Bavaria

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Introduction

königsee 2

© All Rights Reserved R and K

The largest and richest state in Germany, Bavaria (German: Bayern) is also the source of most foreigners' stereotypes of Germany. Cultural icons like Oktoberfest, Christkindlmarkts, Alpen huts, pretzels, strong beer, Apfelstrudel, Dirndls, Lederhosen, Lebkuchen and those wonderful Christmastide candied almonds are all essentially Bavarian.

Geography

Cities

• Munich is the largest city in Bavaria
• Nuremberg
• Augsburg
• Würzburg
• Regensburg
• Ingolstadt
• Fürth
• Erlangen
• Bayreuth
• Passau
• Rosenheim
• Wasserburg
• Mühldorf am Inn

Sights and Activities

Schloss Neuschwanstein

© All Rights Reserved nikio

Neuschwanstein Castle

The Castle Neuschwanstein is the biggest legacy of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The built of the castle started in 1868, and was completed in 1892 several years after the King died. The castle is that of a fairytale prince, and has become the inspiration for Walt Disney's Castle of the Sleeping Beauty, and it has been copied in some of the Disney parks. The castle itself was inspired on Opera's by Richard Wagner, especially the Opera Tannhauser, in which the Swan knight Lohengrin is the central figure. Seven weeks after the King died in 1886 the castle was opened for the public. It has become one of the European topattractions which is visited by around 1,3 million people every year. The Castle is situated in the Alps of southern Germany, near the town of Füssen. Visits can be done pretty easy from Munich aswell. There are several tour operators offering daytrips, but you can also go by train and bus. Near to the castle also lies the castle of Hohenschwangau.

Events and Festivals

Munich - Oktoberfest parade

© All Rights Reserved loiloikoh

The Oktoberfest is the biggest party, held in Munich since 1810. Everyone should come and drink away any thoughts. It is held every year for 16 days starting late September through to early October. This is a great chance to try the different Munich beers. It draws more visitors from all over the world than any other feast in Europe. Although more cities have Oktoberfeste, this one is the best known and in fact is the largest fair in the world, with 6 million visitors a year. Since 1950 the Oktoberfest as we know it today emerged. Most of the breweries set up an own tent at the festival. Over the last few year the one from the Hofbrauhaus has been the biggest, with a capacity of almost 10.000 for this tent alone. It is so popular that most hotels and hostels are completely booked out by February.

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß (Franz Josef Strauss International Airport) (MUC) is the second busiest airport in Germany and is only 28 km from the city. This airport is a major hub for Lufthansa making it easy to connect to any major city in the world. It is possible to reach the airport by the Munich suburban railways line of S1 and S8, takes 45 minutes and costing €8.80. It is also possible to take the Lufthansa City Airport Bus to get to and from the airport and takes 40 minutes and costs €10 for a one way ticket or €16 roundtrip ticket.

By Train

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is the national railway company of Germany and offers trains to and from Bavaria.

By Car

By Bus

Eurolines connects to several German cities, including Munich.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep