Munich (German: München) is the capital city of Bavaria, the largest federal state of Germany (by area - not by population). The third-largest German city - by population, not by area- (after Berlin and Hamburg) , Munich is noted for its architecture and culture, and its annual Oktoberfest beer celebration is world famous.
Districts
Understand
When Germans are polled about where they would most like to live, Munich finds its way consistently to the top of the list. Being within easy driving distance of the Alps, Italy and the Mediterranean, the Czech Republic, Austria and some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, it's not surprising everyone wants to be there! Add to its benefits beautiful architecture, especially Baroque and Roccoco, green countryside which starts a mere half-hour away on the S-Bahn, the second largest university in Germany, and the greatest beer culture on the planet: could there be anything wrong with Munich? Yes and no. The Bavarians are very conservative (although, Munich itself traditionally has a Social Democratic municipal council), to the point of being reactionary. This can make it tough to get to know them, and at the very least, will lead to more than a few raised eyebrows at your ripped denim shorts.
There's a price to pay for living in a city where everyone else wants to be: Munich is the most expensive city in Germany. But all in all, its advantages make a visit more than worthwhile. Just leave the denim shorts at home!
Munich's cultural scene is second to none, its museums are even considered to outrank Berlin in quality.
And it has been, unlike Berlin, brilliantly rebuilt after the war. Most people find it hard to believe that Munich was even bombed in WWII.
Munich people don't want their city to be noticed only as a city connected to beer and the Oktoberfest. In fact, the Bavarian kings had their share to do with Munich becoming a city of arts and science in the 19th century. Its outstanding position among other German cities
may have faded since - especially due to Berlin becoming the German capital again in the 1990s - but Munich still remains Germany's number-one place for art, having been the home or birthplace of many famous writers, artists, architects, and musicians, including:
Egid Quirin Asam, François de Cuvilliés, Johann Michael Fischer, Albrecht Dürer, architects Barelli and Zuccalli (credited with bringing the Italian baroque style to Munich, a style that would become omnipresent throughout Bavaria), Leo von Klenze, Franz von Lenbach, Wassily Kandinsky and the artists of the Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) School of Expressionist art.
Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger are famous German writers that lived in Munich until they were driven out of the city by the Nazis because of their religion and/or political attitude.
Get in
By car
By plane
The airport connects to central Munich by S-Bahn (commuter train) on S1 or S8 lines. The journey (single) costs €8.80 (or €9.60 for a day pass) and takes 30-40 minutes to get to the central station. For more information see the get around section.
By train
Most major European cities connect to Munich by rail. Munich's Hauptbahnhof (main station) is conveniently located in the center of Munich. The Deutsche Bahn uses Munich as one of its main German hubs and has good connections to neighboring countries (Austria, Switzerland and Czech Republic) and to all southern German cities.
The main station is west of Marienplatz (two S-Bahn stations) or a short walk away from the city center. The main station also has a traveler-friendly infrastructure including several restaurants, a tourist's bureau and a Deutsche Bahn ticket and travel agency office.
Get around
Bus, Tram, U-Bahn (subway) and S-Bahn
The best way to travel around Munich is the Tram (streetcar), bus and U-Bahn (subway) system. For connections to the suburbs use the S-Bahn. You can get individual, group, day and week tickets. The metro (U-Bahn) stations are signed with a white capital "U" on a blue background. To go to the suburbs or airport use the S-Bahn, signed with a white "S" on green background. All lines come together in a tunnel in central Munich.
If you arrive at the airport and intend to explore Munich by the public system, the best option is to buy a day ticket for the whole network (Gesamtnetz). This ticket will let you travel to and from the airport and all the S-Bahn and U-Bahn stops, as well as on the busses.
A day ticket is worth buying if you plan to take more than one trip in the same day. It's available for a single person or as partner card for up to five adults and is valid until 6am next morning. The day card is available for four areas: Inner district/Innenraum(white zone) for €4.80 (single) or €8.50 (partner) (enough to explore the city), Outer district/Außenraum (green, yellow and red zone) for the same price, Munich XXL/München XXL (white and green zone - good for trips to Dachau) for €6.50 (single) or €11.50 (partner, and All zones/Gesamtnetz (entire network) for €9.60 (single) or €17 (partner).
If you are staying longer than 3 days in a week in Munich, a good option is to buy a week ticket. The week ticket is valid from Monday to Monday. The price of the week ticket depends on the number of rings you want to travel during the week (starting from the center of the city). Almost all U-Bahn stations are within the rings 1-4.
For several journeys on different days the blue strip card (Streifenkarte), with 10 strips, is a better value than buying lots of individual tickets. The cost is €10.50, and may be purchased at dispensing machines at every station. You need to use two strips for each colored ring on the map. If your are making several trips in a day, the day ticket is a better option.
All tickets need to be stamped, except for the week tickets; without a stamp the ticket is invalid and you are can be fined €40 if you don't have a valid ticket. Stamping machines ("Entwerter") are found at the entrance to the S-Bahn or U-Bahn platforms, and on the buses and trams. In most other German cities, passengers can validate tickets on the train; however, this is not the case in Munich, so be sure you validate your tickets before boarding any U-Bahn or S-Bahn train.
Public transportation operates with only limited service from 2:00 to 5:00 in the morning. The U-Bahn (Metro) doesn't operate at all, and the tram and some buses operate only on the hour from Monday to Friday, and on the half hour on the weekend. On Friday, Saturday and nights before public holidays, there is a single S-Bahn on each line between 2:30 and 3:00. So if you're staying out late, try to get the schedule of the so called Nachttram (night tram) in advance or don't leave the place before 5:00 (or you can take a taxi of course).
