My 5 Favourite Runs, From Around The World

My 5 Favourite Runs, From Around The World

It comes as no surprise that my favourite way to see a city is to get up at the crack of dawn and give it the runaround. There’s simply nothing quite like waking up alongside a city;  whether it’s skirting around delivery vans dropping off fresh baked goods for the start of day, or darting businessmen and women hustling to get to work on time, taking an early-morning run while traveling is by far my favourite way to discover a city. You never know what you’ll see before the sun creeps up! Rising early to hit the pavement has led me to discover a Canadian cemetery in the North of Wales, and accidentally join a 5km while spending an anniversary weekend in Pittsburgh and been yelled at by a fellow hostel guest in Geneva who must have dreamed her alarm went off and blamed it on the early risers, or, I suppose I should say runners.

While I’ve had my fair share of fabulous runs to kick-start my travels around the world, here are my top 5! If you’re ever in the area, don’t miss out on the chance to take in the fresh air, the beautiful landscape and hit the ground running:

1. Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C

Starting at Canada Place and ending at English Bay, the approximately 12 kilometer run through Stanley Park is the most amazing and memorable runs I have done to date (the fact that I ran it alongside one of my best friends was totally just the icing on the cake). Next to cyclists, joggers and walkers galore, you’ll weave in-between greenery set directly net to a never-ending coast-line in one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Check out more about Stanley Park and other things to see an do in Vancouver in my blog series on Beautiful British Columbia.

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Englischer Garten – No 1 of Top Ten Things to See and Do – The Best of Munich

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Top Ten Things to See and Do in Munich.

Remember, this list is a compilation of my personal favourites – there are hundreds of other sights, restaurants, tours and landmarks (like theOlympia park, which was very close to making it’s way onto this list) that you could choose to see.

It’s also important to remember that Munich is a city of festivals and depending on what time of year you come, you may want to check out seasonal festivals like Oktoberfest, or Tollwood, or a visit a Christmas Market if you arrive during the winter season. Munich.de is a great resource to keep you up to date on fun and exciting events and festivals taking place throughout the city all year round.

If, however, you are strapped for time with 1-3 days to spend in this amazing city (and trust the author) then I welcome you to adopt this itinerary and bathe in all wonder, history and tradition that Munich has to offer.

So, here it is! My most favourite thing to do in Munich is:

#1. Take a tour of the Englischer Garten:

The Englischer Garten is an immense park found steps away from the city center (literally, steps). Trails wind their way through various sections of the garden, each informally categorized as the place to grille (BBQ), or tightrope walk, kick the ball around, or lay naked under the summer sun.

Yup! That’s totally legal here.

You’ll find streams, ponds, small waterfalls and even surfers catching the waves at the Eisbach, a man made river that feeds into the Isar.

If you’re in Munich for more than a couple of days, the Englisher Garten is a great place to go jogging, forming a loop that can be followed all the way back to the Lugwigstrasse, so you can turn around at any point without getting too lost.

If you have limited time in Munich, reserve an afternoon (or at least part of it) for a picnic and stroll through the garden. Stop at the Chinesisicher Turm (Chinese Tower) for a beer, a pretzel and some Obatzda, a deliciously creamy, melt-in-your-mouth mixture of cheese, garnished with paprika, salt, pepper etc.

Stay long enough to hear some folk music being played by an Umpapa band dressed in lederhosen and dirndls and then move on to the next attraction.

Read the original post and more travel tips including the entire Best of Munich series, on Travel Dudes!