A guide to accessible Munich
Picture the scene. You are on your way out the door, frantically running through your mental pre travel checklist. Passport . . . currency . . . hotel reservation . . . guide book. Now try to imagine how long that checklist would be if you were a wheelchair user. As well as the usual preparations, such as purchasing health insurance, disabled people have a wealth of additional details to keep in mind when planning a trip. Despite this hard work, traveling with a disability is now commonplace and opportunities for disabled people have grown dramatically over the past few years, whether it be group, business or independent travel. In the early 1980s numerous cities and communities across Europe appointed commissioners for disabled people (Behindertenbeauftragter) responsible for the construction of public buildings offering wheelchair access. Europe Access Guides, produced by the European Commission, can be found online at www.emerginghorizons.com, by clicking on “travel resources database,” then “free access guides.” Advice for disabled travelers is extensive and one of the best guides to help plan all aspects of travel is Barrier-Free Travel: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers by Candy Harrington (available at www.candyharrington.com). Harrington includes useful details that one might not ordinarily think of, such as the fact that in Europe the first floor does not mean ground floor and that an accessible room can often mean that there is an accessible route of travel to the room but offers no additional amenities. Munich, although an excellent destination for wheelchair users, is not publicized as well as other parts of Germany for disabled travelers. The Tourist Information Center at the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) unfortunately has little other to offer disabled travelers than a city map and a plan of the public transport system showing accessible subway stations and toilets. However, with some searching, it is possible to obtain the information you need to enjoy a trip to Munich. As long as the necessary arrangements have been made in advance, arriving at Munich airport should not pose any problems. The building is fully accessible and there are special services available for disabled travelers, which are described on the airport’s Website. If you wish to take a taxi from the airport, Taxi Zentrale München has cars to suit your every need. It is advisable to discuss your requirements in advance and book a taxi to meet you on your arrival. Prices from the airport to the city center vary, depending on the car, but start at € 45 (details on airport and taxis below). Alternatively, if you would like to take the budget option, you could try out the efficient public transport system. The MVV (which includes the S-Bahn trains, U-Bahn underground and trams) provides information for disabled customers at www.mvv-muenchen.de. To get all the information you require, do a search with the word Behinderte. If you need to hire equipment for your stay, the Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz (Bavarian Red Cross; Tel. [089] 237 30) rents wheelchairs and equipment. If they do not have what you need, they will refer you to one of the many central Orthopädische Fachgeschäfte (orthopedic specialist dealers), who will be able to help. Numerous hotels in Munich offer facilities for disabled people, although the fully accessible places with the best equipment are also the most exclusive, therefore expensive hotels in the city. However, to have all the comforts of home, such as an adjustable bed and sink and a roll-in shower, might make it worth paying extra. Business hotels are a good choice as they offer comfortable surroundings and many have a considerably lower rate at weekends. The best thing to do is contact the hotel directly and discuss your needs with them. As a wheelchair user it may be useful to ask them to fax you a copy of the floor plan so that you can check the suitability of the room in question before booking. Some hotels worth considering are Tryp München (www.solmelia.com), Marriott Hotel (www.marriott.com), Hilton Munich City (www.munich-city.hilton.com) or Hilton Munich Park (www.munich-park.hilton.com) and Bayerischer Hof (www.bayerischerhof.de). Once settled at the hotel, it is time to get out and explore the city. If you require practical information, such as where to find disabled public toilets, telephones and parking places, contact the Sozialverband VdK Info-Center (details below). Much of the city center has been turned into a pedestrian zone and is flat and therefore easy to wheel. The city boasts an extensive network of cycle paths, which means there are plenty of wide pavements and dropped kerbs. Sightseeing depends very much on the weather. On a sunny day, which unfortunately cannot be guaranteed, there is nothing better than having a look around the beautiful city center architecture, browsing the various shops and stopping at one of the numerous outdoor cafés to watch the street entertainers. The area from Karlsplatz to Marienplatz and Marienplatz to Odeonsplatz is accessible to pedestrians only and covers some impressive sights, including Munich’s landmark Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). Close