By Laura Conde

You have three days off, and some money saved up. You’ve already visited the major European capitals and, although you would love to return to London or Paris, you just can’t afford to pay €4 for a cup of coffee right now. What to do then? Book a flight to Munich? We’re here to help and to answer your question. We took a flight to Munich to spend three days discovering the wonders of the third largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg, the capital of Bavaria, where people say goodbye with a cheerful “ciao”, have beer and sausages for breakfast, and worship both Guardiola and Duke William IV, who back in 1516 passed a law that would change the course of German history – the so-called Purity Law – which established that only water, hops, yeast and malt could be used to make beer. Why did he do that? Apparently, William IV was losing many of his subjects because they were drinking lethal homemade beer that contained all kinds of preservatives.

Drinking beer, as we can see at Oktoberfest, has always been and always will be a deeply-rooted tradition in Munich, which is one of the cities where the popular biergarten (beer gardens) appeared: they are outdoor gardens with long tables to share, and Bavarian music playing in the background; places where you can bring food and spend all day drinking beer. When the weather is fine, the biergarten fill with locals and tourists, but they are usually closed in winter. Beer lovers must come to the city during the Starkbierfest, the so-called “strong beer festival”, from 21 March to 6 April. It’s a kind of Oktoberfest, not as busy but just as fun, when the locals take to the streets with the same purpose in mind: to drink lots of beer!

Another famous William in the history of Bavaria was William V of Wittelsbach, whose huge wedding celebration was unique in the city, and it led to the creation of one of Munich’s largest attractions: the famous Glockenspiel in the Town Hall, which can be seen twice a day and is a really interesting event. That festive spirit from 16th century Munich, where everyone stopped working in order to devote themselves to that wedding, is still pleasantly alive today, in a beautiful and surprisingly lively city, where the locals are kind and cheerful. We walked through the city’s historic quarter, the trendy neighbourhoods and those new districts that are enjoying a boom thanks to the gentrification that increasingly affects the outskirts of wealthy cities, and we found what we think are Munich’s 15 hot spots. And after this, you won’t need to think twice: You have to go!

THE TRENDY MUNICH

1. Brunch at Cotidiano

In Gärtnerplatz, the trendy area in Munich par excellence, and one of the most bustling areas in the city, we can find this busy place, which is ideal for Sundaybrunch or just to spend the afternoon enjoying a large mug of coffee (which is actually served in a bowl!), and taste one of the sandwiches, homemade cakes or salads. Other things not to be missed in the square include the range of salads and other dishes that are available, which look absolutely delicious. The large window that looks onto the street is delightful on sunny days, which are unfortunately not very common in winter. But that’s part of Munich’s charm. There is no Wi-Fi in the café.
Gärtnerplatz 6

2. A stop to shop for clothes at Kauf Dich Glücklich.

Very close to Cotidiano we find a very interesting shop selling men’s and women’s clothes. Inside there is a small bar where they serve coffee. Outside there is a sort of terrace with a few recycled tables and chairs, and this shop is the ideal place to stop and purchase sophisticated, urban, stylish and affordable clothes.
Oderberger Straße 44

3. XXL cake at Kochspielhaus.

The size of absolutely everything in this café in the centre is incredible. Their idea of a portion is nothing like ours, so tourists who like to eat well will not be disappointed. Kochspielhaus, however, is not one of those tacky places where they serve huge portions of food and people talk in a loud voice: it’s a beautiful café, with impeccable decor, similar to Cotidiano, with a bakery inside. It’s full of young professionals, many of them accompanied by their dogs (if there’s a city that’s dog friendly, it’s Munich), where everything is gorgeous as well as huge. When you walk in, you find a selection of large and delicious cakes, that you can combine with an enormous latte, or a gigantic glass of fruit juice. The café is covered in wood and is a must if you want to discover the coolest side of Munich.
Rumfordstraße 5

