive on time. I am a Canadian, remember. We barely have a train system to begin with. That's next level thinking. Your trains can't be late if they don't exist. Look at those old street signs. So covered in dirt. You can barely see them. I wonder how old those are. Of course, Munich is a city with a lot of history, even though there's a couple of chapters of that history that Germans would very much like to forget. It's still, I wouldn't say it lives on, but it lives on in the sense of we are the stories and the experiences that we've lived. And so, you know, the dark period in the first half of the 20th century will always be part of what shaped this city. I was debating with myself if I would talk about this in this video, because I understand a lot of people watch travel videos to escape, to plan their vacations, to see beautiful things and to not worry about the real world, you could say. But like every other city, Munich is shaped by its history, shaped by its past. And in the 1920s, this is where Hitler started NAZI party. I'm not even sure I can say that word on YouTube these days without getting my video demonetized or taken down for hate speech. YouTube has very strict restrictions on what you can say and can't say. Who knows? I'll probably get this video demonetized for even talking about this. But there was one specific beer hall where Hitler and the party would meet in the early days before he led Germany, before the war. It was here in Munich that the party was growing. And there was one place that the party used to meet. It was a beer hall. It was there that Hitler and his party met. It was there that they announced that a revolution was taking place and they tried to overthrow the German government. And they tried and failed to take over the government and to take it over by force. Hitler was then put in prison for that. In prison, he would write the book Mein Kampf and he would double down on his hateful rhetoric, as I understand it. And he would become more and more radical, you could say. Maybe he already was radical. I'm not a historian on that period. So it was tied to that party and to that period of Munich's history in a way that was inseparable. Decades after the war, in the 70s I believe, it was demolished. But then a building was placed on top. A cultural center. A building called Gastig. And as it so happens, it's just around the corner. Now somewhere around here, I'm not sure exactly where it is. It may actually be in this construction site. But somewhere close to here, there is a marker on the ground which signifies a memory. I see it. There it is. This here, this is the specific place where a German carpenter named George Elsler tried to assassinate Hitler during one of his speeches. This guy was an anti-fascist who placed a bomb here inside what was then this famous beer hall in Munich. And by some chance, they didn't discover the bomb, but for some reason Hitler's speech ended early and he left and then the bomb exploded. And eight people were killed actually. The bomb went off. But Hitler was not there anymore. If he had been, the entire 20th century and the entire world, you could say, would be a very different place. I find this fascinating for two reasons. First, because I'm very interested in how Germany both remembers its past but doesn't let it shadow or cast a dark shadow over the present. How you move on but also respect that these things did happen. And in this case, their solution is, okay, some awful group met here for many years. We're not going to honor or display things to remember them, but the person who tried to stop them gets a plaque and gets a memory. That is a very interesting way to think about the past, at least a very dark chapter of the past. The second reason this interests me is I'm part Jewish actually. I'm a quarter Jewish. My last name, Weinberg, is actually a German Jewish name. My grandfather was Jewish. His family moved from Romania. And then at some point in my family's history, they might have lived in Germany. I'm not sure. I don't have records going far that back. But yeah, part of my family history is that community who, well, in the Eastern European sense, don't really exist anymore because of the history that flowed from the hateful words and actions which flowed from this precise location in this precise beer hall in Munich. This doesn't stop me from traveling Germany. It certainly doesn't stop me from having German friends or from admiring German culture. I do. I love many things about Germany. I always will. But yeah, there is kind of this trauma at the core of my being that thinks about that fact that if my family hadn't made it to Canada before the war, probably I wouldn't be here making this video today. But that doesn't make me feel like Germans today are guilty in any sense or people in Munich today are some continuation of that in any way. I think each individual makes their own choices in this life. And we should understand people of each generation differently. You are not your parents or your grandparents. And