The Munich MVV website has maps of the U-Bahn and S-Bahn network that shows the zones and rings, and maps of the Park&Ride car parks attached to U-bahn stations (under the Pläne menu), as well as timetables. The official urban rail network map is indispensable.
If you plan on exploring Munich and taking a regional Deutsche Bahn train to another city in the same day on a weekend, consider getting a Deutsche Bahn Schoenes Wochenende ticket. This ticket covers all regional train travel and all Munich S-Bahn travel for up to five people for a single weekend day for 33 euros.
Bike
With over 200km of bike trails, one of the very best ways to explore the city is on a bicycle. Guided tours are available, or for the independent-minded, rentals and maps are available at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and other areas of the city.
Bikes can also be rented by the Call-A-Bike system, which is run by Deutsche Bahn (national rail service). You need to call a number listed on the bikes from your mobile phone and register with the callabike.de website in order to use them. The service is convenient, as you just spot an available bike throughout the city and just leave it at your destination. However, this is not an economical alternative, if you are planning many trips in a single day. In that case, it is better to get a day or multiday rental from one of the rental services located throughout central Munich
Mike's Bike Tour, located near the Hofbräuhaus, offers historical tours of the city.
Discover Munich offers free bike tours around Munich's old town and the Engish Garden.
Munich is a bike-friendly city that assigns many paths (especially along river Isar and in the parks, even in the city center) for joint usage by pedestrians and bikers alike. This is a notorious source of trouble since strollers tend to ignore the bike traffic to the detriment of everybody involved - themselves, their pets and the bikers.
See
Museums, Galleries, and Memorials
Parks
Palaces and Castles
Do
Festivals
:However, visiting the Oktoberfest can be much more stressful than the visit of similar festivals (Cannstatter Wasen, Wurstmarkt Bad Dürkheim, etc.), because the tents are overcrowded and there are doormen at the entrance ruling the procedure of coming in. Especially at weekends you should try to get in the tents before 10 o'clock in the morning. During the week most tents are open all day, however it is not easy to get a seat and as a general rule, you won't get served if you haven't got a seat.
:It is not recommended to leave the tent if you want to get in it later the day. So you have to decide early in the morning if you want to go in a certain tent or you want to enjoy the rides like the coaster with 5 loopings.
:Some tents, such as the Hofbräu Festzelt have a standing area that does not require seating; as such, you can sometimes get into this tent later than with other ones.
Theater, Opera, and Music
Munich has many theatres showing different plays:
Tours
Sport
Learn
Buy
Markets
Christmas Markets
During Christmas time there are many of these Christkindl Märkte or Christmas Markets, including the large Tollwood, but also smaller markets, where you can buy christmas biscuits (Lebkuchen) souvenirs and the typical Glühwein. Although pronounced glue-vine, it is mainly hot red wine with spices and different (secret) flavouring.
Eat
Visitors can count themselves lucky (or possibly unlucky) since Munich is home to everything quintessentially Bavarian. Munich is specifically well-known for Weißwurst, a breakfast sausage that is traditionally eaten as a late breakfast. Weißwurst are prepared in hot but non-boiling water for about ten minutes and served with a greyish-white pigment. If you are able to just enjoy one meal in Munich you should try Schweinsbraten (rosted pork) or Schweinshaxe (roasted pig's knuckle). If you only fancy a snack, almost every butcher sells Leberkässemmeln, a corned beef, bacon and onion mixture baked in a bread pan.
If Bavarian food doesn't sound appetizing you're in luck because Munich is host to plenty of international restaurants including Chinese, Italian, and the typical American fastfood. Munich also has numerous fresh markets, which can be a great and inexpensive alternative to restaurants.
Drink
If you happen to be unfortunate enough to miss Oktoberfest, you can live through a sanitized, safer version at any of Munich's many beer gardens. The Hofbräuhaus may be the most famous beer hall, but no local would go there without force. There are countless beer gardens scattered around the city.
The ones thinking they are competent beer drinkers, should try Starkbierfest after Lent lasting till before Easter. The beer is darker and stronger than normal (even than Oktoberfest beer).
Coffee culture is also very strong, especially during the summer months, but is often overlooked by most visitors.
Beer gardens and beer halls
Usually located under large chestnut trees (Kastanienbäume) for shade. Often there are rows of fold-away tables and self-service. If you see tablecloth on some tables there is normally service only there. In a traditional Bavarian beer garden you are allowed to bring your food along with you. Only beverage (usually one litre mugs of local beer or Radler which is a half and half mix of beer and lemonade) is to be bought at the beergarden. Many locals still cling to this custom, though food is available as well, of course. Try Riesenbrezn (big pretzels) and Steckerlfisch (cured fish). Beer gardens are usally visited by a mixed crowd of people (locals, tourists, families, younger, elderly, straight, gay etc.) which the special atmosphere of a beergarden arises from; though people normally don't go alone there.
If you don't manage to find a free table don't hesitate to ask if you may join someone. No local would refuse this request.
Beer gardens are family friendly, with children's play areas on site. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, on leash.
Beer gardens in the suburbs
Clubs and Discos
You have to be 18 years old to get into most clubs and discos in Munich. Always have your passport or ID card with you, drivers licence may be ok, too. Some clubs have "Ü30-Parties", where you should be over 30 to get in, but usually you have no problems if you are over 25. In most of the cases it is ok to wear jeans and sneakers. Haidhausen is the popular nightlife district being home to Munich "Kultfabrik" and "Optimolwerk" clubbing neighborhood.
