Munich

Introduction

Munich

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Home of the world-famous Oktoberfest, Munich is the capital city of the German state of Bavaria and Germany's 3rd largest city. But it's not just beer that draws travellers to Munich, although during Oktoberfest it's hard to believe otherwise as thousands of Germans and foreigners alike crowd the city to drown the frothy brew. Beautifully rebuilt after the WWII bombings, Munich is known for its architecture, galleries and museums and as a cultural centre. Munich's proximity to the Alps, Italy, the Czech Republic and Austria, as well as a green countryside just outside the city, make it a popular city to visit and live in. Consequently it is also the most expensive city to rent a flat in all of Germany.

Munich first appeared in the history books in 1158, but most likely the city existed before then. By 1255 Munich was the ducal residence of Upper Bavaria making it a very important city in the region. The city grew in power during the late medieval period and was even granted a salt monopoly making the residents of Munich very wealthy. In 1506, when Bavaria was reunited, Munich became the capital of all of Bavaria. The city's importance only grew with it becoming the centre for the German counter reformation and renaissance art movement. Munich remained the capital of the kingdom of Bavaria until it collapsed in 1918.

From 1918 to after World War II Munich was a major area for social unrest. There were several communist revolutions, which were put down and eventually the city became a rally point for the Nazi Party. The city was heavily bombed during World War II. After the war the city was completely rebuilt in its traditional way, even preserving the original pre-war street grid system. Today Munich has become a major economic center in Germany and is a wonderful place to visit.

Neighbourhoods

The city has 25 Stadtbezirke (boroughs):

1. Altstadt-Lehel
2. Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt
3. Maxvorstadt
4. Schwabing-West
5. Au-Haidhausen
6. Sendling
7. Sendling-Westpark
8. Schwanthalerhöhe
9. Neuhausen-Nymphenburg
10. München-Moosach
11. Milbertshofen-Am Hart
12. Schwabing-Freimann
13. Bogenhausen
14. Berg am Laim
15. Trudering-Riem
16. Ramersdorf-Perlach
17. Obergiesing
18. Untergiesing-Harlaching
19. Thalkirchen-Obersendling-Forstenried-Fürstenried-Solln
20. Hadern
21. Pasing-Obermenzing
22. Aubing-Lochhausen-Langwied
23. Allach-Untermenzing
24. Feldmoching-Hasenbergl
25. Laim

Sights and Activities

Frauenkirche Cathedral

The Frauenkirche Cathedral is the largest church in Munich. This large Catholic church, with the New Town Hall, dominate the city center. Built in only 20 years, from 1468 to 1488, this late gothic cathedral is stunning, although it does not have rich gothic ornaments. The two domes on top of the towers were built during the Renaissance giving the building a unique look. The Frauenkirche can hold up to 20,000 people and has three naves that are 31 metres in height. There are many great pieces of artwork and the stained-glass windows are stunning, some of them predating the current church. The Frauenkirche is located at Frauenplatz 1.

Other Churches

St. Peter's Church, Munich

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• St. Peter is the oldest church in Munich and the church has a stunning alter.
• St. Michael's is a former Jesuit church and is the largest Renaissance Church north of the Alps. Built between 1583 and 1597 it became the spiritual center for the Counter Reformation. The fully restored exterior and interior will amaze anyone.
• Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan (Theatine Church), this high baroque style church was built between 1663 and 1690. The church was built by Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife as gesture of thanks for the birth of the new heir to the Bavarian crown. Many famous artists decorated the interior and the exterior this church.
• Bürgersaalkirche is a baroque style church.
• Dreifaltigkeitskirche, this is a good baroque style church.
• St. Anna Damenstiftskirche is an interesting baroque church.
• St. Anna im Lehel is the first rococo church in Bavaria.
• Asamkirche (Asam Church) was built between 1733 and 1746 by the two Asam brothers. It was built originally as their private church but protests from the locals made the brothers open up the church to the public. The church is a great example of Late Bavarian Baroque architecture with a rococo twist. The facade of the church tells the story of St. John of Nepomuk and interior of the church is decorated with gold trim, amazing statues and paintings.
• St. Michael in Berg am Laim, this church was built to serve the brotherhood of St. Michael between 1738 and 1751. The church has an elegant exterior with two twin towers and the interior has a very nice alter.
• St Mathaeus.
• St. Martin.
• St. Lukas.

