I love it when a destination completely surprises me, which is a rare occasion because I tend to research to death every place I visit.

So imagine how happy I was to discover the sleepy town of Freising, Germany, which I picked as our last night for our 14-day Austria/Germany sojourn simply due to its proximity to the Munich airport. I didn’t know anything about the town, other than that it had a brewery [Big deal, right? They seem to be everywhere in Germany] and that I got a decent price for a hotel within walking distance to the train.

After two nights in the heart of Munich & 13 days of travel, we were ready for something quiet. We took the train to Freising which took about 40min. We stayed at Hotel Bayerischer Hof, a half mile walk from the train station, & we were both impressed before we even walked inside the lobby. The location was excellent (shops, grocery store & dining all around) & the exterior was very pretty. Inside was even more impressive — great balance of cozy antique elegance with modern amenities. And apparently lady luck smiled upon us that day, because we were upgraded to a suite, which had a walk-in closet! Not that these minimalist vagabonds NEEDED an insanely large closet, but I still felt special.

This marriage of old & new perfectly sums up Freising. It is a town that seems to have found its proper balance, seeking progress without losing its charm.

Freising is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria. It was established in the 8th century & was the religious & cultural center for Upper Bavaria. This was a place of power for the bishops & a place for scholars & skilled artisans. Today’s city maintains that feel, with beautiful architecture & a small but thriving university campus.

The first thing we noticed when we stepped off the train was how alive the town felt & that it was residents we were seeing, not tourists. The central part of town was under construction but still bustling. School kids were walking around eating döners & ice cream. There was a small outdoor market next to our hotel, which was perfect for a quick healthy lunch. We enjoyed some delicious vegan food at Chakula’s food truck — friendly owner & great street food! We fell in LOVE with the pastries & chocolates at Andreas Muschler, the marvelous Thai/Vietnamese food at Lucki’s, & the decadent ice cream at Da Sandro’s. Who would have thought this sleepy town of 45,000 would have such wonderful dining?

Freising was more than just great food & quaint streets — it was a beautiful place to walk! We followed Weihenstephaner Fußweg (yeah, it’s a mouthful) uphill to the Weihenstephan Brewery, considered to be the oldest brewery in the world & began as a Benedictine monastery. Brewing in Freising began as early as 825 & by the 18th century they had 18 breweries (& only 3000 residents). No wonder why it seems such a laid-back happy city! The University at Weihenstephan now surrounds the brewery, with students studying horticulture, brewing, & much more. We walked through gardens maintained by the students & local residents, observing students walking around with fresh beer in hand. There was a cozy student library hidden in the trees with the best viewpoint I’ve ever seen for a library. Wooded pathways wrapped around the hill with steps leading to hidden alcoves & abandoned buildings. I couldn’t bend my knees that day, so Eric took the steep paths & took pictures for me.

Another brewery remains on the opposite side of town on Cathedral Hill (Hofbrauhaus Freising), which also provides a lovely walk uphill. And if you want more forest walks, drive north of town to Plantage Restaurant & Biergarten where the Forest Adventure Trail begins (1.2 mi nature trail with info points & a maze). For a really nice circular route around Freising, click here.

If you’re flying in or out of Munich’s International Airport, Freising is the place to stay! Just one word of advice: take the train to the airport, even if your hotel offers a shuttle. We took the shuttle but traffic was hectic & it took much longer than expected. Trains are more reliable when time is of the essence.