Monuments of Munich: Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) Sven Teschke CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Monuments of Munich: Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower)

By  Tuesday, 24.11.2015, 18:16    Tourist Sites

Munich has various Asian influences, from the Japanese tea garden in the Englischer Garten to the various beautiful Asian gardens in Westpark, but there is no doubt which is the most popular. With its location in the heart of the Englischer Garten and a beer garden which is the second largest in all Munich with more than 7,000 seats, it is no surprise that the Chinesischer Turm (or Chinese Tower) is so popular. Soak up a little of the atmosphere in this video.

The tower dates all the way back to 1790, which a 25-metre wooden structure ws constructed, modelled on the Great Padoga in the Royal Botanical Gardens in London. The original tower was burned down after heacy bombing in 1944, but it was rebuilt to the original size and structure in September 1952. 

Sporting fans will enjoy the Chinesischer Turm even more during major sporting events, as giant screens appear with live coverage, which adds to the lively atmosphere, but one event nobody should miss is the annual Kocherlball in July, an annual event which takes place on the third Sunday in July between 05:30 and 10:00. The less than sociable hour is due to the event, which celebrates a tradition among the serving classes of the 19th century nobility, who would meet every Saturday for a dance at Chinesischer Turm, usually before work around 4am. It is one of Munich's most colourful festivals, and you can get a flavour of it here.

Chinesischer Turm
Englischer Garten 3
80538 Munich
+49-(0)89-38387320
www.chinaturm.de

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Paul Bradbury

After 12 years living on the most gorgeous island in the world, Hvar in Dalmatia, I have begun to wonder if there is still life beyond its shores. Prior to discovering Paradise in 2002, I was a world traveller, living and working in Japan, Georgia, Somalia, Rwanda, Russia... and Munich.

After 95 countries and some 25 years have passed, the memories of my year in the hotel industry in the Bavarian capital (fired by the Sheraton for losing our pet snake, the first male chambermaid at Hotel Arabella, and a truly eye-watering introduction to five-star living in  my days as a bellboy in luxury Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten) are strong, and the call of Munich has been a constant theme over the last quarter century. 

And so here I am, answering the call some 25 years later. Twelve years of island living have changed me for sure, but also left me curious about life in a big city, and whether or not I could adapt to it after such an insular decade. 

I was surprised to see that for such a magnificent multi-cultural city, English-language blogs and regularly updated information are not that available. Static tourism information, such as that provided by the excellent tourist board website yes, but accounts of daily life delivered daily? Hard to find.

And so I have decided to take a break from my idyllic island and see if I could live in a city again. And what better way to try than to discover modern Munich in all its facets after so many years. It is a journey of discovery which I am relishing, and I hope the site proves to be of interest for Munich residents and its numerous visitors.

About Paul Bradbury

Author of Lebanese Nuns Don't Ski, Lavender, Dormice and a Donkey Named Mercedes and Hvar's first comprehensive guidebook, Hvar: An Insider's Guide to Croatia's Premier Island, as well as co-author of Split: An Insider's Guide with Mila Hvilshoj, I have lived in Dalmatia full time since 2003. In addition to running Total Munich, I also run Total Split (www.croatia-split.com), Total Hvar (www.total-hvar.com) and Total Inland Dalmatia (www.total-inland-dalmatia.com), as well as being an accredited Google News journalist for Digital Journal in Canada.

I also have various blogging clients, including the Central Dalmatia Tourist Board, European Coastal Airlines, Touristar TV and Andro Tomic Wines, and print clients include Qatar Airways inflight magazine, Out! magazine from New York, and Croatian Hotspots. 

In December 2014 I was delighted to receive the Marko Polo 2014 Award from FIJET Croatia (Federation of International Travel Writers and Journalists)  at a ceremony for the Croatian Journalists Society for the best international tourism promotion of Croatia. More here.

Ongoing writing projects:

A History of Hajduk Split, co-author with Frane Grgurevic - in 2015

Around the World in 80 Disasters - out in 2015

Total Hvar in the Media:

Interview of the Month, Croatian Embassy in Washington (May 2013)

Special Feature in Globus Magazine (May 2013)

Featured on Croatian TV show, More (2012) - watch the report here

Interviews in Slobodna Dalmacija, Dalmacijanews, Radio Split

I am available for writing services. Please contact me on [email protected] or visit my main writing website, www.bossandblogger.com 

Website: total-hvar.com Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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