4. Italian dinner in Sarfati.

We weren’t sure about visiting an Italian restaurant because after all, we are in Munich, and here people have beer and sausages for breakfast (we’ve seen it with our own eyes), and when you’re really hungry you can have pork knuckles. But there is such a strong Italian influence in this Bavarian city that you wouldn’t think that this colourful restaurant, Sarfati, situated in the hipster part of Munich, is an international restaurant. Many people in Munich speak Italian and any restaurant in any neighbourhood includes Italian dishes on the menu – tiramisu, salads or pasta, for example. In this context we find this restaurant/wineshop that puts a lot of work into its pasta dishes: all the ingredients come from Italy (you should order “burrata” if it’s on the menu), the pasta is handmade with excellent raw materials, and there is an interesting selection of wines. The house wine, an Italian Asinoi, is delicious. And you can eat excellent food for €25 each.
Kazmairstraße 28

5. Any time of day at Café Marais.

This is probably our favourite restaurant in Munich, both for the quality of a simple and delicious menu that is available all day, and for the fairy-tale decor, in a small area surrounded by small and charming boutiques selling clothes by local designers. It’s not very far from Sarfati, and it’s a friendly café with large cakes and tables to share, full of vintage details and an authentic atmosphere between retro and naive. Looking out the window while it snows outside is an amazing experience. Bear in mind that there is no Wi-Fi here.
Parkstraße 2

6. Brenner, Germany’s largest indoor grill.

As we were saying, the Mediterranean influence in general, and Italian especially, is ever-present in Munich. We can see this in one of the fashionable restaurants in the city: Brenner. It’s a large and busy restaurant situated in an old stable, and the average price on the menu is less than €25, while it is sophisticated and stylish. Mediterranean-style cuisine with a clear Italian influence and interpretations of traditional German dishes is what we find in a restaurant where you have to order meat, which is served with vegetables, and is cooked instantly on the largest indoor grill in Germany. They offer a wide selection of cakes, perfect for the sweet-toothed. There is no Wi-Fi, either.
Maximilianstraße 15

7. A coffee with the children at San Francisco Coffee Company.

It’s a very pleasant café chain, and we chose the one that is next to the amazing Verkehrszentrum, the transport museum, to stop for a drink, and at last! – we were able to use their Wi-Fi and boast a bit about our trip on Instagram (there aren’t many restaurants with Wi-Fi in Munich). Delicious coffee and cakes in a modern, attractive and child-friendly place – it was full of families with children, and there was even a play area.
Check where the cafés are at: www.sfcc.de

THE TRADITIONAL MUNICH

8. A litre of beer at Hofbräuhaus

This is a very interesting place: Hofbräuhaus. Don’t leave the city without coming here. It’s a large brewery, established in 1589 by… guess who? Yes, William V, the same man whose wedding lasted one whole week and produced the Glockenspiel in the Town Hall. This place is a paradise for tourists, a large temple of beer, served by the litre and drunk like water, while eating an XXL pork knuckle with potato dumpling at 5 pm. Hofbräuhaus is like Munich’s version of “Cheers”. It’s a place full of interesting characters, ranging from large blond men with bushy moustaches, wearing the typical Bavarian costume, to waitresses wearing the same traditional costumes. Look out for one thing: the knot on their dresses. If it’s on the right, they are married; if it’s on the left, they are single; and if it’s at the back, they are widows.
Platzl 9

9. Bavarian dinner at Augustiner.

One of the most popular beers in Munich, also known as the champagne of beers, has been brewed since the 14th century in a monastery in the city centre. It has an amazing restaurant where you can taste high quality Bavarian food for dinner, in an equally traditional setting, but less informal than the previous brewery and also less touristy. Although they serve a large range of Bavarian dishes, we also find international cuisine.
Neuhaustraße 27

10. Wasabi cheese (and more) at the Viktualienmarkt biergarten.

The Viktualienmarkt is one of Munich’s hot spots and it is worth flying to the city just to see this place. It’s an enormous outdoor market selling fresh produce and top quality food, and in summer a biergarten is set up here, which is very popular with the locals, who usually buy food at the market and eat it at the biergarten, washed down with a large beer. Although the biergarten is only set up in summer, the market is open all year round. As well as the outdoor market, the Viktualienmarkt has a large indoor area full of fresh produce where we can find many shops and food stalls.
Viktualienmarkt 3

11.Souvenirs from the Milka shop.

