Off to the Olympiapark

Our postgame plan was to take the U-Bahn to the Olympiapark, the location of many of the venues from the 1972 Summer Olympics, as well as the Munich Fanfest. On our way out of the stadium, however, we were told by a local that the Olympiapark would most likely be closed due to crowds, and we'd be better off watching the game elsewhere. Signs at the U-Bahn station also indicated that the Fanfest was full to capacity.

But, we figured it was worth the trip over their just to see if we could walk around and get a glimpse of the place, one of the more unique facilities in the history of sports architecture.

Luck was on our side, however, as upon our arrival there were no crowds at the entrance, and we had no problems entering. We arrived about 20 minutes before kickoff of the Germany-Poland game, and a large, enthusiastic crowd of Germans was gathered and ready.

We spent some time exploring the Olympiapark before the game. The basketball arena where the U.S. got hosed in the '72 gold medal game against the Soviets and the swimming venue where Mark Spitz won seven gold medals still stand and are in use today. But our favorite attraction was a working merry-go-round that's been turned into a bar.