Page 44 - Журнал «Русский Берег» #14-2022

ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ | TRAVEL RUSSIAN COAST | № 6/14 2022

After Alanya, Munich seems pleasantly cool and green and
deserted. The only place where people crowd is the fairs, and of
course the shops. In November, in honor of Black Friday, there’s a
sale of 20% on everything, and on many more 30%, so that people
come off.
Not many real antiquities have been preserved in the architecture
of Munich. The city wall that surrounded the city until the beginning
of the 19th century was replaced by wide boulevards which now
serve as the main transport highway, and several medieval gates
have been preserved along it which are now a noticeable decorative
element. Inside the boundaries of the medieval walls, several old
quarters with old houses have been preserved, they are lovingly
restored, very well maintained, and look nice. But there will most
likely be a Starbucks inside. At the end of the 19th century, two
wide majestic avenues were laid in the city along which pompous
buildings of universities, museums, municipalities were built,
decorated with monuments that symbolize the greatness of Bavaria.
In the city center, surrounded by pedestrian streets full of global
brand stores, is the Museum Residence of the Bavarian Rulers. The
most important thing that can be said about it is that it is huge. If we
take the Louvre, the Hermitage and Topkapi Palace and put them
together, we get a shrinked version of the Residence. All of it is open
as a museum for tourists to visit for 10 euros. The ticket indicates that
the walking route through the Residence is 2.5 hours. It is 2.5 hours embroidery and silver buttons which can cost two or three thousand
if you walk very fast and do not look at the endless gilded ceilings, euros and this will be a real work of art. Entire floors are dedicated to
wood carvings, tapestries, halls of the Nibelungs. In general, this is national costumes in large department stores.
for an amateur. If there were five of such halls, it would be interesting, The people are all very friendly and sociable. The shop assistants,
but 250 for my liking is too much. the cashiers at the stations, everyone seems to speak perfect English.
Compelling treasury with crowns of the German rulers of the XIII Moreover, when they hear that you speak Russian, they will always
century. The design looks extraordinarily relevant, laconic modern say spasibo or zdravstvuite. There are also many Russian-speaking
forms, people back then did not yet know how to cut precious stones, people who came either a long time ago or just this year, and
but could only polish them. You can go to party right away. everyone is happy, supportive, willing to help.
The spirit of national identity is generally very strong in Bavaria. Bavaria is, as they say, the tourist Mecca of Germany, especially
They don’t call themselves Germans, they are Bavarians. The local for those who prefer ecological and sports tourism. And there are
dialect is quite different from classical German. They wear national almost all natural zones from the snowy highlands to the lowlands.
costumes all the time. The Swabian Alb with large lakes with turquoise water (Lakes
But beer restaurants that have been operating on the same site Starnbergersee near Starnberg, Chiemsee and Lake Ammersee)
since the 16th century also produce their own beer. They are always stretches from the Alps to the Danube. Donaurid stretches along the
full of people. You can always take a seat, but most likely it will be a Danube, then Gauboden, Germany’s great granary. This landscape
common table for 10-12 people. Germans in beer restaurants gather is cut by the Bavarian Forest in the east: there is a solid sea of forests
in huge families with grandparents on both sides, with parents, with from Passau to Regensburg and the border with the Czech Republic.
children: both teenagers and very little ones. Already from 12 o’clock To the north are the Fichtelgebirge Nature Park, the Franconian Forest
on weekends they sit, chat, drink beer from liter mugs, eat sausages and the Upper Palatinate Forest. The mountains of Bavaria are a
and spend most of the day in this way. heavenly place for hiking and trekking, there are many parks with
They must wear national costumes. The men wear leather shorts luxurious palaces.
(even in winter), blue-and-white checked shirts, and feathered If someone is tired of admiring the Mediterranean sunsets, then fly
hunting hats. By the way, the length of the feather on the hat is for a couple of weeks, you will not regret it. But by the end of the trip,
equal to the length of you know what. Women wear very beautiful I strongly felt drawn home. Oh yeah! I called Turkey home for the first
Bavarian dresses with corsets. They are called Dirndl, they are time! But six months ago, I could not come to terms with the fact that
simple, made of wool, in winter you can walk in it alone, no coat is I had to leave that, it seemed, the only Moscow home. How quickly
needed. And there are extraordinarily beautiful silk ones with hand and imperceptibly everything changes!

44