Other Munich districts
Greater Munich
Sleep
Munich abounds with accommodation for every type of traveler. The area directly around the Hauptbahnhof (train station) has numerous youth hostels, and upscale hotels like Le Meridien and Sofitel, however, there are plenty of hotels and youth hostels in other districts of Munich particularly Schwabing and the Ostbahnhof area.
Please see district articles:
Wombats Hostel, Senefelderstraße 1, D-80336 Munich
free breakfast in the morning and a shower in dorm rooms! backpackers dream
Best Western Hotel Erb, Posthalterring 1, 85599 Munich-Parsdorf
Special Rate during Octoberfest and Munich Events
Stay safe
Munich is in general a very safe city for all travellers, the only thing that ever seems to be an issue for travellers is becoming excessively intoxicated. One should attempt to use precaution while drinking to prevent from inciting a fight, being drugged, or injuring oneself.
Munich is one of Germany's international cities and has a great emphasis on the mixture of traditional values and modern work attitudes. For this reason, locals are welcoming travellers. Despite Berlin's status as the nation's capital, Munich sees themselves as the "capital" of the alpine region.
For the gay, lesbian and transgender groups there are few reports of attacks against this group.
Get out
The S8 and S1 both go to the airport from Marienplatz S-Bahn station, but be careful because the S1 line splits into two separate trains at "Neufahrn" just before the airport- be sure that you are riding in the section that is actually going to the airport, which is always last part of the train. If you find yourself in the wrong car, just wait until Neufahrn and change into the last part of the train.
The Bayern Ticket is an amazingly cheap way to do day trips from Munich. With it you can travel anywhere in Bavaria on the regional trains all day (only from 9am weekdays). It costs €27 for a group of up to 5 people, and €19 for a single. Make sure you buy it from the machines as there is a €2 surcharge if you buy it from the ticket office. There is also the Schönes Wochenende Ticket which is valid everywhere in Germany and even a fair way into the Czech Republic, but it is only valid on weekends. It costs €33 for a group of up to 5 and is also restricted to the regional trains.
Munich (München, ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga) is the capital of the state of Bavaria.
Munich is Germany's third largest city and one of Europe's most prosperous. The city has a population of about 1.3 million (as of 2006) and the Munich Metropolitan Area is home to around 2.6 million people. The Greater Munich Area (including Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Rosenheim, Landshut and Landsberg) is home to over 5 million people. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps.
The city's motto was "Die Weltstadt mit Herz" (The global city with a heart) for a long time but has recently been replaced by "München mag dich" (Munich loves you). Its native name, München, literally means "Monks", and therefore, the figure on Munich's coat-of-arms is a monk, and is referred to as the Münchner Kindl, the child of Munich. Black and gold - the colors of the Holy Roman Empire - have been the city's official colors since the time of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
Geography
Munich lies on the elevated plains of Upper Bavaria, about 50 km north of the northern edge of the Alps, at an altitude of about 520 m.
Munich is situated in the Northern Alpine Foreland. The northern part of this sandy plateau includes a highly fertile flint area which is no longer affected by the folding processes found in the Alps, while the southern part is covered by morainic hills. In between there are fields of fluvio-glacial out-wash, like around Munich. Wherever these deposits get thinner, the ground water can permeate the gravel surface and flood the area, leading to marshes as in the north of Munich.
Climate
Munich has a continental climate, strongly modified by the proximity of the Alps. Because of the city's sticky altitude and proximity to the northern edge of the Alps, precipitation is rather high. Rain storms often come violently and unexpectedly. The range of temperature between day and night or summer and winter can be extreme. A warm downwind from the Alps (Föhn) can change the temperatures completely within a few hours, even in the winter.
Winters last from December to March. Munich experiences rather cold winters, but heavy rainfall is rarely seen in the winter. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of -2 °C (28 °F). Snow cover is seen for at least a couple of weeks during winter. Summers in Munich city are fairly warm with average temperature of 19 °C (65 °F) in the hottest month of July. The summers last from May until September.
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Demographics
In December 2006, Munich had 1.326 Million inhabitants, 300,129 of whom did not hold German citizenship. The city has strong Turkish and Balkan communities. The largest groups of foreign nationals were Turks (43,309), Croats (24,866), Serbs (24,439), Greek (22,486), Austrians (21,411) and Italians (20,847). 37% of foreign nationals come from the EU. 2.7 million people lived in the old Munich Metropolitan Area. The new one will be home to around 6 million people.
With only 24,000 inhabitants in 1700, the population has somewhat doubled every 30 years. For example, it had 100,000 people in 1852 and then 250,000 people in 1883; by 1901, the figure had doubled again to 500,000. Since then, Munich has become Germany's third largest city. In 1933, 840,000 inhabitants were counted and in 1957, Munich's population passed the 1 million mark.
39.5% of inhabitants are Catholic and 14.2% Protestant (as of 31st of dec 2005).
History
Origin and Middle Ages
The year 1158 is assumed to be the foundation date, which is only the earliest date the city is mentioned in a document. By that time the Guelph Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, had built a bridge over the river Isar next to a settlement of Benedictine monks.
