From 21 to 25 October, JEF Turku’s board travelled to the jewel of Bavaria, Munich. A long break from excursions and meeting people in person made sure we set off full of enthusiasm and expectation. Our excursion was organised in cooperation with our twinning regional organisation in Munich, so we also want to thank JEF Munich for helping us organise the trip and for the varied programme of events they put together for us.
Our first excursion day was spent travelling and marvelling at a new city. It was also fantastic that JEF Munich’s international officer was there to meet us right at the airport, thanks to which we already got to hear plenty of interesting facts about the changing scenery and Munich’s different districts on the airport train. The highlight of the first evening was an event called Roundtable organised for us, where we met other JEF members from Munich’s and Bavaria’s regional boards, as well as other active local actors. It was also great that Florian Siekmann from the Bavarian State Parliament had been secured as a speaker for the event. Siekmann told us, among other things, about the EU’s regional policy and border policy. We also discussed the similarities and differences in how the EU’s presence shows up in our domestic politics and media. After an interesting evening, we still got to visit Ludwig Maximilian University, which was a magnificent university building in its own right and held some fascinating stories from history.
Our second excursion day began with a train ride to Dachau and the Dachau concentration camp. The experience was eye-opening and sobering. Special thanks to our guide, who was able to tell us about the camp’s history in a way that will surely stay with every one of us. From Dachau we hurried straight back to the train and to Marienplatz, where, after some currywurst, we joined a guided city tour arranged for us. The tour focused on Munich’s history and culture, such as its former kings and its architecture. Along the way our guide also showed us the main landmarks, such as the opera house, the new town hall, the Biergarten – or “beer garden” – and numerous churches and restaurants. A big thank you again to our fantastic guide! We continued the evening at a traditional Bavarian restaurant (The Schneider Bräuhaus), where we got to sample Bavarian food and drink. The group’s clear favourite turned out to be a true comfort-food dish called Käsespätzle.
Our third excursion day started with wandering around the city centre, taking photos and doing a bit of shopping, but above all with waiting for the Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim match. It was great to see how much the afternoon’s match was already showing on the streets of Munich – scarves and a festive mood were everywhere you looked. After lunch we finally headed off together towards the Allianz Arena, and to our delight a few Germans got to join us for the match as well. The match itself was an amazing experience, and it was especially great to experience a genuine Bundesliga game together with 60,000 other roaring fans. Bayern Munich–Hoffenheim was the first match since the pandemic where the entire stadium was opened up, so the atmosphere was tangible in that sense too. Despite the huge crowd, leaving the arena was surprisingly smooth, and we made it comfortably back to the city centre by train. In the evening we ate together at one of the university restaurants, where we also continued the evening together as a group. It was great to get a taste of the local student culture too.
On Sunday morning, thanks to the beautiful weather, we decided to have our coffee and pastries outside, after which part of the group climbed the south tower of Munich’s largest church, the Frauenkirche, to look out over the Alps. Next up was Nymphenburg Palace, the former summer residence of Bavaria’s rulers, whose stunning gardens and vast grounds provided a great activity for the Sunday. After lunch at Karlsplatz we also went to check out the Englischer Garten, a large public park in the centre of Munich. We were especially interested in the Eisbach river, where locals apparently surf year-round regardless of the weather. As the evening drew in, we gathered one last time with our German hosts at a local monastery restaurant, where a particularly welcoming staff made sure our final evening was a success. Our conversations ranged over topics such as defence policy, nuclear power and university studies. We also discussed the possibility of JEF Munich coming to visit Finland on a return excursion next summer, which would be wonderful.
On the way back at the airport, we all talked about our favourite things about Munich, and among the things that came up were the friendly people, the well-functioning public transport, the architecture and beautiful buildings, the relaxed Bavarian atmosphere, the wide range of food and drink on offer, and the local football culture. The match at the Allianz Arena was surely the highlight for all of us. After the pandemic, it felt unbelievably good to see so many people together in the same space again. Special thanks once more to our excursion coordinators Milla and Inka, to JEF Munich, and to the whole travelling group for a successful excursion!
PS. If you’re interested in JEF Turku’s international activities, you’re welcome to join us and JEF Munich for a virtual Christmas party on 13 December! Follow JEF Turku’s social media for more details closer to the date.
Text: Alina Hirvinen