In the indoor market – where we don’t recommend stopping to eat, although everything there looks delicious, we can guarantee – we find one of the most popular souvenir shops in the city: the Milka shop. When we got to the till, a friendly shop assistant, in perfect Italian, convinced us to leave behind some badges we were going to buy, telling us they were too expensive and that why would you spend all that money on them (“troppo caro, amici”). It was probably just then, or maybe just before, that we fell in love with this place full of all kinds of interesting objects, from Milka-purple Bavarian dresses to slippers, chocolates, or one of our favourites: a 4.5 kg Toblerone!
Viktualienmarkt 15.

12. Beer by the litre at Oktoberfest.

It happens once a year but you remember it for the next eleven months. Marquees are erected next to the river, offering many places to enjoy beer exclusively, which is apparently drunk by the litre. Everyone in Munich, together with a large amount of visitors, takes to the streets to enjoy the pleasure of drinking beer: families with children, elderly couples, groups of students, businessmen, etc. It starts off early in the morning, so by midday the merriment is at its height in every corner of the city, the shy become bold and people strike up friendships that will last at least until the end of Oktoberfest.

13. The spring Oktoberfest: Starkbierfest.

Two weeks to celebrate strong beer, in several places in Munich, which locals usually call “Oktoberfest with no tourists”. The main venue for the festival, boasting plenty of beer and Bavarian music, is Paulaner, a brewery in Nockherberg, where apparently the first starkbier (strong beer) was made, called Salvator, which helped monks to endure their partial fast during Lent.

ART & SNACKS

14. Ella.

In the modern art museum, the Lenbachhaus, situated in the so-called “art district” with all the most important museums, we find a beautiful café with large windows that serves international food, especially Italian. It’s worth visiting just to take a photo next to its attractive seventies-style sign, although we do recommend visiting its collection of paintings by 18th and 19th century Munich-born artists, too. There’s more to it than just food!
Luisenstraße 33

WITH A MICHELIN

15. Star-quality traditional dinner at Pfistermühle.

Munich has several restaurants with a Michelin star. Some of them serve international cuisine, like the interesting and prestigious Japanese restaurant, Toshi, but we decided to stop at Pfistermühle, situated in an old 16th century ducal mill, to taste star-quality food, for less than €60. It’s right in the city centre and in fairy-tale surroundings, and especially offers interpretations of Bavarian specialities.
Pfisterstraße 4

AND MORE

Staying at the Schiller 5.

We chose this 4-star hotel in the centre for several reasons: it’s close to the station, which makes it easier to get to the airport; five minutes from the Marienplatz square, also in the centre; and in an area full of hotels, so there were restaurants open all the time, and all kinds of services in general. The hotel is sober, modern and comfortable, with a kitchen in the room, and the owner, a friendly elderly gentleman, goes round the tables at breakfast to ask guests if they are happy at his hotel.
Schillerstraße 5

A must (especially with the children): Deutsches Museum

Apart from all our food recommendations, we advise you to visit the most popular museum in Germany. The best way to get there is by walking along the river, which has a good place for swimming, very busy in the summer. It’s one of the most important science and technology museums in Europe, and has a section on transport (ships, aeroplanes and all kinds of motorised contraptions), space, musical instruments, ceramics, pharmacy, metal, physics, etc. We would need about eight days to visit it all! A good place to have a cup of coffee is the café inside the shop.
Museumsinsel 1

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

By Clara Arnedo

I’ve just got back from Gambia and some of the sights still linger in my mind: the rainbow that appears onTanji beach every day at sunset, when fishing boats laden with fish come back to the port, and the whole town takes part in collecting and selling the fresh fish. These are just a few of the memories that this small but perfect country leaves with you, to help you get an idea of what Africa is really like. Now Vueling makes it easier for us to travel to the Gambia, with a new route connecting Barcelona and Banjul, the capital of the country.