on some other level, even they were victims of something much larger than themselves. Maybe those who did didn't realize until it was too late how far things had gone. These are questions that I don't have the answer for. These are questions that cut to the soul of what makes a human a human. But I think it's important to think about these things. Traveling is a chance to have fun and drink beer and meet people and have those light, exciting moments. Yes. But in certain moments, it's also a chance to dig deep to the core of who you are, to the core of what makes humans humans. Sometimes that means looking to a very dark place. It can be painful, but it's worth it. So what's happening here in the present? We just talked about the past. I happen to be walking by here yesterday. I wasn't making a video, but I stumbled on this art exhibit. It was happening right here. This place, Pixel. There were some young art students from Munich, and they were doing a little exhibit. And the guy at the door saw me looking in, and he said, oh, do you want to join? It's free. It's open to the public. I ended up spending an hour or two there hanging out, and I made three or four friends. And I was talking with these other art students, and I got to learn a bit about their lives. This was a group with people who are LGBT. Some of them, these are very left-leaning, liberal students studying art, painting, film. They, too, would not have been accepted by that party that we were talking about earlier. They, too, were outsiders. And they, too, in more vulnerable moments, expressed to me their fears about the rise in the polls of the AFD, the right-wing party in Germany that has been seeing increases in their polls recently. So I don't mean to say that I am the only one who feels the echoes of the past. I think one of the reasons we step into that dark place from the past is to remember it's not only connected to the past. It is connected to the ability for people like that to have their artistic shows and to feel safe in their own community. And that's a lesson, not just from the last century, but also from today and from every century. It's a lesson we have to remind ourselves again and again and again. Now listen, I promised to have a German beer with you at some point in today's video. But first, I decided to have a Club Mate. And if you're not from Germany, you might not know this drink. But if you are from Germany, you've certainly seen it many, many times. It's a caffeinated drink made with Mate, which is very popular in South America. They do Mate a bit different over there. This is a distinctly German variation. I actually don't drink that much alcohol. I like to have one, sometimes two beers. That's about all I drink these days. And compared to some people in this region, that is nothing. Like even at the hostel where I'm staying, there are some British backpackers were drinking at like nine in the morning. You definitely see some German people in the park drinking at 11 a.m. too. So it's very normal in these regions. But I think it is changing a bit with the younger generation. If you're German, let me know. Do younger Germans drink less? I feel like younger Germans drink less. And now as we cross this river, we're officially going to be entering into the old town. I am excited. What a beautiful day. Look at this. Alright, this drink is good, but I think I need some food to go with it. And what better to have as a snack than Currywurst Pumice. Alright, that Currywurst definitely hit the spot. But mostly I'm just glad to be somewhere where people don't look at me like I'm crazy for using ketchup with my french fries. France, why don't you use ketchup with your french fries? Some beautiful architecture. I guess you could say things are getting a bit more traditionally German down here. Now this part of the city is reasonably busy, but it's nothing compared to what it will see next month. I'm filming this in August, and coming up soon is Oktoberfest, which takes place in September, despite the name. But what I've heard from a couple of Germans is this place is absolutely flooded with people during Oktoberfest, and a lot of drinking everywhere, as you might imagine. It's funny, you know, I always dreamed of visiting Germany for Oktoberfest. I don't know why, it was just one of those things in my head. It's like going to Brazil for Carnival, or going to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. It just seems like the biggest party ever. And I'm sure it is. I'm sure it's a great time. But some Germans I've talked to here in Munich have told me, ah, they don't really like it. There's too many people, too much drunkenness. They feel like their city has kind of been taken away from them for a few weeks. And so if you want to cross it off your bucket list and meet a bunch of tourists from around the world, yeah, it's a good time to visit. But if you actually want to appreciate Munich and see the city as it is, then maybe it's best to visit at times that aren't Oktoberfest. I'm not telling