Almost two decades later in 1175 Munich was officially granted city status and received fortification. In 1180, with the trial of Henry the Lion, Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria and Munich was handed over to the bishop of Freising. Otto's heirs, the Wittelsbach dynasty would rule Bavaria until 1918. In 1240 Munich itself was transferred to Otto II Wittelsbach and in 1255, when the dukedom of Bavaria was split in two, Munich became the ducal residence of Upper Bavaria.
Duke Louis IV was elected German king in 1314 and crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in 1328. He strengthened the city's position by granting it the salt monopoly, thus assuring it of additional income. In the late 15th century Munich underwent a revival of gothic arts - the Old Town Hall was enlarged, and a new cathedral - the Frauenkirche - constructed within only twenty years, starting in 1468.
Capital of reunited Bavaria
When Bavaria was reunited in 1506 Munich became capital of the whole of Bavaria. The arts and politics became increasingly influenced by the court. During the 16th century Munich was a center of the German counter reformation, and also of renaissance arts. Duke Wilhelm V commissioned the Jesuit Michaelskirche, which became a center for the counter-reformation, and also built the Hofbräuhaus for brewing brown beer in 1589.
The Catholic League was founded in Munich in 1609.
In 1623 during the Thirty Years' War Munich became electoral residence when Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria was invested with the electoral dignity but in 1632 the city was occupied by Gustav II Adolph of Sweden. When the bubonic plague broke out in 1634 and 1635 about one third of the population died. Under the regency of the Bavarian electors Munich was an important center of baroque life but also had to suffer under several Habsburg occupations.
In 1806, the city became the capital of the new Kingdom of Bavaria, with the state's parliament (the Landtag) and the new archdiocese of Munich and Freising being located in the city. Twenty years later Landshut University was moved to Munich. Many of the city's finest buildings belong to this period and were built under the first three Bavarian kings. Later Prince Regent Luitpold's years as regent were marked by tremendous artistic and cultural activity in Munich.
World War I to World War II
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, life in Munich became very difficult, as the Allied blockade of Germany led to food and fuel shortages. During French air raids in 1916 three bombs fell on Munich.
After World War I, the city was at the center of much political unrest. In November 1918 on the eve of revolution, Ludwig III and his family fled the city. After the murder of the first republican premier of Bavaria Kurt Eisner in February 1919 by Anton Graf von Arco-Valley, the Bavarian Soviet Republic was proclaimed. When Communists had taken power, Lenin, who had lived in Munich some years before, sent a congratulatory telegram, but the Soviet Republic was put down on May 3, 1919 by the Freikorps. While the republican government had been restored, Munich subsequently became a hotbed of right-wing politics, among which Adolf Hitler and the Nazis rose to prominence.
In 1923 Hitler and his supporters, who at that time were concentrated in Munich, staged the Beer Hall Putsch, an attempt to overthrow the Weimar Republic and seize power. The revolt failed, resulting in Hitler's arrest and the temporary crippling of the Nazi Party, which was virtually unknown outside Munich.
The city would once again become a Nazi stronghold when the Nazis took power in Germany in 1933. The Nazis created the first concentration camp at Dachau, 10 miles north west of the city. Because of its importance to the rise of Nazism, the Nazis called Munich the Hauptstadt der Bewegung ("Capital of the Movement"). The NSDAP headquarters were in Munich and many Führerbauten ("Führer-buildings") were built around the Königsplatz, some of which have survived to this day.
Munich was the base of the White Rose (German: Die Weiße Rose), a group of students that formed a resistance movement from June 1942 to February 1943. The core members were arrested and executed following a distribution of leaflets in Munich University by Hans and Sophie Scholl.
The city was very heavily damaged by allied bombing during World War II - the city was hit by 71 air raids over a period of six years.
Postwar Munich
After American occupation in 1945, Munich was completely rebuilt following a meticulous and - by comparison to other war-ravaged German cities - rather conservative plan which preserved its pre-war street grid. In 1957 Munich's population passed the 1 million mark.
Munich was the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics, during which Israeli athletes were assassinated by Palestinian terrorists (see Munich massacre), when terrorist gunmen from the Palestinian "Black September" group took hostage members of the Israeli Olympic team.
Residents of Munich typically enjoy a high quality of life. Mercer HR Consulting consistently rates the city among the top 10 cities with highest quality of life worldwide - a 2007 survey ranked Munich as 8th. The same company also ranks Munich as the world's 39th most expensive city to live in and the most expensive major city in Germany. enjoys a thriving economy, driven by the information technology, biotechnology, and publishing sectors. Environmental pollution is comparatively low, although as of 2006 the city council is concerned about levels of particulate matter (PM), especially along the city's major thoroughfares. Since the enactment of EU legislation concerning the concentration of particulate in the air, environmental groups such as Greenpeace have staged large protest rallies to urge the city council and the State government to take a harder stance on pollution.
Public transport is very efficient with an extensive underground (U-Bahn) and suburban (S-Bahn) railway system. The crime rate is very low compared to other large German cities, such as Hamburg or Berlin. This high quality of life and safety has caused the city to be nicknamed "Toytown" amongst some of the English-speaking residents. German inhabitants call it "Millionendorf", which means "village of a million people". Some also refer to it as "Weltstadt mit Herz" which was the official city slogan for some years and means "world city with a heart".
Politics
Munich's current mayor is Christian Ude of the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany). Munich has a nearly unbroken history of SPD governments since World War II, which is remarkable because the rest of Bavaria is a conservative stronghold, with the CSU (Christian Social Union) winning absolute majorities among the Bavarian electorate in nearly all elections at the communal, state, and federal levels.
