I headed down Urbanstraße , cross busy Schäftlarnstraße between racing BMWs and then to the left down Hans-Prießlingerstraße towards the trees. Then I took a right onto the dirt path and strolled along a branch of the Isar, Munich's river. Taking a left at the end of this path, I crossed the wooden bridge and paused to admire the Isarwerk 3 on my right, a hydoelectric power plant, and the Heizkraftwerk Süd's majestic smokestacks on my left.
Straight ahead is the Biergarten zum Flaucher but I veered to the right, past the tiny wooden hut Schindlerstadl Imbiss where you can grab a Bier and a Würstchen and towards the long wooden bridge, known locally as Flauchersteg. Today there was a group of bikers taking a beer break and one of them had whipped out his guitar and was playing a splendidly german-accented version of knocking on heaven's door.
I walked onto the Flauchersteg and paused to admire the various locks and dams of the picturesque hydro-plant before heading across the wooden boards. On my left is the "naked island"--the Flaucher, as this Isar park is called, is has many Freie Körper Kultur (FKK) areas, where nudity is permitted. In the summer this area is filled with leathery naked old people...but don't be scared off, this place is one of the most beautiful in Munich for sunbathing.. and you don't have to strip down to your birthday suit unless you want to.
Naked sunbathing isn't the only activity allowed on the Flaucher; grilling a bathing are also allowed. If you want the ultimate Munich summer evening experience, head to a grocery store and pick up a few (or a plastic case of) beer, a disposable picknick grill and some würstchen and join the locals on the banks of the Isar for grilling. Tip: put your beer in the river to cool it down, everyone does it! By darkness the riverbanks are crowded with groups of grillers, torches burning, and the smoke can be seen from miles around.
As I strolled further down the Steg i leaned over the edge to oogle the powerful waterfalls rushing over the concrete precipice underneath the bridge. My favorite waterfall is the last one you encounter before leaving the wooden bridge, one the left. The sunbathing on the small pebblestoned island is wonderful and a dip in the rushing waters is the perfect thing to cool you off--let yourself float a bit with the rushing current, and the scramble back to your blanket for more relaxation.
This day in february wasn't quite right for sunbathing, so i proceeded down the bridge, past groups of kids playing in the small ponds between the pebble islands and headed right at the end of the steg towards the large group of swans gathered to beg for breadcrumbs from strolling families.
As I wandered along the river bank, I thought about the mix of people who gather there on pleasant days: preppy joggers, families with kids and strollers, ambitious travelers, and of course, punk-dressed teenagers gathered to enjoy the evening and drink a few (illegal) beers. After reaching the Thalkirchnerbrücke I encountered the usual crowd of loud punks with pink hair and black leather, and headed up the stairs to cross the bridge.
Another option is to continue on to the Munich Zoo, a wonderful winding place where the animals wander in mixed areas and with a fantastic petting zoo--or you can simply keep on walking along the river, past the goats and the elephants and on to a primative metal bridge with great views in both directions. But today I decided to cut the walk short and head up to the Plus supermarket to buy a bottle of red wine. On my way across the thalkirchner bridge I caught site to my left of the Munich Kayak Club's charming clubhouse, a logcabin-like structure directly on the river, complete with kayak training course.
The last stretch home was easy, directly on the river on the other side, wine in my hand, swans and various other birds on my right, and I thought... it's like a small stretch of pure nature in the middle of a big city. That's Munich for ya.
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