to Marienplatz is the bustling Viktualienmarkt, an outdoor farmer’s market, where you can get a sense of the more traditional side of Munich and sample some local delicacies. Another favorite way to pass time on a sunny day is to visit the English Garden, one of the largest city parks in Europe. The Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower), which dates back to 1789, is a particularly popular spot as it occupies the center of the city’s best-known beer garden. If the weather does not allow for these outdoor delights, there is a wide selection of accessible cinemas, museums and galleries to choose from. The recently opened Pinakothek der Moderne (Barer Strasse 40, Tel. [089] 23 80 53 60) is definitely worth a visit. Covering an area of 12,000 sq m, this is one of the most comprehensive collections of modern art, graphic design, architecture and product design in Europe. The Deutsches Museum (Museumsinsel 1, Ludwigsbrücke, Tel. [089] 217 91) is accessible despite a slight gradient on entry and is one of the largest science and technology museums in the world. The accessible Cinema Filmtheater (www.cinema-muenchen.com) shows movies in English. The Deutsches Theater (www.deutsches-theater.de) is fully accessible and has acoustic equipment for the hard of hearing. The Gasteig (www.gasteig.de) is a cultural center hosting various art exhibitions, concerts and theater performances. For many people a trip to Munich is not complete until they have visited the (infamous) Hofbräuhaus on Orlandostrasse, one of the last authentic beer halls in the world. It is fully accessible, so there is no excuse not to join the hoards of tourists and enjoy a Mass (1 liter) of beer, listen to the brass band and sample some Bavarian food. If you have a little longer than a weekend, or if you are feeling particularly ambitious, there are plenty of day trips to take around Munich. The VbA (VbA-Selbstbestimmt Leben e.V.) is a German travel service for wheelchair users. It offers city tours in accessible buses for a day trip or longer. Their program this year includes visits to Herrenchiemsee Palace, the Fraueninsel and theater and musical productions. For more information look under “Reisedienst” at www.vba-muenchen.de. If you prefer to go it alone, it is possible to travel on the German train network DB (Deutsche Bahn). It offers a good service for disabled travelers, although it is necessary to book at least three days in advance (for details see below). It is also possible to hire an adapted vehicle. The large rental companies situated at airports across Europe state on their Websites that they have adapted vehicles, but they are not very helpful when you make further inquiries. For this reason it is advisable to try one of many smaller companies based in the city center, such as Sander Autoverleih at Leopoldstrasse 107 (www.sander-autoverleih.de). There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Munich, specializing in a wide range of cuisines. If you feel more comfortable planning ahead rather than wandering around and seeing for yourself which places are accessible, you could take a look at www.munich-online.de. This will give you information about restaurants and bars, cinemas, cultural and special events and nightlife. It lists locations, telephone numbers and Websites, so it is possible to call/email beforehand and check about accessibility. Unfortunately a number of otherwise accessible restaurants do not have accessible toilets, which is inconvenient, but there is no shortage of disabled public toilets in and around the city center (contact VdK Info-Center for details). 2003 is the European Year of People with Disabilities, an aim to make progress towards achieving equal rights, with attention being focused on the many areas of European society where barriers and discrimination still exist for the one in ten Europeans with a disability. Let’s hope that this will be another step to improving the barrier-free tourism industry and promoting accessible cities. For further information check www.eypd2003.org. USEFUL CONTACTS: NATKO (National Tourism Coordination Agency for All People e.V.): central organization for inquiries concerning tourism without barriers, www.natko.de. RADAR: disability network offering extensive advice, www.radar.org.uk. EMERGING HORIZONS: accessible travel news, www.emerginghorizons.com. DISABILITY WORLD: online guide to the world of disability, including useful links and contacts, www.disabilityworld.com. MUNICH AIRPORT: click on “passengers & visitors,” then “services for the disabled” at www.munich-airport.de. TAXI ZENTRALE MÜNCHEN: accessible taxis, call a customer adviser at (089) 21 61 372, email stein@taxi-muenchen.com or visit www.taxi-muenchen.com. DB (Deutsche Bahn): train network, click on “Int. Guests,” then “mobility service” to book special service online, www.bahn.de. VDK INFO-CENTER: provides information about public toilets, telephones, parking, etc., for disabled people, email infocenter-muenchen@vdk.de or Website www.vdk-bayern.de. We are currently updating our Website to include information for disabled people. If you have any suggestions or useful resources, please contact us at MUNICH FOUND, Lilienstrasse 3–5, or email info@munichfound.com.