What actually makes Munich special? Every millionaire village idiot can easily answer the question: beer, of course! And what else? That’s where it gets more difficult. Oktoberfest, of course. Football, of course. If you still have some idea of history, you might think of the “capital of the movement”. And you already have a kind of cross-section of Munich’s history.
At least, if you put together a virtual city tour through the centuries, like the company Time Ride does. Four years ago she presented a journey through Bavarian history in her rooms in Tal 21. Equipped with cyber goggles, you can take a bird’s-eye view of a virtual reality tour through various stations in King Ludwig II’s peacock chariot, which in turn is attached to a balloon.
Now there is a new tour in the valley, through Munich’s city history. “This time no longer from a bird’s eye view,” says Time Ride boss Jonas Rothe, “but rather from a frog’s or human perspective.” You can also experience Munich from above – in the second part of the show you fly over the city again in a peacock balloon. Otherwise, however, one stays on the ground, but does not dig too deep.
The show “Apud munichen”, meaning “with the monks”, is named after the name for Munich from the very first documentary mention, and it starts with a look at the first city wall. You walk through the medieval city, experience jousting tournaments on Marienplatz, watch the master builders completing the Frauenkirche and the devil how he stamps his feet in anger and leaves his footprint in the entrance area of the cathedral.
Briefly one wonders where the Bavaria stands
It continues through the centuries, Napoleon makes Bavaria a kingdom and the Bavarians accompany him on the Russian campaign. To balance things out, there’s a royal wedding with horse racing; the Oktoberfest is born. One is briefly surprised that the Bavaria is said to be “on the Sendlingerhöhe” – isn’t the district called Schwanthalerhöhe after Ludwig Schwanthaler, the creator of the Bavaria?
When you start your journey, you have to climb into a beer barrel in the valley before you get your virtual reality glasses fitted.
(Photo: Mark Siaulys Pfeiffer)
Then comes Ludwig II and his fairytale winter garden on the Residenz, but there is no prince regent period and no First World War, instead there is the political turmoil of the 1920s, the Nazi takeover and finally the destruction of the Second World War. The 1972 Olympic Games make things right again, and the highlight is the Olympic Stadium in 1974, where Franz Beckenbauer is in the honorary stand just accepting the football world champion’s trophy and holding it up to the cheers of the crowd.
Yes, all this is Munich, and that’s probably how the normal tourist wants to see it too. In that sense, there isn’t too much to object to. Some of the details of the 360 degree and 3D show turned out really pretty. And one or the other thing even long-established Munich residents don’t know – that the city was actually a city of wine until the late Middle Ages and only then became the home of beer.
You walk through the medieval city and experience knight tournaments on Marienplatz.
(Photo: Time Ride)
Whereby this aspect is a bit overemphasized in the not only virtual time travel. Not only do you have to climb into a beer keg before you get your virtual reality glasses fitted. But also because after the show you are really invited to a beer tavern for a tasting. There you can try Augustiner Dunkles, Hofbräu Weißbier and Spaten Helles – three types of beer that actually played a certain role in Munich’s history and allow the company Time Ride to nonchalantly point out that the brewery tour in Andechs Monastery was designed with virtual reality glasses, which you can also book. Is there a non-alcoholic version for children and other non-drinkers like in Munich?
The tour in the beer barrel, peacock balloon and parlor costs 21.90 euros and reduced two euros less. If the virtual reality is not enough for you, you can also book a variant with an analogue walk through the old town and mobile virtual reality glasses as well as a city guide. Three quarters of an hour then costs 19.90 euros on weekdays (reduced 16.90 euros) and on weekends and public holidays 22.90 euros, 90 minutes 29.90 euros and 24.90 euros (bookable via www.timeride.de/muenchen/timeridego).