As capital of Bavaria, Munich is an important political center in Germany and the seat of the Bavarian Landtag (the state parliament), the Staatskanzlei (the state chancellery) and of all state departments.
Several national and international authorities are located in Munich, including the Bundesfinanzhof (the highest German tax court) and the European Patent Office.
Subdivisions
Munich is subdivided into 25 boroughs (Bezirke in German, also sometimes called districts in English).
Allach-Untermenzing (23), Altstadt-Lehel (1), Aubing-Lochhausen-Langwied (22), Au-Haidhausen (5), Berg am Laim (14), Bogenhausen (13), Feldmoching-Hasenbergl (24), Hadern (20), Laim (25), Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt (2), Maxvorstadt (3), Milbertshofen-Am Hart (11), Moosach (10), Neuhausen-Nymphenburg (9), Obergiesing (17), Pasing-Obermenzing (21), Ramersdorf-Perlach (16), Schwabing-Freimann (12), Schwabing-West (4), Schwanthalerhöhe (8), Sendling (6), Sendling-Westpark (7), Thalkirchen-Obersendling-Forstenried-Fürstenried-Solln (19), Trudering-Riem (15) and Untergiesing-Harlaching (18).
Architecture
The inner city
At the center of the city is the Marienplatz - a large open square named after the Mariensäule, a Marian column in its centre - with the Old and the New Town Hall. Its tower contains the Rathaus-Glockenspiel. Three gates of the demolished medieval fortification have survived to this day - the Isartor in the east, the Sendlinger Tor in the south and the Karlstor in the west of the inner city. The Karlstor is the oldest building at Stachus, a grand square dominated by the Justizpalast (Palace of Justice).
The Peterskirche close to Marienplatz is the oldest church of the inner city. It was first built during the Romanesque period, and was the focus of the early monastic settlement in Munich before the city's official foundation in 1158. Nearby St. Peter the Gothic hall-church Heiliggeistkirche (The Church of the Holy Ghost) was converted to baroque style from 1724 onwards and looks down upon the Viktualienmarkt, the most popular market of Munich.
The Frauenkirche (Dom zu unserer Lieben Frau - Cathedral of Our Lady) is the most famous building in the city center and serves as cathedral for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.
The nearby Michaelskirche is the largest renaissance church north of the Alps, while the Theatinerkirche is a basilica in Italianate high baroque which had a major influence on Southern German baroque architecture. Its dome dominates the Odeonsplatz. Other baroque churches in the inner city which are worth a detour are the Bürgersaalkirche, the Dreifaltigkeitskirche, the St. Anna Damenstiftskirche and St. Anna im Lehel, the first rococo church in Bavaria. The Asamkirche was endowed and built by the Brothers Asam, pioneering artists of the rococo period.
The large Residenz palace complex (begun in 1385) on the edge of Munich's Old Town ranks among Europe's most significant museums of interior decoration. Having undergone several extensions, it contains also the treasury and the splendid rococo Cuvilliés Theatre. Next door to the Residenz the neo-classical opera, the Nationaltheater was erected.
The royal avenues and squares
Four grand royal avenues of the 19th century with magnificent official buildings connect Munich's inner city with the suburbs:
The neoclassical Brienner Strasse, starting at Odeonsplatz on the northern fringe of the Old Town close to the Residenz, runs from east to west and opens into the impressive Königsplatz, designed with the "Doric" Propyläen, the "Ionic" Glyptothek and the "Corinthian" State Museum of Classical Art, on its back side St. Boniface's Abbey was erected. The area around Königsplatz is home to the Kunstareal, Munich's gallery and museum quarter (as described below).
Ludwigstrasse also begins at Odeonsplatz and runs from south to north, skirting the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, the St. Louis church, the Bavarian State Library and numerous state ministries and palaces. The southern part of the avenue was constructed in Italian renaissance style while the north is strongly influenced by Italian Romanesque architecture.
The neo-Gothic Maximilianstrasse starts at Max-Joseph-Platz, where the Residenz and the National Theatre are situated, and runs from west to east. The avenue is framed by neo-Gothic buildings which house, among others, the Schauspielhaus and the building of the district government of Upper Bavaria and the Museum of Ethnology. After crossing the river Isar, the avenue circles the Maximilianeum, home of the state parliament. The western portion of Maximilianstrasse is known for its designer shops, luxury boutiques, jewellery stores, and one of Munich's foremost five-star hotels, the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten.
Prinzregentenstrasse runs parallel to Maximilianstrasse and begins at Prinz-Carl-Palais. Many museums can be found along the avenue, such as the Haus der Kunst, the Bavarian National Museum, the Schackgalerie and the Villa Stuck. The avenue crosses the Isar and circles the Friedensengel monument. The Prinzregententheater is at Prinzregentenplatz further to the east.
Suburbs
Two large baroque palaces in Nymphenburg and Oberschleissheim are reminders of Bavaria's royal past. Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Palace), some 6 km north west of the city centre, is surrounded by an impressive park and is considered to be one of Europe's most beautiful royal residences. 2 km north west of Nymphenburg Palace is Schloss Blutenburg (Blutenburg Castle), an old ducal country seat with a late-Gothic palace church. Schloss Fürstenried (Fürstenried Palace), a baroque palace of similar structure to Nymphenburg but of much smaller size, was contemporaneously erected in the south west of Munich. The second large baroque residence is Schloss Schleißheim (Schleissheim Palace), located in the suburb of Oberschleissheim, a palace complex encompassing three separate residences: Altes Schloss Schleißheim (the old palace), Neues Schloss Schleißheim (the new palace) and Schloss Lustheim (Lustheim Palace). Most parts of the palace complex serve as museums and art galleries. Deutsches Museum's Flugwerft Schleißheim flight exhibition centre is located nearby, on the Schleißheim Special Landing Field.
