Under $100: Munich, Germany

Frauenkirche’s pipe organ in Munich, Germany © Afagundes | Dreamstime

Bavaria’s capital starts the day off with sugary goodness. When in Munich, you should grab a coffee and a schmalznudel at Café Frischhut-Die Schmalznudel. Right next to Viktualienmarkt, the wood-laced café specializes in schmalznudel, a deep-fried, cheesy golden pastry. Coffee and a schmalznudel at Café Frischhut-Die Schmalznudel won’t set you back more than $6.

On a sugar high, you can begin touring some of Munich’s most famous sights including the Altes Rathaus, located in the city’s Marienplatz. The medieval structure was rebuilt after being leveled during World War II. To survey the city before you conquer it, you can also climb up the tower of Munich’s Frauenkirche. The gothic cathedral offers tours for roughly $8.

Having spent under $20 on your morning activities, you can splurge on lunch in Munich’s Schrannenhalle, a glass-domed marketplace that once functioned as a grain hall. Filled with eateries, you can sample some of Munich’s most exclusive restaurants and gastronomic delights.

Classic 328 at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany © Prestonia | Dreamstime

To work off your lunch, travelers should roam Munich’s museum scene. If it happens to be Sunday, you can enter a number of the city’s museums without paying more than $2 for each museum. The Bayerisches National Museum and Alte Pinahothek cost just €1 a piece on Sundays. Other notable museums in Munich include the BMW Museum and the Deutsches Museum. To visit both museums, you will pay about $20 in entrance fees.

With roughly $40 left to spend in Munich, you can roam its many leafy parks. Schloss Nymphenburg might charge an entrance fee to see the summer residence of Max Emanuel, but the baroque park and landscape garden on the palace grounds is free to wander. After getting lost in the gardens of Schloss Nymphenburg, you can move on to another famed Munich green space, the English Garden. Touted as one of the largest urban parks in the world, the English Garden was laid out in 1789. It makes for a good spot for a walk or bike ride.

All of that roaming might leave you a little parched. Right in the English Garden, you can find a beer garden, one of the oldest in town. Right next to the hard-to-miss Chinese Tower, a giant pretzel and a beer in this green space runs less than $20.

After touring and imbibing in Munich all day long, you should have plenty left in your pocket for dinner at the traditional Bavarian eatery, Bratwurstherzl. The restaurant serves up main dinner entrees for under $15, some even on heart shaped plates.