The journey starts in the capital, Banjul, a city that is small and pleasant. And so is the country, with a population of 1.6 million. Banjul is a relatively safe and peaceful city, where it is worth exploring the crowded colourful markets selling all kinds of wares. The most outstanding is Albert Market, a large typically African market mainly selling fruit, vegetables and fish. When sellers and customers see us they are reluctant at first and quickly avoid our cameras. But after a while they gradually become more open and available. All they need is a little time.

Another attraction in the city is Arch 22, in honour of the president, the bodyguard of the former president, who took his position on 22 June 1994. Since then he has been the great protagonist of the Gambia: we see Yahya Jammeh everywhere – on posters stuck on walls and lampposts in every village and every town.

But the Gambia is especially a country with a coast that opens out to the Atlantic Ocean; a wedge-shaped country that cuts into Senegal and is divided in two by the river that gives the country its name – the Gambia.

First we go to the coast to discover the long, fine sand beaches of Banjul. There are hotels on the seafront, affording a spectacular view of the ocean. But the most memorable fishing scene has got to be Tanji, where you can find a flurry of colours and life every evening on the shore when the fish is brought in. It seems like chaos but there is actually an internal organisation and hierarchy, and laws that enable the same spectacle to happen every day at sunset. The men are strong and muscular and are in charge of carrying tons of fish from the boats to the beach, balancing the baskets on their heads. Once they are on the shore, the women collect the treasure to wash it and prepare it to be sold… young men run further to look for spots to set up and sell the fish. The children often follow, running fast at their heels, hoping to catch a bit of fish that might fall on the way. This makeshift fish market on the sand is the tip of the iceberg of this small country that is bursting with life. In the morning, in that same spot, a colourful fruit and vegetable market materialises, dominated by women buying and selling food. One of these women is Ida Cham Njai, a beautiful and energetic chef who offers the unique experience of accompanying her to shop in the market, and then spending a pleasant day cooking local produce with her at her home. The gastronomy and local produce are the best ways to learn a bit more about this pleasant destination.

A British redoubt in colonial times, it is now one of the smallest countries in West Africa. It also has one of the highest birth rates. The Gambia is full of children, and mothers who wrap them to their hips: it is a beautiful and typical scene of the country. The rest of the country is made up of the jungle, nature and many animals: monkeys, birds and even hippos. The further upstream you go, the wilder nature is, and the more rural the population is… it is a wild adventure to go up the river towards the town of Georgetown, because there are not many places for accommodation. Tourism is not widely developed in the Gambia, and that is part of its charm. In any case, you don’t have to travel very far from Banjul to discover the wild. NearSerrekunda, the largest and busiest city in the country, we find Bijilo National Park, or Monkey Park, which includes easy paths to walk around. In this area you can also visit a crocodile pond, and you can even touch one of the crocodiles! This is the other side of the Gambia, with its river and mangrove swamps; the more authentic Gambia, one of the least developed countries on earth, with a life expectancy of 54 years and a literacy rate of 40%.

But this is not the end of the journey, and the Gambia, despite being a small country, still has a few surprises in store for us. Can you imagine remote African villages invaded by Street Art and graffiti? Well, this is what you can find in the Gambia. Specifically in Bafuloto and Makumbaya – two names that are hard to remember, two villages with small and simple houses, streets made of sand and dirt, where children play under the sun. And on the walls of these huts is where the Wide Open Walls movement found one of its favourite canvases. Pictures that depict nature, with animals from the area and other motifs that fill these places with colour.

A great way of discovering the Gambia from different perspective. Another way of penetrating Africa through this small gateway.