St Michael in Berg am Laim might be the most remarkable church out of the inner city. The oldest church within the city borders is Heilig Kreuz in Fröttmaning next to the Allianzarena, known for its Romanesque fresco.
Especially in its suburbs Munich features a wide and diverse array of modern architecture, although strict height limitations for buildings have limited the construction of skyscrapers. Most high-rise buildings are clustered at the northern edge of Munich in the skyline, like the Hypohaus, the Arabella High-Rise Building, the Highlight Towers, Uptown Munich and the BMW Headquarters next to the Olympic Park. Several other high-rise buildings are located near the city center and on the Siemens campus in southern Munich. A landmark of modern Munich is also the architecture of the sport stadiums (as described below).
Image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Munich%2C_Highlight_Towers.jpg/180px-Munich%2C_Highlight_Towers.jpg.jpg|Caption1
The parks
Munich is a green city with numerous parks. The Englischer Garten, close to the city centre and covering an area of 3.7 km², is one of the world's largest urban public parks, and contains a nudist area, jogging tracks and bridle-paths.
Other large green spaces are the modern Olympic Park and Westpark as well as the parks of Nymphenburg Palace (with the Botanical Garden to the north), and Schleissheim Palace. The city's oldest park is the Hofgarten, near the Residenz, and dating back to the 16th century. Most known for the largest beergarden in the town is the former royal Hirschgarten, founded in 1780 for deer which still live there. The city's zoo is the Tierpark Hellabrunn near the Flaucher Island in the Isar in the south of the city. Another notable park is Ostpark, located in Perlach-Ramersdorf area which houses the swimming area, Michaelibad, one of the largest in Munich.
Sports
Munich is home to several professional football (soccer) teams, including Germany's most popular club, FC Bayern Munich. The Munich area currently has two teams in the Bundesliga system, which comprises the two top divisions of German football. It's hockey club is EHC Munich.
The Olympic Park with its stadium was built for the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics. The Olympic buildings are famous for their design, which was inspired by dew-covered cobwebs. Visitors can get a great panoramic view of Munich and the Alps from the top of the Olympic Tower (Olympiaturm), which is also used as a radio and TV broadcasting tower.
The 2006 World Cup did not take place in the traditional Olympic Stadium, but in Munich's new football stadium, the Allianz Arena, located in the northern suburb of Fröttmaning. However, the Olympic park was a public viewing area and nearly all World Cup matches were broadcast on a large screen inside the Olympic complex. The oldest stadium in Munich (built in 1911) is the Grünwalder Stadion, also called "Sechzger-Stadion". In the 2004 season "TSV" spent one last year at Sechzgerstadion.
Culture
Museums
The Deutsches Museum, located on an island in the Isar, is one of the oldest and largest science museums in the world. Three redundant exhibition buildings which are under a protection order were converted to house the Verkehrsmuseum, which houses the land transport collections of the Deutsches Museum. Deutsches Museum's Flugwerft Schleißheim flight exhibition centre is located nearby, on the Schleißheim Special Landing Field.
Several non-centralised museums (many of those are public collections at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität) show the expanded state collections of palaeontology, geology, mineralogy, zoology, botany and anthropology.
The city has several important art galleries, most of which can be found in the Kunstareal, including the Alte Pinakothek, the Neue Pinakothek, and the Pinakothek der Moderne. Alte Pinakothek's rather monolithic structure contains a treasure trove of the works of European masters between the 14th and 18th centuries. The collection reflects the eclectic tastes of the Wittelsbachs over four centuries, and is sorted by schools over two sprawling floors. Major displays include Albrecht Dürer`s Christ-like Self-Portrait, his Four Apostles, Raphael's paintings The Canigiani Holy Family and Madonna Tempi as well as Peter Paul Rubens two-storey-high Judgment Day. The gallery houses one of the world's most comprehensive Rubens collections. Before World War I, the Blaue Reiter group of artists worked in Munich. Many of their works can now be seen at the Lenbachhaus.
An important collection of Greek and Roman art is held in the Glyptothek and the Staatliche Antikensammlung (State Antiquities Collection). King Ludwig I managed to acquire such famous pieces as the Medusa Rondanini, the Barberini Faun and the figures from the Temple of Aphaea on Aegina for the Glyptothek. The Kunstareal will be further augmented by the completion of the Egyptian Museum.
The famous gothic Morris dancers of Erasmus Grasser are exhibited in the Munich City Museum in the old gothic arsenal building in the inner city.
Another area for the arts next to the Kunstareal is the Lehel quarter between the old town and the river Isar: The State Museum of Ethnology in Maximilianstrasse is the second largest collection in Germany of artifacts and objects from outside Europe, while the Bavarian National Museum and the adjoining State Archeological Collections in Prinzregentenstrasse rank among Europe's major art and cultural history museums. The nearby Schackgalerie is an important gallery of German 19th century paintings.
The Dachau concentration camp is just a few kilometers outside the city.
Arts and literature
Munich is a major European cultural centre and the domain of many prominent composers including Orlando di Lasso, Carl Maria von Weber, Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Carl Orff. With the Biennale, founded by Hans Werner Henze the city still contributes to modern music theatre.
