Munich’s Famed Hofbrauhaus

Hofbrauhaus is known far & wide as Munich’s signature beer hall, so we had to check it out. I have to say, the food, the atmosphere, and the beer lived up to the hype! One of my favorite meals in Munich.

Englischer Garden Park & Eisbach Surfing Wave

Munich’s most famous park gets its glory for good reason. Sprawling fields, a babbling creek, wildflowers & a giant Chinese Pagoda/Biergarten–what’s not to love? The locals certainly do as it was packed on a Thursday. Who doesn’t love a beer in the sun?
And you can’t not stop by to admire the athletic talents of the surfers at the Eisbach. Yes, surfers in the middle of a park, in the middle of a city, in the middle of a landlocked country in Europe. The Eisbach is a man-made surfing wave from a fast flowing river. The wave is narrow so the surfers must be talented, and not to mention, they have quite an audience watching them there every day so only the most confident try it out.

Dallmayr: Munich’s Luxury Food Hall

A family owned business with some of the most famous coffee in all of Europe, Dallmayr has every delicious specialty food you could want–from fresh produce, fish, meats, homemade breads and the sweets—oh the sweets! I took home a box of their sugary fruit gelees as well as their local honeys. But trust me, I could eat all my meals at Dallmary everyday. This is how food markets should be.

Munich’s Best Beergarden

In my opinion, Munich’s Best Beer Garden is the Wirsthaus at BavariaPark, and believe me, that is high praise. Munich is home to some of the best beer gardens, large & small, indoors & out. This one really struck me because of it’s laid back “locals-only” atmosphere, naturally beautiful landscape, very good food and of course, Munich’s favorite Augustiner beer on tap. It’s also just steps away from the Oktoberfest fairgrounds.

They also have the upscale Kongresshalle bar next door, perfect for the transition from a few steins and food by day, to a classy cocktail & dancing by night. Put this on your itinerary for Munich and plan to stay a while. 🙂

Get Lost in Munich

Get Lost in Germany with Kelley Ferro web series sponsored by Germany Tourism

From the highest peaks, to the rowdiest beer halls to the loveliest outdoor gardens, Kelley takes her show to Germany to discover the best sights, bites & things to do in Munich, Bavaria and Cologne.
THIS EPISODE: Kelley explores the Bavarian capital city of Munich and shows her top picks for what you must do in this historic, beer filled, cultural city! From the Eisbach surfing wave, to the Viktualienmarkt, to donning a dirndl at Lola Paltinger, or even digging in to some pretzels & beer at Hofbrauhaus–she takes you to Munich’s finest!

The Creation of Perfume: Cologne’s Fragrance Museum

Get Lost It might seem obvious that perfume was invented in Cologne, but the history behind this ‘eau de parfum’ is fascinating. This entertaining tour/performance brings you back to the Middle Ages and takes you through the process and development of the sweet scents that we’ve come to know today.

Hotel Widder, Zurich

Hotel Widder. If you go to Zurich, you have to stay here. There’s nothing more to say. Best location, best design, best staff, best food and best bar hands down. Don’t believe me? Then watch this:

 

Swiss Miss for a Week: Saint Moritz

Swiss Miss in Saint Moritz Video

Swiss Miss: Skiing in Saint Moritz Video

Saint Moritz. Glitz. Glamor. Snow. Furry boots. There’s a reason “ritz” is in the name. The city is just as popular among the jetset today as it was 50 years ago. St Moritz feels like a really upscale fairytale. Softly falling snow, gourmet chocolates, bustling pastry shops which may have taken advantage of equipment from shop supplies, chic shops in whimsical buildings and grandiose 5 star hotels. No wonder the likes of Grace Kelly and George Clooney have called St Moritz their winter retreat.

Just getting off the train, I had this overwhelming sense that Saint Moritz was THE place to be “wintering.” It didn’t hurt that I was there just days before the “White Turf,” a series of equine competitions all held on top of the city’s now frozen glacial lake.

I was experiencing the city in style, staying at the oldest and one of the most famous 5 Stars, the Kulm Hotel and skiing incredible ski area. Now this is what it’s like to live luxe.

id=”attachment_220″ align=”alignright” width=”224″ caption=”The peak of Corviglia in St Moritz”

I only had two nights in the city and was quite busy filming, eating sumptuous breakfasts, checking out the spa & gym and exploring the town. To be honest, I almost didn’t really feel like going skiing–trekking up to the hill in all my gear, freezing my buns off for a few runs just to say I did it.

Wow was I wrong. My few hours skiing ended up being the best skiing of my life and probably the biggest highlight of the trip (which is saying A LOT). Not only did the Engadin Tourism board make the rental process and transport to the peak extremely easy (the funicular literally takes you from street to peak in around 10 minutes), but the mountain itself was just stunning. I still lose myself in the mental images of the incredible peaks, the perfectly groomed trails, the open spaces and lack of lift lines. When Angela forced me to stop for lunch, I had the most delicious ski resort lunch of rosti with ham. I think she thought it was pretty funny how much I raved and I’m pretty sure my actual skiing wasn’t so pretty as I was so distracted. I told her that she was so so lucky to have this in her backyard and to be able to take a few runs on her lunch break (what!?).

I indulged, as the Saint Moritz-ers do, in an apres ski gluwein at the Hauser’s lively outdoor bar before returning for a swanky evening of cocktail parties, night ice skating, a delicious dinner and a jazz concert at the Kulm. My adrenaline was still racing all evening from the amazing trails and I truly understood why St Moritz was the birthplace of the winter ski holiday.

To see more photos from the trip, take a look here: [slideshow]


Stay tuned for more St Moritz fun at the historic, and opulent, Kulm Hotel St Moritz.