Bicycling the Danube - 1 - Munich

Sunday, 23 August 2026

We did a 3-week trip to bicycle the Danube Cycle Path (Donauradweg) from Passau, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, with additional stops in Munich and Prague. We booked through Freedom Treks in the UK, who then subcontracted to Rad+Reisen Eurocycle, who subcontracted to oö touristic for the Passau to Vienna portion and my e-bike. But first, we flew to Munich, the nearest large airport to Passau.

While it looks old (and very Gothic!), this is the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall). The Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall is off to the right, and since it gets painted regularly, it actually looks newer.

The glockenspiel in the Neues Rathaus plays several times a day. We caught the noon performance.

It was Sunday, so most churches were closed until 1 or 2 PM - after the morning masses were completed. Heilig Geist Kirche (Holy Ghost Church) was open for visiting. We returned in the evening for an organ concert.

The Theatinerkirche is near the Residenz museum and the Hofgarten.

After the organ concert we walked back through bustling Marienplatz. The tall Gothic tower is the Neues Rathaus, and the towers in the background are the Frauenkirche. 

Frauenkirche. The inability to get far enough back to get a decent photo is typical of towers in "Old Town" parts of cities - not just Munich.

The walk back to our hotel was filled with performers - most bands had interesting combinations of instruments, but this band from Ukraine may have had the most eclectic mix.

Most of the bands were mixing it up with classical pieces (Bach, Mozart, Handel) with more contemporary pop music (ABBA was a favorite).