The Nationaltheater where several of Richard Wagner's operas had their premieres under the patronage of Ludwig II of Bavaria is the home of the Bavarian State Opera and the Bavarian State Orchestra. Next door the modern Residenz Theatre was erected in the building that had housed the Cuvilliés Theatre before World War II. Many operas were staged there, including the premiere of Mozart's "Idomeneo" in 1781. The Gärtnerplatz Theatre is a ballet and musical state theatre while another opera house the Prinzregententheater has become the home of the Bavarian Theatre Academy.
The modern Gasteig center houses the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. The third orchestra in Munich with international importance is the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Its primary concert venue is the Herkulesaal in the Residenz. A stage for shows, big events and musicals is the Deutsche Theater.
Next to the Bavarian Staatsschauspiel in the Residenz Theatre (Residenztheater), the Munich Kammerspiele in the Schauspielhaus is one of the most important German language theatres in the world. Since Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's premieres in 1775 many important writers have staged their plays in Munich such as Christian Friedrich Hebbel, Henrik Ibsen and Hugo von Hofmannsthal.
Prominent literary figures worked in Munich especially during the final centuries of the Kingdom of Bavaria such as Paul Heyse, Rainer Maria Rilke and Frank Wedekind.
The period immediately before World War I saw particular economic and cultural prominence for the city. Munich, and especially its suburb of Schwabing, became the domicile of many artists and writers. Thomas Mann who also lived there wrote in his novella Gladius Dei about this period "Munich shone". Munich remained a center of cultural life also during the Weimar period, as figures such as Lion Feuchtwanger, Bertolt Brecht and Oskar Maria Graf were active. In 1919 the Bavaria Film Studios were founded.
Munich had already become an important place for painters like
Carl Rottmann, Lovis Corinth, Wilhelm von Kaulbach, Carl Spitzweg, Franz von Lenbach, Franz von Stuck and Wilhelm Leibl when Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), a group of expressionist artists, was established in Munich in 1911. The city was a home the Blue Rider's painters Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Gabriele Münter, Franz Marc, August Macke and Alfred Kubin.
Hofbräuhaus and Oktoberfest
Main article: Oktoberfest
The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is arguably the most well-known beer hall, located in the city center. It also operates the second largest tent at the Oktoberfest, perhaps Munich's most famous attraction. A 2-week-long fair, it offers a wide selection of rollercoasters and several large beer tents ("Bierzelte"). The Oktoberfest was first held on October 12, 1810 in honor of the marriage of crown prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities were closed with a horse race and in the following years the horse races were continued and later developed into what is now known as the Oktoberfest. Despite its name, most of Oktoberfest occurs in September. It always finishes on the first Sunday in October unless the German national holiday on 3 October ("Tag der deutschen Einheit" - Day of German Unity) is a Monday or Tuesday - then the Oktoberfest remains open for these days.
Culinary specialities
The Weißwürste ('white sausages'), traditionally eaten only before 12 p.m., often served with sweet mustard and freshly baked pretzels are a Munich speciality, as is Leberkäs, Bavarian baked sausage loaf often served with potato salad.
The most famous soup might be the Leberknödel Soup. Leberknödel is a bread dumpling seasoned with liver and onions.
Schweinebraten (pot roasted pork) with Knödel (dumplings made from potatoes or white bread) and Kraut (cabbage) and Schweinshaxn (pork knuckle) are served as lunch or dinner. Beuscherl, a plate of lung, heart and spleen is also served with dumplings.
Popular as dessert is the traditional Bavarian apple strudel with vanilla sauce, Dampfnudeln (yeast dumplings served with custard) or Auszogene, a fried pastry shaped like a large donut.
These specialities are often served in the beergardens:
Obatzda is a Bavarian Cheese Specialty, a savoury blend of smashed camembert with brie prepared with cream cheese, butter and onions or spicy paprika. It's often served in the beergardens as well as Radi (radish), white radish cut in thin slices and salted, and Münchner Wurstsalat, Munich's famous sausage salad with thinly sliced Knackwurst marinated in vinegar and oil with onions on a bed of lettuce and sliced Swiss cheese. A Steckerlfisch is a local fish, such as trout or whitefish, speared on a wooden stick, grilled and smoked on charcoal - the typical feature is the crispy skin. Another classic is A Hoibs Hendl (half a grilled chicken). A Maß is a litre of beer, a Radler consists of half beer and half lemonade.
Local beers brewed in Munich
Munich is famous for its breweries and the Weißbier (or Weizenbier, wheat beer) is a speciality from Bavaria. Helles with its translucent gold colour is the most popular Munich beer today, although it’s not very old (only introduced in 1895). Helles and Pils have almost ousted the Munich Dark Beer (Dunkles), which gets its dark colour from burnt malt, the most popular beer in Munich within the 19th century.
Starkbier is the strongest Munich beer, containing 6-9 percent alcohol. It is dark amber and has a heavy malty taste. It is most popular during the Lenten Starkbierzeit (strong beer season), which begins on or before St. Joseph’s Day (March 19th). There are around 20 major beer gardens, with four of the most famous and popular being located in the Englischer Garten and the largest one in the Hirschgarten.
Markets
The Viktualienmarkt is Munich's most popular market for fresh food and delicatessen. A very old feature of Munich's Fasching (carnival) is the dance of the Marktfrauen (market women) of the Viktualienmarkt in comical costumes.
The Auer Dult is held three times a year on the square around Mariahilf church and is one of Munich's oldest markets, well known for its jumble sale and antiques.