you one way is better than the other. It's just something to be aware of. Know what you want out of your trip, and that will help you to have the experience you're looking for. Anyway, we are definitely in the old part of Munich, as you can see from the buildings all around me. I mean, look at this. Now we spoke earlier about a famous beer house that is no longer here. This one hasn't gone anywhere. This is Hofbrauhaus. Am I saying it right? Hofbrauhaus. And yeah, it's an institution here in Munich. It's been around since the 16th century. I think that this is the center of the action for the Oktoberfest celebrations. But yeah, one look at this building, you can see that it's not just another bar. This is a real piece of German history, you could say. There's three levels to this place. I won't show you every table, but I'm sure during Oktoberfest the entire place is full. It's hard to believe the logistics of even getting that many tables their drinks. It's insane to think about. I'm gonna have a drink, but I'm gonna go somewhere a bit quieter. I saw a place around the corner that looks nice. Yeah, a bit more local. Yeah, this is what I'm looking for. So drinkable, so crisp. It was actually the Bavarian purity law of, what was it, like 1526, something like that, that declared what it means to have a pure beer. And a lot of the beers from this region follow that till this day. Yeah, for me that's the perfect beer. It's crisp, it's drinkable. For me, it's just, it's everything I want in a beer, you know. Anyway, as nice as a nice cold beer is on a hot day, there's one thing that could be even better, and it's what I'm going to show you next. This was suggested by some new friends I met at the hostel I'm staying at. I think I'm going to meet them there. Should be a good time. Alright, I see some big crowds up ahead. I think this is the place. Welcome to English Gardens, or Englischer Garten, I think is how they call it in German. Want to join the vlog? Found you. Can't believe there's like a million people and the first people I see is you. Yeah, it's awesome. I know, what an amazing day too, like the weather is just out as well. Have you experienced the magic river? No, we're about to get in, we're waiting for you. Yo Taz, where are we? You want to introduce this amazing place? Yes, we are in Munich at the park, the English Gardens, and we're about to swim down this motherfucking river. Let's go, let's go. Uh-oh, what is happening? This is so cool. Oh ----. So apparently, there's a metro stop that you can ride back to the beginning of that river, and because this is like exclusively people with no stuff, because you're just swimming and floating and surviving, you don't have to pay for the metro, you can just ride it. So that was one of the more interesting experiences I've had in my life. As you can see, they have a train that can take you from the end of the river to the beginning, and it's free because nobody has their wallet with them, so. It's beautiful. That's your song? Yeah. That was sick. Thanks. So you two, this is a new buddy, Taz. Hello, hello. Staying at the same hostel? Yep. And you were telling me, is this your first time solo traveling? It is, yes. How's that experience going for you? Oh, it's amazing, meeting people like you guys. You too, Dylan, right? Yeah. Dylan, fellow Canadian? First time traveling, first time in Europe at all? Yes, I'm here. Yeah, it's amazing. So sometimes I like to ask people about that, because like people might watch travel vlogs because they're like scared to travel, they haven't traveled before. Yeah. Any words of wisdom, like anything you can share about solo traveling for the first time? Book the trip, don't overthink it. Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. It's like the late. Save up, have money, book the trip. Yeah. Just buy groceries at the supermarket. Is it hard sometimes, any like tough parts of solo traveling? Missing your family. You'll miss home. Yeah. But it's the sacrifice that you make. Or you'll miss like, you'll miss certain aspects of being home, like maybe a lot of things you'll realize you take for granted back home, you know? Little comforts. Yeah, comforts, especially big comforts even, you know? It's silly little things, you know? So just book the trip. Hell yeah. Yeah, and you get to learn so much about yourself. It's great. So Taz is a super talented musician, as you can see. Do you want to shout out like your Instagram or where someone can find your music? Yeah, I mean everywhere, thank you. It's just Taz Flower. So T-A-Z Flower. Yeah. L-O-W-L-E. How would you describe your music? Oh, music that takes you to a new place or gives you a new feeling about a certain place. Progress. What's your experience been in Munich? I love Munich. I think it's one of my favorite places I've been, honestly. This river here is like the best thing ever. There's so many people and everyone's so happy and chill. Yeah, the best parts. And there's also a lot of history and culture here, which I have enjoyed learning about.