Munich / München

Munich (German: München) is the capital of the German state Bavaria, the largest state in Germany. It’s situated north of the Bavarian Alps at the river Isar and is the third largest city in Germany with a population of more than 1.5 million. Its very high standard and quality of living (#1 in Germany and #4 worldwide) comes from its technological, financial, cultural, educational and touristic importance as well as the fact that Munich is home to many national and international authorities. It has a variety of major museums and theatres and universities and the annual Oktoberfest attracts a a huge number of tourists.

“It is a top-ranked destination for migration and expatriate location, despite being the municipality with the highest density of population (4,500 inh. per km²) in Germany. Munich nowadays hosts more than 530.000 people of international background, making up 37,7% of the entire population.” (Source: Wikipedia )

The Marienplatz:

“The Marienplatz has been the central square of the city centre since 1158. In the Middle Ages, markets and tournaments were held here. The Marienplatz was named after the Mariensäule, a column erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of the Swedish occupation. Today the Marienplatz is dominated by the New City Hall – a gothic council hall with a ballroom and a tower. The Glockenspiel in the tower attracts millions of tourists every year. It can be watched every day at 11am and 12 pm. It is also worth climbing up the stairs of the nearby St. Peter’s Church, which is called Alter Peter (Old Peter). There you can enjoy a perfect view all over Munich.” (Source: German Missions in the UK)

For more information visit muenchen.de .

 

Der FC Bayern München:

you have surely heard about the FC Bayern München, Germany’s most successful football club of all time. Doesn’t matter if Neuer, Müller,  or Götze – they all play for Bayern. The polarising football club has won 24 national titles and 17 national cups and is the #4 biggest club in the world. Since 2005/06 their home is the Allianz Arena in Munich, always worth a visit because you might get the chance to see a familiar face and (if you are lucky) get an autograph! They share it with  the 2.Bundesliga team TSV 1860 München, so you might as well meet some of their players!

visit allianz-arena.de for more information!

 

About the Oktoberfest:

“Munich is probably best known for Oktoberfest – the world’s largest funfair. It runs for 15 days from late September to the first weekend of October, with more than 7 million people from around the world attending the event every year. Bavarians often simply call it Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairground on which it is held (the Theresienwiese).

Oktoberfest has been held since 1810 and therefore is an important part of Bavarian culture. Aside from dancing in the tents, visitors may enjoy the many amusement rides, stalls and games, as well as a wide range of traditional food such as Hendl (roast chicken), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Weißwurst (a white sausage) along with Brezn (pretzel) and Obatzda (a spiced cheese-butter spread) or Knödel (potato or bread dumplings).

However, the most important thing at Oktoberfest is – of course –  Bavarian beer. There are six beer tents serving their own brewed beer with different flavours. Last year, 7 million visitors drank around 7.5 million litres of beer!

Beer however is not the only typical Bavarian thing you can experience. During the funfair, locals usually wear traditional costumes – women dress up in Dirndl and men in Lederhose.

Oktoberfest has become so popular that other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modelled after the Munich event (even though they will of course never quite come close to the original!).” (Source: German Missions in the UK )

Visit the Oktoberfest for a taste of the real Bavaria!

 

 

The Olympiapark:

“Another great idea is to visit the Olympiapark, which offers many fun attractions and hosts a variety of cultural and social events during the year, particularly during the summer.  During June and August there are open-air concerts and an open-air cinema at the lake. The Tollwood Festival in June and July with many stalls offering everything from organic food and drinks to handicrafts is another fun event to recommend. An insider tip: don’t miss the Münchner Sommernachtstraum (Munich Summer Night’s Dream) – a big firework display which takes place every year. Close to the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Tower towers over the park at a height of 291 metres. Its observation platform offers an amazing view of the Munich skyline. ” (Source: German Missions in the UK )

http://www.olympiapark.de/en/home/

 

To get more information about Munich, plan your next trip and discover the Bavarian capital please visit muenchen.de! You have already been to Munich and would like to share your experiences, personal tipps and photos with us and others? Get in touch with us and let us know!

For further information please visit the websites of the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy in London.