Three weeks before Christmas the Christkindlmarkt opens at Marienplatz and other squares in the city, selling Christmas goods.
Nightlife in Munich
Nightlife in Munich is thriving with over 6,000 licensed establishments in the city, especially in Schwabing, which is still the main quarter for students and artists. Some notable establishments are: the touristy Hofbräuhaus, one of the oldest breweries in Munich, located in the city center near Tal; Kultfabrik and Optimolwerke, former industrial areas converted to host many different discos and pubs; Munich's gay quarter is in Isarvorstadt, surrounding the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, also known as the Glockenbachviertel.
Colleges and universities
Munich is a leading location for science and research with a long list of Nobel Prize laureates from Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1901 to Theodor Hänsch in 2005. Munich has become a spiritual center already since the times of Emperor Louis IV when philosophers like Michael of Cesena, Marsilius of Padua and William of Ockham were protected at the emperor's court. Both the universities of the Bavarian metropolis, the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) and the Technical University (TU or TUM), were found to be worthy of the title of elite university by the selection committee, which consisted of academics and members of the Ministries of Education and Research of the Federation and the German states (Länder). Only Munich's two universities and the Technical University of Karlsruhe have been awarded the title of elite university of Germany and millions of euro in funding.
Economy
Munich has the strongest economy of any German city. The city is also the economic center of Southern Germany. The initiative “Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM)” (New Social Market Economy) and the “WirtschaftsWoche” (Business Weekly) magazine have awarded Munich the top score in their comparative survey for the third time in June 2006. Munich topped also the ranking of the magazine “Capital” in February 2005 for the economic prospects between 2002 and 2011 in sixty German cities. Munich is considered a global city and home of the headquarters of Siemens A.G. (world's largest electronics company, with a revenue of almost 100 billion euros a year), BMW (car manufacturing), Allianz (insurance) and Munich Re (re-insurance), which are considered global players. Munich has substantial and growing expatriate population. With regard to large German cities with more than 500.000 inhabitants purchasing power is highest in Munich (26.648 Euros per inhabitant) as of 2007.
Munich is also one of the centers of the German new economy as a center for biotechnology, software and other service industries. Munich is also the home of the headquarters of many other large companies like the truck manufacturer MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, the aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines, the space and defence contractor EADS (headquartered in the suburban town of Ottobrunn), the injection molding machine manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, the camera and lighting manufacturer Arri, the semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies (headquartered in the suburban town of Neubiberg), as well as the German or European headquarters of many foreign companies like Precision Plus, McDonald’s and Microsoft.
Munich has significance as a financial center (secondary to Frankfurt), being home of HypoVereinsbank and the Bayerische Landesbank. It outranks Frankfurt though as home of insurance companies like Allianz and Munich Re.
Munich is home to many publishing houses (second only to New York City) and also to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of Germany's largest daily newspapers. Munich is home to Germany's largest public broadcasting network, ARD, and its largest commercial network, Pro7-Sat1 Media AG, and is also host to the Burda publishing group.
The Bavaria Film Studios are located in the suburb of Grünwald, they are one of Europe's biggest and most famous movie production studios.
Also, because of numerous special trade exhibitions Munich is regarded as an international centre in this field as well.
Lufthansa has opened a second hub at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss International Airport, the second-largest airport in Germany, after Frankfurt International Airport.
Transportation
Munich International Airport
Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (IATA: MUC, ICAO: EDDM) is Munich's main airport, some 30 km to the north east of the city centre. The airport can be reached by suburban train lines S1 from the east and S8 from the west part of the city. However, from the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), the journey takes 40-45 minutes. A magnetic levitation train (called Transrapid) which will run at speeds of up to 400 km/h from the central station to the airport is under consideration. It would reduce the travel time from the Hauptbahnhof to only 10 minutes. The airport began operations in 1992, replacing the former main airport, the Munich-Riem airport (active 1939-1992).
Also, the Bavarian state government has announced plans to expand the Oberpfaffenhofen Air Station, located west of Munich, for commercial use. These plans are opposed by many residents of the Oberpfaffenhofen area.
Public transportation
For its population, Munich has one of the most comprehensive systems in the world, incorporating the Munich U-Bahn (subways), the Munich S-Bahn (suburban trains), trams and buses. The system is supervised by the Munich Transport and Tariff Association (Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund GmbH).
The main train station is Munich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), in the city centre, and there are two smaller main line stations at Pasing (Pasing Station), in the west of the city, and Munich Ostbahnhof (East Station) in the east. All three are connected to the public transport system and serve as transportation hubs.
ICE highspeed trains stop at Munich-Pasing and Munich Central only. InterCity and EuroCity trains with destinations East of Munich also stop at Munich East. Since 28 May 2006 Munich is connected to Nuremberg via Ingolstadt by a 300 km/h ICE high speed railway line.
Individual transportation
Munich is an integral part of the Autobahn network of southern Germany. Freeways from Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, Lindau, Garmisch Partenkirchen and Salzburg terminate at Munich, making it easy to access the different parts of Germany, Austria and Italy. However, traffic in and around Munich is often heavy (especially on the beltway and the inner-city freeways). Traffic jams are commonplace during rush hour and at the beginning and end of major vacations in Germany.
Cycling is recognised as a good alternative to motorised transport and the growing number of bicycle lanes are widely used throughout the year.
Around Munich
The Munich agglomeration sprawls across the plain of the Alpine foothills. Several smaller traditional Bavarian towns are today part of the Munich suburbs:
Twin cities
Famous people born in Munich
External links
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