Munich – Bavaria’s glittering capital

Munich nestles between art and beer like a village between hills. Originally written by Heinrich Heine some 150 years ago, these words remain true today. With Oktoberfest and opera, Hofbräuhaus beer hall and Pinakothek art galleries, BMW and Bayern Munich, the city combines Bavarian tradition with vibrant modern life.

Some places to see

Marienplatz / Marien Square
Marienplatz is Munich’s central square. For many centuries, until 1807, it was the market square, and during the Middle Ages it was frequently the venue of knightly tournaments. The dominant feature of the square is the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus). At the east end of the square stands the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), with its reconstructed tower.

With its famous onion dome, the 15th century Gothic Church of Our Lady is a famous Munich landmark just a few steps away from Marienplatz, where a carillon plays three times a day.

Isartor / Isar Gate
The Isartor, the only one of Munich’s town gates that has preserved its gate-tower, formed part of the fortifications erected by Ludwig the Bavarian in the first half of the 14th century. It consists of a tall main tower with the gateway itself in front flanked by smaller towers either side. The fresco (1835) by Caspar Neher above the gateway depicts Ludwig the Bavarian’s triumphal entry following his victory over Friedrich the Handsome of Austria at the Battle of Ampfinger in 1322.

Hofbräuhaus beer hall
Munich’s most popular attraction and the city’s best known drinking establishment, not to mention the one most frequently celebrated in song. Every day, around 10,000 litres of beer are served in the taproom, restaurant, banqueting hall and beer garden. Platzl 9, 80331 München.

Olympiapark / Olympic Stadium
The impark09 summer festival, which takes place outdoors at the Olympia Park, is just one of many, many events in the Olympiapark.Munich’s Olympic Stadium was builts for the Olympic Games in 1972. Most Olympic Games sites have passed into history but in Munich the Olympic park with its stadium has become a popular leisure and event center. Every year four million people come to the Olympic Park and buy a ticket – either to do sport themselves, to use tourist attractions or to watch the numerous top events and entertainments. And this figure does not even include the many thousands of people walking or jogging in the park.

The Olympia Park stadium is an outstanding example of how spectacular architectural form and function can be successfully combined. As well as being a sports stadium where a number of World and European records have been broken, the stadium is also used as a venue for sporting highlights as well as open-air festivals, playing host to the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi and Robbie Williams. Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, 80809 Munich.

Munich Art Quarter
Bordered by Türkenstrasse and Luisenstrasse, Munich’s art quarter boasts a total of seven museums, between them covering all aspects of painting, from the Old Masters to contemporary art. Museums in the art quarter include the three Pinakothek galleries (Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne), together with the Glyptothek museum of Greek and Roman sculptures, the Collection of Antiquities, Lenbach House and the Schack Gallery, together the cover works ranging from ancient times and through the late Middle Ages to the present day. In addition to the large museums, there are also smaller art galleries in the area, making this a true paradise for art lovers.

Another museum well worth visiting when you are in Munich is the Deutsches Museum, Europe’s largest museum of technology, which is on the Museumsinsel, 80538 Isarvorstadt-Ludwigsvorstadt, München. www.deutsches-museum.de/en