When we arrived at the city it immediately felt like I was walking into a museum and a city blended together. It was way more walkable than every city I have been in back in the United States. It was very easy to move through the city, more walkways, more methods of public transportation, bike paths, basically everything a city needs to ensure every citizen can get around effectively.
Along with that the city felt organized. The town hall was dead center of everything that was going on. While we did explore, the main area had all the shops, restaurants, and even more of what you would need in a city.
I honestly only hear English and German spoken there however. I thought I would hear some Italian, maybe some French but I did not come across any other languages than what I was hearing for the majority of the trip.
While I did see the historic town hall and many Bavarian traditions with the big log in the center of the market square and also the Hofstra house, there were other parts that just felt touristy and it felt like that for a good portion of the city. However, even though some areas felt very tourist heavy, especially around major attractions and shopping areas, the city still felt authentic because locals themselves seemed connected to the culture and traditions surrounding it.
The closer we got to the Dachau visit, the more I found myself thinking about the contrast between modern Munich and the history connected to it. It was strange to walk through such a beautiful and prosperous city while also knowing what had once developed nearby. Especially considering I am not a Jewish person but in a Jewish fraternity, this thought was certainly in the back of my head and was something I was thinking about for a good portion of the trip. Just thinking about how some of the brothers in my frat had distant family members killed by the Nazi party. All in all, the historic landmarks we saw and what we learned about in the city set the scene for what would be a very educational but dark tour the next day and Dachau.