Munich

Munich is one of the largest cities in Germany. It is the second most visited city in Germany, after Berlin. And Bavaria is the most visited region in the country.

If you have several days or a week in Germany, the choice is clear - stay in a hotel near the train station in Munich and travel throughout the region.

Munich is a non-typical German city, so don't expect to see traditional Germany here. Despite the fact that the historical center was rebuilt after the war in its original form, it doesn't look like a real German old city.

There are no skyscrapers in the city. No building can be taller than Frauenkirche, the symbol of Munich. The church towers are widely visible because of local height limits. According to the narrow outcome of a local plebiscite, city administration prohibits buildings with a height exceeding 99 m in the city center. Since November 2004, this prohibition has been provisionally extended outward and as a result, no buildings may be built in the city over the aforementioned height. The south tower is open to those wishing to climb the stairs and offers a unique view of Munich and the nearby Alps.

The city has other famous churches: St. Peter's Church (XII century), St. Michael's Church (1583-1597), the most beautiful church in the city - Azamkirhe (1729-1771), is considered a masterpiece of European late baroque.

One of the city symbols is a hog that heroically died in the name of German sausages =) Rub his snout and you'll be wealthy.


Munich has a lot of museums, the most famous of which is Residence Museum. Also known are Pinakothek, Glyptothek and German Technical Museum.

Marienplatz with the new City Hall is the heart of the city. Munich City Hall is one of the most beautiful in Germany. Every day at 11 am, 12 pm and 5 pm the tower clock strikes and puppet show starts. There is a viewing platform on the 85-meter tall tower.


There's a food market (Viktualienmarkt) in 150 meters from Marienplatz. This is an open-air market in the city center, which offers all sorts of top quality food products. There are six statues of famous Munich citizens on the market.

English garden in Munich is one of the largest urban parks in the world. It appeared in 1789, when China tower was established, which is now the main attraction of the park. There is a subway along the park, so it's quite easy to reach, for example, the Studentenstadt station, then pass the student dormitories and walk in the park in the downtown direction.




The second big park is the Olympic Park, which was built for the Olympic games of 1972. The park has a 290-meter tall TV tower. There's an observation deck on the top, which offers views of the city and the Alps on a clear day. There's also a rock museum in the TV tower.






























The world's largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, has been held in Munich on the meadow of Therese (Theresenwiese) since 1810. This is the most popular tourist attraction of the country. Every year more than 6 million tourists come here. In fact, this festival is held in many German cities, but the most famous one is, of course, in Munich.


The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is a beer hall in the center of Munich, Germany. The inn was originally built in 1598 by Bavarian Duke Maximilian I. It was built as an extension of the original Hofbräu brewery, but for Weissbier (wheat beer). The general public was admitted only in 1828 by then king Ludwig I. On 24 February 1920 Adolf Hitler organized the first of many large publicity and propaganda events to be held at the Munich Hofbräuhaus. During this event he outlined a twenty-five point programme of ideas, which were to become the basis of the Nazi Party.


Near the the Olympic Park you can find the BMW plant. The tallest building in the form of four cylinders is a huge BMW museum (BMW World) that was opened in 1973. The museum is dedicated to BMW cars and motorcycles from the very first brand to prospective future models. You can visit the plant with a tour, check out information here.






Other attractions in Munich:
Nymphenburg Palace
Allianz Arena stadium
Thermal water park on the outskirts
Munich filmstudio, information at the official website

Information about Munich:
Urban transport (PDF maps)
Website for planning trips by Munich public transport
Map of Munich attractions with descriptions
Make a maximum zoom in Google Maps and watch the city from a 45-degree side.

Curiously, Munich is translated into Italian as Bavarian Monaco, and it creates confusion.