Dachau
The town of Dachau 20 km north of Munich makes for an interesting day trip. Dachau is, of course, synonymous with its Nazi-era concentration camp but there is a a more pleasant side to the town's history.
With around 45,000 inhabitants, Dachau itself is very pretty with a lovely Altstadt and a small Renaissance Palace set in an ornamental, strolling garden.
History
With a history dating back to before Christ, Dachau remains much of its tranquil charm. First settled by the Celts and then the Romans, the Roman road from Salzburg to Augsburg is believed to have run through what is now present-day Dachau. The name "Dachau" first appears in the 9th century. The lands were in the hands of the House of Wittelsbach and between 1546 and 1577 they built Dachau Palace in a sumptious Renaissance style.
Between 1890 and 1914 Dachau attracted a significant group of artists drawn by its cheaper rents (compared to Munich) and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Painters such as Adolf Hölze, Ludwig Dill, Arthur Langhammer, Walther Klemm, Fritz von Uhde, Carl Thiemann and Gertrud Staats later joined them. The group became known nationally following an exhibition in Berlin in 1898. The onset of World War I led to the abrupt break up of the avant-garde group which never subsequently reformed.
However, the terrible events of 1933-1945 in Dachau overshadow most of what had come before.
Attractions
Things to see and do in Dachau include Dachau Palace, which was remodeled in the Baroque style from 1715 to 1717. Sadly the palace fell into disrepair and only the west wing remains with its fine wood carved ceiling. The lovely palace grounds, laid out by Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell, contain an English, landscaped garden, a row of lindens (lime trees), orchards, flower beds and garden walls.
On the grounds of the palace is the Dachauer Gemäldegalerie with landscape paintings of the 19th and early 20th centuries from painters of the Dachau artists' colony. The permanent exhibition also includes paintings from the city of Dachau, as well as valuable loans from large Munich collections. Among the paintings on display are works by Eduard Schleich the Elder, alongside those of more regionally known painters. A. Christian Morgenstern, Carl Spitzweg, Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, Leopold von Kalckreuth, Fritz von Uhde and others. Special exhibitions regularly deal with individual aspects of Dachau open-air painting and other European artist colonies.
The Bezirksmuseum has exhibits on three floors of local history, crafts, folklore, traditional dress and festivals from the surrounding area. It is housed in a fine building dating from the 18th century.
The Neue Galerie only shows temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. It is located on Konrad-Adenauer-Straße in the Altstadt.
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial
The Memorial stands as a solemn reminder of one of the darkest chapters in German history. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp, beginning with German political prisoners and then serving as a prototype for the network of oppression and suffering in such places as Auschwitz Birkenau and Belsen that would engulf Europe during World War II.
Visiting is a haunting experience, as one confronts the harrowing reality of the atrocities committed within its walls. Rows of barracks, gas chambers, and crematoria bear witness to the unimaginable suffering endured by prisoners subjected to starvation, torture, and systematic extermination. The memorial serves not only as a tribute to those who perished but also as a stark warning against the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and indifference. In the somber silence of Dachau, visitors are compelled to reflect on the fragility of human dignity and the imperative to ensure that such horrors are never repeated.
The Memorial is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Munich Tourist Office
Munich Tourist Office, Sendlinger Str. 1, D-80331 Munich
Phone: ++49/ 89 / 233 03 00, Fax: ++49 / 89 / 233 30 233
Email: tourismus@muenchen.de
Dachau Tourist Office
Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 1
Phone: ++49 (0)8131 75286
May to October: Monday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm (and July to September, Sunday 10 am - 2 pm; November to April: Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm, plus Saturday 10 am - 2 pm
Getting to Munich
Air
Munich International Airport (Franz-Josef Strauss) has flights bound for cities all over Europe, New York, and Asia. The airport (28 km from the city) is connected by the S1 & S8 trains to the Hauptbahnhof.
The trip takes 40 minutes and runs every 20 minutes from 4am to 1 am. The fare is €8. There is also an airport bus to and from Arnulfstrasse, on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof, between 6:50 am and 7:50 pm; it takes about 45 minutes. A taxi into town costs about €70.
Bus/Road
Munich is well-connected on the autobahn network. The A9 to Nuremberg, the A8 to Salzburg in Austria, the A95 to Garmisch and the A8 to Stuttgart.
Train
The Hauptbahnhof, which is the main railway station, is located on Bahnhofplatz in the center of town. There are 20 daily trains to Frankfurt, 23 to Berlin. Salzburg is 90 minutes away by train.
Getting To Dachau
The quickest way to get to Dachau is on the train from Munich's main station. It is 12 minutes on trains heading towards Nürnberg Hbf. By S-Bahn it takes 22 minutes. There are nine stops and there are trains every 10 minutes.
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial can be reached by S2 from Munich Hauptbahnhof in about 22 minutes, then take bus no #724 or #726 or walk.
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Accommodation
Dachau has several good places to stay. These include a cluster of hotels to the east of the station. Choose from the Abasto Hotel, the Hotel Modi, the Amedia Hotel & Suites Dachau and the Plaza Inn.
West of and closer to the station is the pleasant Hotel Fischer. Heading further west towards the palace is the recommended Hotel Dah-Inn
See a complete list of places to stay in Dachau.
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Eating
Obviously Munich has more choice with several Michelin restaurants such as the Little London Bar & Grill, Mountain Hub Gourmet and La Bohème to discover, but Dachau has some pleasant eateries, too.
Try Peruvian cuisine at Cevicheria Pez, Greek food at Annas Taverne and American-German fusion at Luja (Frühlingstraße 14).
There is also authentic Thai food at Sukhothai at Wieningerstraße 6, traditional German at Steirer at Schleißheimerstraße 27 and good Indian curries at Radha at Friedenstraße 21.
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Drinking
The Muddy Boot is an Irish pub of long standing at Pfarrstraße 3. La Tapa attracts a younger crowd for cocktails, beers and food. City Pub is right near the railway station.
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