Munich: The Capital of Bavaria

Munich -which is probably known with its yearly beer fest- is the largest city in the south of Germany and also where BMW was born! It is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany with its museums, architecture, people and of course the culture. As Ernest Hemingway (<3) said, " You don't even go somewhere else, I tell you, there's nothing like Munich. Everything else is a waste of time in Germany.". I mean, there are also another very good places in Germany but he is probably a big fan of nude sun-bathing (which is a very common thing in Munich). And of course the food! The sausages, roasted pork, dumplings, potatoes, dumplings, apfelstrudel, pretzel, beer (somebody stops me)... Well, Munich has a lot to offer besides the Oktoberfest! :) So let me grab something to eat and let's start digging Munich. :)

Getting around in Munich

Ok, first of all, the historical places. The City Hall has the most historical attractions of Munich. You can find the famous Frauenkirche in here. Frauenkirche was built between 1468 and 1494 and it has a capacity of 20,000 people! It is a great landmark of Munich with it 99-meter high twin towers. Oh, and you have to check the Devil's Footsteps which is a black mark but according to the legend, this is where the devil stood (uhh spooky, I love it). The New City Hall was built between 1867 and 1908 with a Gothic style and has the world's famous Glockenspiel. The first floor has a big balcony that you can watch concerts or football championship. You can also get a nice view of Munich with its 85-meter high tower. The Glockenspiel performs at 11 am, 12 pm and 5 pm every day and it's the main tourist attraction! The Old Town Hall has the Residenz which is former residence of Bavarian Kings! The Residenz was originally a small castle but it was expanded. In this lovely building, you can find Cuvilliés Theatre, Hercules Hall where you can listen to Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, of course, the Renaissance Antiquarium, the Baroque Ancestral Gallery, and the Bavaria treasury!

Nymphenburg Palace is a baroque palace which was a summer residence for the Bavarian Kings. This amazing palace was built in 1664 and it has a 200-hectare park! You can always go and enjoy a sunny day in this park. Also don't forget to visit Marstallmuseum, the Porzellanmuseum München, the Museum Mensch und Natur and the Erwin von Kreibig-Museum which are in this palace!

Munich is also very rich when it comes to its museums! National Bavarian Museum is one of the most important history museums in Europe with a large collection of European artifacts from Middle ages till today! Jewish Museum is a new museum with a great exhibition of Jewish history and of course the culture in Munich. BMW Museum explains the history of famous BMW cars and definitely, a must visit place for a BMW car enthusiast. Another great museum is Stadtmuseum! In this cool museum, you can find the war-torn in Munich and of course an excellent musical instruments museum and puppetry which makes it perfect for families with kids. For the contemporary art lovers, Kunstverein is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in Germany.

But it is not over for art lovers because let me introduce you trumpet voices Munich National Theatre! In this museum, you can enjoy ballet shows and opera almost every day! It is said that this theatre is one of the best in the World.

Football is one of the most popular things in here as well, thanks to FC Bayern München. If you like football, Olympiastadion Munich is a must visit stop for you. This stadium hosted important matches like 1974 World Cup Finals, Euro '88 Final, and European Cup Finals at '79, '93 and 1997.

But wait the activities didn't over yet! I didn't forget the nature lovers of course. :) The green heart of Munich, The Englischer Garten, is waiting for you! This lovely garden -brace yourselves- is bigger than New York's central park and the London' Hyde Park! And the entry is free!! For checking out cute animals and if you are traveling with little ones, you have to visit Hellabrunn Zoo which is one of the largest zoos in the World.

And of course the festivals! If you are around in Munich mid-September, Oktoberfest -which is an annual beer festival- is a definitely a must stop because it is the far most enjoyable festival of all the time! For ballet lovers, the Bavarian Ballet Festival Week shouldn't be missed!

So if you want to visit Munich, create your trip on itinari now!