By Clara Arnedo

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

Bar Calders

At Bar Calders, first opened in mid-March 2011 and located on the corner of Calle Parlament and Passatge de Pere Calders, their goal has been to pay tribute to this great writer in their own special way.

Enjoying their gin & tonics on the peaceful Andalusian-style terrace is an absolute joy. The owners, Ramón Lamarca and his son Marc, pour them with great care, adding a few juniper berries and never without a cheery smile.

Bar Calders
25 Carrer Parlament, 08015 Barcelona
933299349
Opening times: 08:30 to 02:00-03:00

Úbeda Gin&Tapas

Úbeda has become one of the fashionable places to have a drink in Barcelona, especially now that the gin & tonic has moved away from only being a favourite among the older population and has now been embraced by young people too. Úbeda has received much recognition for its cocktails.
Javier Úbeda is the founder and also responsible for the décor, in which his artistic side comes across strongly through the numerous paintings, works of art and small details that make this place so welcoming.
The menu includes a wide range of gins, all of which are served with Fever-Tree tonic: Citadelle Gin Reserve 2008, Blackwood, Bulldog, Hendrick’s, Plymouth and Seagram’s, among many others.

Úbeda
202 Valencia | 133 Josep Tarradellas | 339 Córcega

Pesca Salada

Pesca Salada still conserves the old sign bearing the name of this local shop and the old fridges that now hide the toilets. Apart from that, the place has been renovated to look like a huge tin of sardines: an original ceiling of gold and silver scales; a mosaic floor designed to look like waves; the painted vinyls; a fish tank with hanging fish; and a beach with cocktail umbrellas. All of this fits into a small bar with wooden tables and chairs in the very heart of Raval.

They prepare all kinds of cocktails with a particular focus on the gin & tonic. Iván explains that they have more than 24 different types of gin for preparing gin & tonics with great care for a price of between € 6 and € 9, all of which can be mixed with Brand Tonic, Fever Tree or Fentimans, to mention just three.

Pesca Salada
32 Calle de la Cera, 08001 Barcelona

Cassette Bar

The nostalgic look of the 80’s returns to the Raval district of Barcelona at Bar Cassette.
The interior décor is based on lamps made from cassette tapes. The entrance window is decorated with old cassette decks, music posters and other vintage items. Although the place is small, there is an even more intimate area resembling your own living room complete with the settee, lamp and typical picture on the wall.
The two owners of Bar Cassette, Laura and Fabio, both from La Rioja, prepare numerous cocktails (particularly gin & tonics) with great care and include a free tapa until 22:30.

Cassette Bar
11 Calle del Este, 08001 Barcelona
933 028 509

Tirsa Cocktail Bar

Tirsa is a family business that has gradually become increasingly specialised. It is now one of the best cocktail bars in the city. The experienced barman, Manel Tirvió will advise you on the gin & tonic that best suits your tastes as they do not have a fixed menu.
It used to be a grocery store but the business was adapted in line with the great passion the owner had for the world of cocktails.
They serve gin & tonics in a tall glass with only two ice cubes so the drink never gets watered down and maintains the original flavours from the first sip until the last.

174 Calle de Rafael Campalans, 08903 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona
93 431 23 02

Bar Elephanta

Bar Elephanta offers gins from all over the world, different tonics and various options to add a twist so that everyone can find the combination of flavours they like the most.

Here’s how it works: first you have to pick the gin you like the most from the list of 36 different varieties at prices that range from € 6 to € 11; then pick a twist from a list that includes lime, lemon, grapefruit or mandarin, such classics as the juniper berry or lime, flower-fruits such as natural rose petals or fruits of the forest, herbs such as fresh rosemary, mint and arbequino olives or spices such as black pepper, coffee, liquorice, cardamom and lemon or nutmeg; finally, you pick a tonic. A Schweppes is included in the price of the gin but if you want a special mixer, choose the catalane tonic, Boylan or 6 O’clock for an extra euro.

If you think all those choices might be too complicated, you can pick straight from a list of house suggestions that includes a Blackwood with meta strawberry, a twist of lime and Boylan tonic for € 10.

Elephanta Bar
37 Carrer del Torrent de Vidalet, 08012 Barcelona
Tel.: 932 376 906
Open every day. Monday to Saturday from 18:00. Sundays from 17:00.

So you feel like visiting Barcelona, do you? Book your flights here!

But, that is not all. There is also an endless array of places to visit and activities to engage in. Despite the myriad options, we have made a selection of the spots we feel you can’t afford to miss.

It is well known that Gran Canaria’s beaches are one of its major draws but, to leave it at that would be doing an injustice to an island that has practically unlimited potential. Following is a selection of three must-see sights – apart from the beaches, of course – for your next trip to the island. Our choice is based on several criteria, not just its touristic appeal. Here, then, is our ranking:

 3) Painted Cave Museum and Archaeological Park

The Painted Cave Museum and Archaeological Park complex is one of the most stunning sites in Gran Canaria. It lies in the heart of Gáldar’s town centre (Calle Audiencia, 2), in the north of the island. The approach road is therefore the same one leading into the historic centre.

The Painted Cave was discovered in 1862 as a result of agricultural earthwork. The cave interior is huge, its walls richly decorated with all kinds of geometric symbols. The archaeological complex is currently made up of six caves carved out by the ancient dwellers of Gran Canaria, and remains of red ochre can still be seen adorning the walls and ceiling.

The various archaeological projects implemented around the Painted Cave in recent years revealed the presence of a terrace-built country home. The outworks connect the bottom of the gulley to the town’s historic centre, forming what was one of the quarters in the pre-Hispanic Agáldar settlement.

2) Teror Town Centre

The origins of Teror predate the island’s conquest by the Crown of Castile in the 15th century. Indeed, the place-name is derived from the indigenous word Aterura, Therore or Terori, the meaning of which is unknown.

The town’s history and development are closely linked to the Marian apparition of the Virgin of the Pine and the existence of a shrine dating from 1514. However, writings containing references to its station as a centre of pilgrimage do not emerge until two centuries after its foundation.

The “Villa Mariana de Teror” was designated an Art History Complex in 1979, turning it into one of the leading tourist destinations in the island’s interior. Folk traditions and beautiful, meticulously designed houses go hand-in-hand in the streets of Teror, noted for the views they afford of typical Canarian balconies.

A stroll through the historic centre of the town should start willy-nilly at the square of Nuestra Señora del Pino, alongside the church. You can get there quickly from the parking lot by crossing the square above it and heading down Calle Obispo Marquina. If you’re travelling by bus, it stops on the east side of the precinct, so you only need to continue along the Calle Real to the square at the end.

1) The Guayadeque Gorge

The Guayadeque Gorge lies between the towns of Agüimes and Ingenio, in the east of Gran Canaria. The area is of great environmental value and has a rich heritage, leading it to be designated a Natural Monument and an Asset of Cultural Interest – categorised as an “Archaeological Area” – a distinction granted it by the Canary Islands’ Law of Historical Heritage.

The road running through the gorge winds among spectacular cliffs awash with a large variety of pre-Hispanic archaeological deposits and sites, prominent among them being the settlement known as Bermeja Cave.

Housed there is the Guayadeque Gorge Information Centre, open every day except Monday, where you can find out about the archaeological sites in the area and glean a lot of other interesting information about this priceless spot. Visitors will also be able to learn more about the rich, natural fauna and flora in the gorge.

Towards the end of the road winding through the Guayadeque gorge you will come to a number of restaurants set  in the rock face itself. The most popular of them is El Centro, comprising a cave complex that creates a unique setting for a restaurant. They offer an extensive menu with dishes representative of Canary Island cuisine, featuring such specialities as fried pork, mixed grill and barbecued pork.

Fancy discovering it for yourself? Check out our flights here.

Images by Patronato Turismo Gran Canaria