There is something wonderful about visiting a place that holds so much intense energy and excitement, whether you are a sports fan or not.

We low-key took a self-guided tour inside the Allianz Arena, home of the famous FC Bayern München football team, and strangely there was not a single other person inside the stadium.

I attribute this to the fact that it was during the UEFA Euro soccer tournament. This was not the first time I have been staying in München during the UEFA, when people are always filling the squares and running around in the streets singing, cheering, and hugging.

And since all eyes were on soccer, the famous football stadium was left empty.

My song for this entry is the locally-famous song “Minga, Oida” by Hiasl & Friends. Minga Oida is essentially “Munich, Dude” in Bavarian slang.

We walked 1.6 km (about one mile) in the blistery sun from the Fröttmaning Bahnhof all the way up the wide and winding hill until we reached the abandoned ticket turnstiles.

I never anticipated I would find myself inside one of the largest arenas in Germany, let alone have the place to ourselves. We also checked out the souvenir shop and FC Bayern München Museum (Erlebnisweld).

 

Allianz has hosted FIFA events and the best of countless football teams. The arena has the distinction of having the largest video wall in Europe, and of being the first in the world to be completely covered in a colour-changing exterior.

The exterior panels are filled with pressure-regulated air and can be seen in a wide range of colours. Typically when I have passed by it is white during the day and red at night, but there are thousands upon thousands of colours available.

Check out this time-lapse video of its construction:

My photos all looked like blurry smudges because it was pretty dark inside, but check out this video with footage of events and colour changes too:

It was not until we were leaving that we ran into some other people.

Waiting for the train:

Inside the Fröttmaning Bahnhof station there is a lot of interesting urban design:

It was only a few minutes back to our stop in Kieferngarten.

If you are attending a match or attending Oktoberfest later in the year, I highly recommend booking the Hotel Arena Stadt München by the Kieferngarten stop, which is the shortest train trip to Allianz.

Hotel Arena Stadt is more like a B&B than a hotel. They have a wonderful breakfast, landscaping, gardens, and are right next to a Gasthaus biergarten. I went over for an Augustiner Hellbrau (my favourite!) after touring Allianz Arena, and they were showing the matches on big screens.

 

Hotel Arena Stadt is also the hub for Belarus tourism and the staff speaks fluent Belarusian, Russian, German, English, and some Polish.

At the end of the street you just make a right to reach the train station and bike garage, and you will be on your way into town.

 

Minga Oida!

 

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