The historic city of Munich. The third largest city in Germany and the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria, Munich is recognized as one of Europe’s most prestigious cities and one that is liable to eat up your travel budget in an amazingly short time.

Founded in the twelfth century, many of the City’s most exciting buildings date back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The city became the Nazi Party’s stronghold in 1933 when Munich was designated the ‘capital of the movement’. In spite of intense allied bombing where much of the city was devastated, the old city was quickly restored to its former pre-war appearance.

Munich is situated about 50 kilometres north of the Bavarian Alps in Upper Bavaria upon the River Isar. The climate here is dictated by the Alps giving warm summers and snowy winters and there is always the chance of heavy rain.

It is considered to be one of the cultural capitals of Europe and it is considered to be one of the country’s most ‘festive’ cities.

When compared to Berlin, Munich seems to have so much more to offer than the capital and it’s no surprise that the city is referred to as the ‘secret capital’. The wealth of attractions and landmarks to see makes Munich just about the best place to visit in the whole of Germany. With so much sightseeing to be done, it’s a nice surprise to realise that reductions are available on admission charges if you buy a multiple attraction card or a Munich Welcome Card. With it you will save a fortune on public transport with unlimited travel around the city together with huge discounts on admission prices. A one day Munich Welcome Card costs just EUR6.50.

It’s a welcome relief to discover that much of Munich’s top attractions and landmarks can be easily reached on foot. This is the best way to discover the city as lots of it is not accessible to motor vehicles. For the tourist features away from the city centre, you will be pleasantly surprised when you encounter the Munich public transport system. Its incredibly efficient, clean, easy to use and flexible as one ticket will buy you travel on any of the trams, underground trains (U-Bahns) overground trains (S-Bahns). The station at Marienplatz is the main transport hub where you can transfer from U-Bahns to S-Bahns.

Marienplatz in the centre of Munich is a very good place to begin a day’s sightseeing. Here you can’t miss the Town Halls, Old and New with their decorative clock demonstrating the ‘barrel makers dance’, a medieval jousting scene. Close by are the National Theatre, the Residenz Palace and Maximilianstrasse which is especially popular with the shopaholics amongst us. Konigsplatz or King’s Square was where the Nazi Party rallies were famously held before and during the second world war. It is here where Munich’s top galleries and museums are to be found. There is an excellent selection of superb museums and galleries such as the Bavarian National Museum, the Toy Museum and the Kunstareal (art area) comprising Pinakothek der Moderne (modern art), Neue Pinakothek (19th century paintings) and the Alte Pinakothek (pre 19th century) which is known for its superb collections from the 14th to the 18th centuries with artists that include Frans Hals, Durer, Giotto, van Dyck, El Greco and Raffael.

Lovers of old architecture are certain to relish the Altstadt, full of baroque and neo-classical buildings. The most ancient church in the city centre is that of the twelfth century Peterskirche while the Frauenkirche with its onion shaped domes is perhaps the most renowned of Munich’s buildings having amazingly survived the Second World War bombings. Other outstanding buildings to see in the city centre comprise the medieval castle (Alter Hof), the Mint Yard of the Renaissance and the fourteenth century Residenz Palace.

While in Munich don’t forget to take the family out for a treat at the nineteenth century Wilhelma Park and Zoo. It is well known for its park planted with thousands of magnolia and orchids and for its thousand species of animals in the zoo.

Finally, you can’t pay a visit to Munich without taking a beer at the famous beer hall, the Hofbrauhaus am Platzl. It’s in the city centre and the easiest way to find it is to simply follow the crowds!. Which brings us neatly round to the subject of the Oktoberfest, Munich’s excellent beer festival which is actually held every September. It was first held in honour of the marriage in 1810 of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese.