Ask Lemmy

If you're from the USA: don't come back. Stay.

Prepare for people to speak with quite an accent. Drugs (Cigarettes, most Alcohol and Weed) are allowed from 18 y.o. Even though weed is kinda legal in germany for some reason Bavaria decided to be increadibly strict about it, so I'd advise to steer clear. Obviously Nazi paroles and insignia as well as the Hitler-Gruß are illeagal.

If people are hellbent on speaking German with you, which I assume you do not speak, here is a handy phrase:

• Ich spreche kein Deutsch, aber ich spreche Englisch.
• I do not speak German, but I speak English.

English is taught from a young age, so you'll find many people who are able to speak it.

When in a pinch you can approach people to ask for i.e. directions. This includes police officers, should you see some. They'll usually will be happy to help.

In an emergency, means . It is best to point or directly adress a single person when asking for help to ensure they'll jump into action.

Emergency numbers are 110 for police and 112 for firefighters/medics. But 911 also works. I'd like to add that these services are usually free, no need to fear a transport by ambulance for financial reasons.

Hat off in the church and be respectful of the place - like a library. There are people worshipping in the churches. I’m an atheist, but by respecting the space you gain understanding of its importance. Generally a good idea in museums too.

Also, don’t see the world through your phone or selfie stick. Put it away and enjoy the experience. Taking photos to help you remember it is good, but I see too many people watching their trip through a phone as they shoot photo and video constantly instead of being present.

Germany is large with many local cultural and linguistic variations. I don’t think there’s really many unwritten rules, but follow the written rules - don’t litter, walk on the sidewalk not the garden, sort of thing.

Washrooms may require cash. The default water in restaurants is bottled mineral water, not tap.

I think if you have the ability to read and speak English you’ll be able to get by. Two weeks of Duolingo can help with basic pronunciation and vocabulary.

Insulting people can result in criminal prosecution in Germany. Also giving the nazi salute, repeat nazi slogans (or any such display of anti-constitutional allegiance).

Where are you from? That's very important if you want to calculate a (cultural) difference ;)

If you walk through the streets and you think passer-bys are staring at you, they probably are not. There is a cultural difference to be aware of, the german stare.

Here it is completely normal to look at people while passing them, or even look out from a coffee shop or bus at passing people. It might signal Neugierde - interest, or might just be general Aufmerksamkeit - attention of their surroundings. Think of it like a cat acknowleging that you have entered the room by giving you a quick glance.

Please don't feel like you are being singled out - you will see that everyone gets looked at :)

General culture:

• In a big city like Munich, most people under 60 will understand English pretty well. Some might be hesitant to reply in English because they are not used to speaking it out loud but they will certainly know what you need from them. Younger people who are chronically online might have more contact with English than with German in their everyday life.
• Many Germans, especially in the south can appear grumpy and not very talkative towards strangers. They are not angry at you, just direct. "Not complaining is enough praise" is a fairly common saying. If you ask someone how their day was, don't expect empty pleasantries but facts. On the other hand, once you get to know someone you can become their new best friend within half a day.
• This goes for anywhere in the world but if you value your sanity, don't talk about politics.
• We may be of a different culture than you but we are not aliens. If you are unsure about something, just ask and if you do something inappropriate, someone will tell you.
• If you need a snack during the day, I recommend looking for a bakery. Most will have a selection of sandwiches and bottled beverages.
• Most stores are closed on Sundays while restaurants may have their own days off (often Monday). Opening times may vary but don't expect 24/7 supermarkets like in the US and Asia. If you urgently need something, try a gas station or near a train station.

Laws:

• The EU and Germany specifically is big on privacy. It is technically illegal to take a photo of an individual without their consent. Photographing crowds is fine and nobody will complain about being in the background of your selfie but don't go around shoving a camera in someone's face without asking.
• As others have said, beer is legal from 16, liquor from 18, even in public. Even if you don't drink, be prepared to encounter a couple of drunk teenagers if you're out in the evening. Just be polite and ignore them and it will be fine.
• Other than that, expect a pretty standard western legal system. Unless you're planning to actively commit a crime, the details won't be important to you.

Terms and phrases:

• Bahnhof => train station
• U-Bahn => subway / metro
• Flughafen => airport
• Bitte => please / you're welcome (yes, it can mean both)
• Danke => thank you

Augustiner Beer is so good

Fuck the hoffbrau Haus they are rude as fuck

Bicycle tour is a nice way to get oriented

Legal drinking age for beer and wine is 16yo.

Ping me by dm, I can help with local knowledge, ama.

Oh and except if you behave like a total lunatic even missteps would be fine since you're visiting. I wouldn't worry too much.

Maybe public transport. Always have a ticket ready, we're like Indiana Jones in the Zeppelin scene regarding that.

You'll visit BMW (Rollys-Royce, Mini), I expect.

If you notice a picturesque brick tower in the vicinity, that's a Hochbunker from WW2. There's more than 1 around there.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Hochbunker_in_M%C3%BCnchen

Munich was not bombed very much, on account of being so far inland. Nevertheless, the hill you can see when you're at the BMW museum, consists of the rubble of buildings that were destroyed in the war. It was turned into a park for the 1972 Olympics. The terrorist attack that took the lives of most of the Israeli Olympic team mostly took place nearby. If that's of interest to you, you could watch Spielberg's Munich.

You may notice cars with an unusual look (see photos here). Those are prototypes. You can see a fair number of these (BMW & Rolls-Royce) in the area. In German, they are called Erlkönig (elf-king) after a poem by Goethe.

Do not carry any weapons. This is super strict. Even a pocket knife may be a weapon (except a very small one).

When entering a church building, take your hat off.

If you can and are interested, visit their Hackerspace. Be careful, beers are big and strong especially in Bavaria.

Dont try to even speak german with bavarians. While there barely are any real bavarians in munich, bavarian dialect is uncomprehensable unless you grew up there. Swabian even more so.

If your school is going to the deutsche museum, i am sorry to say, the big and main exhibitions are all closed due to renovation. Munich people are...strange in the sense of they may seem nice but arent. The oposite of berlin where people are unfriendly but actually friendly.

BE QUIET AFTER 20:00! aka 8 pm. Its quiet time and you can and might be fined for disturbing the quiet. This also goes for all of sunday. Shops also close at that time. DO NOT THROW AWAY BOTTLES they have pfand. A deposite that you get back. If you dont want to carry it around put it next to a bin.

The English Garden, has nudists areas so if you have a problem with that, best to avoid.

If someone tells you 'Schleich di' that means 'go away' and you should do that

"Cultural differences" Well every place is different. Do not confuse all of bavarians as bavarians, franconians and swabians are NOT bavarians.

If you happen to be in Augsburg, do NOT MENTION MUNICH! Munich is hated and seen as a black hole that only takes and also seen as a infecting overtaking invading force. Fuck munich.

Dont get your hopes up to get weed lol Yes its decriminalised but you cant buy it anywhere (due to conservatives blocking cannabis clubs), and so you can only self grow it. And only you may smoke it not give it to anyone else.

But you will defenetly smell it every now and then :)

Edit: i assume you perhaps will go to the dachau konzentration camp. You probably know. Be respectful. If the guide tells you 'the showers were build but luckily never used' bullshit, they were used lots. One guide tried to tell me that as a kid