November in Nymphenburg: Introduction

Welcome to November! Is it just me or has this year gone by super fast? Hopefully the day we can travel as we please again is hurtling towards us at the same speed, but until that time, let me introduce Schloss Nymphenburg. I’ll be doing a whole month on it’s various buildings and gardens, so this is very much a brief intro to get the whole ‘bring good walking shoes!’ bit out of the way.

This Palace is found on what was once the outskirts of Munich and was, at the beginning of it’s life in 1664, a hunting lodge which was gradually expanded by various families over the years. Outbuildings were added, and eventually the palace was engulfed by the city of Munich. It’s a testament to how lush and broad the grounds are that it is, like Versailles, very quiet, and one would hardly think oneself near the heart of a world class metropolis.

While exploring Nymphenburg I recommend bringing a camera, and a backpack with water bottles and a few snacks. These can’t be taken into museum rooms but you can have them out on the grounds, just be sure to clean up after yourself. There are also no lockers available because of Covid, but perhaps when the pandemic is officially pronounced over they will be available again. Depending on if you just want to see the gardens or if you want to go inside the main palace and the carriage museum the price of your ticket may change, however the highest rate is only  €8 euro, which is roughly $16 CAD. To my mind, that’s a fair price. If you have an international data plan on your phone or you have a European sim card you can download the Nymphenburg Park app free on your phone.

Forest and I had purchased a Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus tour for our trip to Munich, so we chose to use it as transportation to and from Nymphenburg. It took us most of the day to go through it, so I recommend going as soon as the palace opens. It’s a large place, and you’ll need a good portion of your day to make the full tour of the grounds. I recommend doing so, especially if you have a friend as wonderful as Forest to keep you company. The front office will give you a map, and there are signs posted as to where each trail leads, so you needen’t worry about getting lost. Take the map, mark it up as you please, and get to exploring!

Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe gentle reader.