Take me there: Glockenbachviertel, Munich
Why go?
Can a city where grown men wander the streets dressed in lederhosen ever be considered cool? Spend a couple of days in Munich’s Glockenbachviertel district, just south of the old town, and you might concede that it can. This neighbourhood has been the hub of the city’s alternative scene since the 1980s, when it was colonised by Munich’s gay and lesbian community. If you’re looking for an antidote to the beery, blokey commercialism of the Oktoberfest, this is the place to go.
What to do
Enjoy coffee and cinnamon rolls in one of the cafés overlooking leafy Gärtnerplatz, the cultural and geographic heart of the neighbourhood – Cotidiano is the current hangout of choice (cotidiano.de). Go shopping in the arty boutiques on Hans-Sachs-Strasse. Cycle along the banks of the river Isar to the Englischer Garten, a park which is home to one of Munich’s most famous beer gardens, Chinesischer Turm, where you can buy a pint of Hofbräu and some steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick).
Where to stay
The recent opening of the Flushing Meadows Hotel & Bar has created a buzzy new focal point for tourists and locals. Choose between a loft studio or penthouse suite kitted out in industrial-meets-Scandi style (studios from €115, flushingmeadowshotel.com/en).
Where to eat
For lunch on the run or a late-night snack, a gourmet hot dog from Finespitz’s is hard to beat (Müllerstrasse 17). For something more adventurous try Fei Scho, a Vietnamese-Bavarian fusion café (Kolosseumstrasse 6).
Insider tip
Niels Jäger of A/J/W, the trio behind Flushing Meadows Hotel and several Munich bars and cafés, recommends a night out on Müllerstrasse: “Try dinner at Bar Corso (barcorso.de). Then visit Beverly Kills, a hip-hop music bar (beverlykills.de). Rumour has it that Munich’s famous Techno nightclub, Die Registratur, is about to launch a comeback right across the street.”
Give me a break
Home: Christmas in Cornwall Bag yourself a seaside bolthole for the festive season. Cornish Cottages is flagging up its holiday homes with Christmas availability, and there are savings to be had. Bramble Cottage, a three-bedroom house in Lizard and close to the South West Coast path, is available from 20 December for £525. Christmas decorations and a mini hamper are included (cornishcottages.co.uk).
Away: Adventure holiday in Finland The icy Saariselkä fells in Finland offer aurora spotting, reindeer sledding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Stay at Muotka wilderness lodge, which comes with open fires and a sauna. A four-night trip, departing in November, has been reduced by 15%, bringing the lead-in price to £1,135pp, including all activities, full-board, return flights and transfers (discover-the-world.co.uk).
