Lost property offices

1. Stadtverwaltung

Lost property on the streets and public transport

Oetztaler  Str. 19
Tel. 089 – 2339 6045
Mon, Weds and Fri 7:30-12:00
Tues 10-18:00
Thurs 10:00-16:00

2. Deutsche Bahn AG

Hauptbahnhof
Bahnhofplatz 2, Main hall on the left
Tel. 089- 13086664
Mon-Fri 7:00-20:00
Sat, Sun, Holidays 8:00-18:00

3. Airport Munich

Zentralbereich (central area), Ebene 03 (level 03)
Tel. 975-2 1370

Mon-Sun 06:00-23:00 and

Terminal 2
Tel. 975-2 2870
24 hours a day

Munich Climate

Munich Climate

Since Munich is quite far qway from the sea, it has a continental climat, which means: hot summers and cold winters.

Jan to March

Really, really cold, like down to -10 and sometimes -15. It’s mostly dry, so a dump of snow lasts for weeks. If you come at this time, bring a hat, scarf and other warm stuff. It gets really cold!

April to June

April and May weather is variable, there can be showers, drizzly rain, cold weather, warm and it’s generally a bit all over the place. Towards the end of May though, it starts to get nice and you’ll see the street cafe culture starting up.

July to September

Very hot with thunderstorms. The summers in Munich are really hot and much to the annoyance of the beer garden owners frequently there are thunderstorms in the evenings. They usually pass quickly though and don’t dampen spirits.

October to December

Towards the end of the year not surprisingly it gets colder and rainier. If we’re lucky it snows in time for the Christmas markets though the last two years have been annoyingly mild. There is nothing like standing with a mulled wine on crunchy snow looking at the snow flakes falling. Fingers crossed.

So when to come?

My advice to friends it to either come in the winter when it’s nice and cold with snow, so you can go skiing in the nearby Alps, or come in the summer and enjoy the beer-gardens. Spring and Autumn can be a bit depressing.

Travellers facts

Travellers facts

1. Clocks are set to Central European time which is GMT/UTC plus one hour.

2. Electricity is 220V, 50 Hz. Plugs are European ones with two pins.

3. Weight and measures. Germans use the metric system with commas to indicate decimals and points to separate thousands e.g. 1.300,45.

Tourist Offices

Tourist Offices

The Munich tourist board and the two tourist information offices are your primary source of information. They will be pleased to make your stay in Munich as pleasant as possible. Staff are happy to help you find accomodation and to inform you about entertainment and cultural events in the city.

You are welcome to visit the Munich Tourist Offices at the Central Station and at the Town Hall at Marienplatz – both are easily accessible by public transport.

Tourist Office at City Hall
Marienplatz 2
80331 München

Opening hours:
Mon to Fri 10am – 8pm
Sat 10am – 4pm

Tourist Office at Main Station
Central Train Station
Bahnhofsplatz 2
80335 München

Opening hours:
Mon to Sat 9am – 8:30pm
Sun 10am – 6pm

Munich Tourist Board
Tourismusamt München
Sendlinger Straße 1
80331 München

Tel.: +49 (0)89 233 96 500
Fax: +49 (0)89 233 30 233

Opening hours:
Mon to Thu 9:30am – 3pm
Fri 9:30am – 12:30pm

Emergency Numbers

Emergency Numbers

The most important emergency numbers are.

  • Police 110
  • Fire Brigade 112
  • Emergency Medical Services 112
  • Poison Emergency Telephone Service 089-19240(important here is to know the weight of the person who injected any chemical / drug, age and the amount taken. Before calling, write these points down.
  • Patient Transport Ambulance 089-19222
  • Emergency Dentalservice 089 – 72330-93 and 089 – 72330 – 94

History

History

Munich was founded (1158) by Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and of Bavaria near a settlement (Munichen) that was established in Carolingian times. In 1255 it was chosen as the residence of the Wittelsbach family, the dukes of Bavaria and later became (1506) the capital of the dukedom.

During the Thirty Years War, Munich was occupied (1632) by Gustavus II of Sweden. In 1806 the city was made capital of the kingdom of Bavaria. Under the kings Louis I (1825–48), Maximilian II (1848–64), and Louis II (1864–86), Munich became a cultural and artistic center, and it played a leading role in the development of 19th- and 20th-century German painting.

After World War I the city was the scene of considerable political unrest. National Socialism (Nazism) was founded there, and on Nov. 8, 1923, Adolf Hitler failed in his attempted Munich “beer-hall putsch”—a coup aimed at the Bavarian government. Despite this fiasco, Hitler made Munich the headquarters of the Nazi party, which in 1933 took control of the German national government.

Michael Cardinal Faulhaber, the archbishop of Munich, was one of the few outspoken critics of the National Socialist regime. In Sept., 1938, the Munich Pact was signed in the city; in 1939 Hitler suppressed a Bavarian separatist plot there. Munich was badly damaged during World War II, but after 1945 it was extensively rebuilt and many modern buildings were constructed.

Generally the sky line of Munich is not very high for the reason that the height limit on buildings (logically) was limited to the height of the fire engines of the day. As you look across the Munich skyline, church spires dominate.

In 1973 it hosted the Olympic Games for which were built the Olympic stadium, and also the underground system. Munich remains the capital of Bavaria, and is where German chancellor candidate Edmund Stoiber has his seat of power.

About Munich

About Munich

Layout of the City

Like many cities, Munich started out as a small town enclosed by a wall and then expanded beyond it. The ‘inner city’ occupies such a small area that everything is close and easy to visit, and you’ll get a sense of the orignal wall, indeed, the gates still remain.

The river Isar flows through the city and it is generally a very green place. The enormous Englischer Garten, is a park with a boating lake and beer garden (of course) and is well worth a visit.

Geography and Weather

Munich is the largest city in the south of Germany and is about an hour and a half drive from the Alps. Most of the time the mountains are just a dark unclear shadow on the horizon, but with the right weather conditions – specifically a special wind called the Foehn – , they become crystal and beautifully clear. This is when the postcard pictures get taken. Munich is very close to Austria, Switzerland and after a short hop through Austria, also Italy.

It is a mostly flat place and has true continental weather i.e. very warm in the summer, and very cold in the winter. The summer sees quite a few thunderstorms in the evenings, but far more beautiful sunsets. If you come in the winter, bring really warm clothes, in summer the nights are balmy but bring a small umbrella just in case.

Under an hours drive away to the south (with train connections too of course) are the lakes which is where many Muncheners head for during the summer months. These are glacial lakes, and therefore deep and cold till well into summer, though there are also smaller ones which warm up more quickly.

Industry

Munich is much more than just the venue for the Oktoberfest, it’s the high-tech capital of Germany with many international companies choosing to have their European headquarters here. BMW, MAN (truckmaker) and MTU (aeroengine maker) are also based in Munich as are countless other firms.

It’s a super modern exhibition centre, both a film and fashion centre and has the highest density of publishing houses of any place in the world except New York.

Culture

You could lose yourself for days in the Deutsches Museum or in any of a number of the other museums and galleries and there are countless beautiful churches and other buildings to explore.

Munich is a very culturally active city too with its orchestras, ensembles, opera houses and theatre. All the major music artists will pass through Munich on their European tours. Flick through any of Munich’s events magazines to get a sense of how much is going on and if you’re here for a longer stay, there are even two English cinemas as well as a number of English video libraries.

Beer

Any German will tell you that German beer is the best in the world, and having lived here for two years I agree wholeheartedly. Bavaria has a vast number of breweries, large and small and it is worth trying as many different types as possible. Beer is so special to Bavarians, that it isn’t even classified as alcohol, it’s a ‘health drink’ and rather amazingly, next to the soft drink machines in factories you can find beer vending machines.

Incidentally beer making ingredients are not allowed to include preservatives or chemicals of any kind. Explore the beer cellars and beer gardens, visit some of the breweries actually in Munich and if you’re really keen explore the supermarkets, you’ll be pleasantly amazed at the prices.

There are also numerous beer festivals throughout the year with the most famous of all being the infamous ‘Oktoberfest’ which is definitely worth a visit. Be careful though, the stuff’s around 8%.

Sport

Besides all this, Munich is a soccer capital with no less than three clubs playing in the Bundesliga, the German equivalent of the English Premier League. The incredible Olympic Stadium complex, Olympic tower and park built for 1973 Olympic games are a must on the visit list.

As soon as the weather is warm, the parks and cycle paths fill up with roller-bladers. During the warmer months on Monday evenings, there is a massive roller blading procession through the city and numbers are usually over 12,000.

In summer, people tip into the mountains to enjoy mountain walking and climbing and when it gets cold again they head off to the mountains nearby to ski.

Some facts about Munich:

Population: 1,300,000

Area: 310 sq km (121 sq mi)

Time: GMT/UTC+1

Telephone Area Code: 49-(0)89