Museums

• Bavarian State Museum of Ethnology (Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde) was originally opened in 1868 and has only grown since. It has the second largest collection in Germany with over 200,000 objects. One of its main artifacts is the oldest existing North American kayak.
• Haus der Kunst, this art museum can have nice travelling exhibitions. It is located at Prinzregentenstraße 1.
• Pinakothek der Moderne, is a good modern art museum in the city centre with a large collection.
• Bavarian National Museum (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum) houses a great collection of art from all over Europe.
• Bavarian State Archaeological Collection (Archäologische Staatssammlung) is the home to a great collection of important archaeological relics from paleolithic times to the early Middle Ages.
• Schackgalerie is one of the best galleries in the city with many Romanticism pieces.
• Deutsches Museum is the world's largest museum of technology and science. This museum has great exhibits on science in early history to the modern day.
• Munich City Museum has several famous gothic pieces.

Other Sights and Activities

Munich Town Hall

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• Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is the most famous beer hall in the world and one of the major sponsors of Oktoberfest.
• Marienplatz (Mary's Square) is the main city square in Munich and has been in use sine 1158.
• Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) was built between 1867 and 1909 and dominates the city centre. This Gothic Revivial style buildings has over 400 rooms and the main tower has a height of 85 metres.
• Mariensäule (Marian Column) is a tall column that was built to celebrate the ending of Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years' War. It is crowned with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a crescent moon.
• Stachus is the official name of this large square is the Karlsplatz, but no one calls it that. There are many nice buildings on the square and an open air ice rink in the winter.
• Viktualienmarkt, check out this daily food market in the city centre.
• Ohel Jakob Synagogue, which was originally destroyed in 1938, re-opened in 2006.
• Dachau Concentration Camp lies 16 kilometres from the city. A somber trip to this concentration camp helps us not forget history.

Events and Festivals

Oktoberfest

Munich - Oktoberfest parade

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The Oktoberfest is held annualy, actually starting already in September! 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. Finding a place to stay during these days can be very hard, and if you want to stay in Munich itself booking ahead (far ahead) is requiered. The festival takes place at the Theresienwiese since 1810, when it was held as a celibration for the marriage between Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen Over the years there have been 24 cancellations of the fest for many reasons in this period, including wars and diseases. 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 people for this tent alone. Besides drinking beer, there is (in good German tradition) enough to eat, and enough to do. A fairground is erected at the grounds to entertain the young and the old. The beer is poured in 1 litre mugs. The mugs carry the logo of the brewery who's beer you are drinking. If you like your mug so much that you want to take it home, be warned that stealing a mug can cost you a fine of €50. It's better to buy one, and keep the receipt for the occasion that the police wants to see the receipt.

Tollwood

While very famous and popular, Oktoberfest often overshadows other festivals and happenings in Munich. Twice a year, Munich hosts a festival called Tollwood. It happens during summer and then again during Winter, taking place at the Theresienwiese, where the Oktoberfest is spread during September/October. Tollwood is basically a large market, but has everything from Luna Park rides to environmental shows, small artwork displays, and various musical performances, to foodstands, beer gardens, and of course, the many small market stands. People come to look around, to shop, and/or to just sit down and have a beer. There are always many people attending and sometimes it could be crowded, but it is always worth a look. There's always something for everyone, whether old or young. During winter, the crowds don't lessen - even though the cold may be all around, people walk around bundled up between the various stalls, artworks, and displays, and tents and occasionally stop and warm themselves up with (perhaps not beer), but Glühwein (mulled wine) or Rumtopf (a warm drink with rum), which are sold only during the winter. Tollwood may be a bit pricy, as it still happens only twice a year, but is still a great experience.

Christkindlmarkt

Also during the Winter, around Christmas, Munich hosts many bigger and smaller Christmas Markets, called Christkindlmarkt. They sell all sorts of things, from ornaments to microwave-heating stuffed animals, and of course some food and drink. Some are very small, and only have a few stands, plus the usual Glühwein stands with the little standing tables, while others are much bigger and allow for much more walking space. They can happen all over the city, such as at Marienplatz, in the centre, or at Münchener Freiheit, in the north. Throughout the city, there also smaller stands (sometimes alone), that sell toasted and sugared nuts of various sorts and warm drinks (Glühwein and Rumtopf normally) and various quick-bite sausage stands. In the centre, one can find these throughout Kaufingerstraße (between Marienplatz and Stachus), and between Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz, in the pedestrian zones (for example). There are always people walking around at night, even though it is cold, whether for shopping or just normal meeting up.

Weather

Munich has a temperate continental climate. Summers are from June to September with temperatures during the day mostly between 20 °C and 23 °C though heatwaves makes temperatures rising up to 35 °C sometimes. Nights average between 10 °C and 13 °C during this time. The coldest months are from December to February with average highs around 3 °C or 4 °C, while nights are mostly a few degrees below zero during this time. Average annual precipitation is around 1,000mm with most of the rain falling during the wetter summer months (heavy downpours) while winters see occasional snow. May/June and September are the best months to visit, with generally nice weather and less crowds.

Getting There

By Plane

1. Munich Airport (also called Franz Josef Strauss International Airport) (MUC) is the second busiest airport in Germany and is only 28 kilometres from the city. This airport is a major hub for Lufthansa making it easy to connect to many major cities in the world.

To/from the airport:

• Rail: It is possible to reach the airport using the Munich suburban railway lines S1 and S8. It takes approximately 45 minutes and costs €10.
• Bus: 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. MVV bus lines connect the airport to the nearby city of Freising as well as Erding and Markt Schwaben.
• Car: Munich Airport is accessible via nearby Motorway A 92, which connects to Motorway A 9 and Munich's ring motorway A 99.

2. Memmingen Airport (FMM) is a small airport, mainly serving low-cost flights, for example with Ryanair, which flies to/from Alicante, Bremen, Dublin, Edinburgh, Faro, Girona, London Stansted Airport, Malaga, Oslo, Porto, Rome, Stockholm and Valencia and seasonal to/from Alghero, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa, Reus and Trapani. Several other airlines serve destinations like Kiev, Belgrade, Antalya, Heraklion, Belfast and Naples, some of them chartered and/or seasonal (summer) only. Because of its proximity to Munich, the airport is also sometimes called Munich West Airport.

By Train

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

The two main train stations in Munich are München Hauptbahnhof (the Central Station) - where all the trains pass through - and München Ostbahnhof (Munich East), which is a bit smaller, but normally has most of the same trains passing through (perhaps depends in the direction they're going, however). All the S-Bahn lines (which go to the outskirts of the city) pass through both of these stations.

By Car

By Bus

Eurolines connects to several German cities, including Munich. It also travels to other parts of Europe, including the normally harder to reach Eastern Europe. The stop used to be at München-Fröttmaning, near the Allianz Arena (the football stadium of Bayern München and 1860 München). However, they have moved, and now they are located at Hackerbrücke, in the center of the city (much easier to get to), which can be reached via S-Bahn (any S-Bahn, they all pass through it). You can see the ZOB building (Zentrale Busbahnhof München - the building under which all the bus bays are located) from the S-Bahn station, it's a minute's walk. It can also be reached by tram 16 or 17, and is a three minute walk around the corner. Reservations can be made at Deutsche Touring, Hirtenstrasse 14 (tel: 089-88989513), which is near the Central train staion. You can also make reservations by internet, or go straight to the ZOB and buy them in person. The ZOB is practically across the street (nearby) from the famous Augustinerkeller Beergarden. Prices with Eurolines are normally pretty good for the destinations, if you don't mind a longer busride.

Getting Around

By Car

As in all big cities, getting around is not easy if you are not familiar.

By Public Transport

Munich has a large network of underground lines (U-Bahn), S-bahn, city busses and trams, making public transport one of the better options to get around in Munich.

By Foot

By Bike

Bicycle is a great way to get around Munich. Munich is mostly flat and has an excellent bicycle path network. The only limits on where you can cycle to is the sheer size of the city. With a diameter of roughly 25 kilometres it can take unfit cyclists 2-3 hours to get from one place to the other. For this reason people should note that it is possible to take bicycles on S-Bahn trains, but please try this only during non-peak hours or you will be murdered!

Murder can also be prevented by not walking on the bike-designated bike paths. Munich is very bike-oriented, but when crossing streets in Munich, consider the bike paths as a second street. The cyclists themselves try hard to follow the rules and not run anyone over, but pedestrians normally don't think along the same lines and rush out onto the bike paths, not thinking. While not deadly, a bike crash could still leave you with a broken nose and a blue eye (personally witnessed).

Eat

Drink

Having over 6,000 licensed establishments there is plenty of nightlife to explore. For the student and artist crowd go check out the Schwabing area. For discos and pubs go check out the former industrial areas of Kultfabrik and Optimolwerke.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Munich
• Technical University of Munich

Keep Connected

Internet

There are several internet cafes around the main train station.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Try the internet cafes around the main train station. The internet cafes run by immigrants usually offer the cheapest rates to call abroad.

Post

Germany's postal system is very efficient, their logistics branch DHL is one of the best companies in this field world-wide, with domestic post or deliveries within a radius of 400 kilometres, arriving within a day. The website of Deutsche Post has an online calculator for postage fees as well as a post office finder. Within Germany, sending postcards costs €0.45 and standard letters €0.55, within Europe it is €0.65 for a postcard, standard letters to places in Europe cost €0.70. Outside Europe, the prices for sending a postcard or standard letter are €1 and €1.70 respectively. Although you will find the old post offices (mainly in the city centre), most of the smaller neighbourhood post offices are part of a small tobacco shop or grocery store.

External Links

• Official city website
• Official Tourist Office Website