Practically everyone has heard of Munich—the Athens on the Isar, the German Silicon Valley, Little Paris or maybe more significantly, the Secret Capital of Germany.
One of Germany’s most festive cities and Europe’s busiest and liveliest places, Munich sparkles with vitality. The city creates a perfect blend of rusticity and nostalgia thriving between the fusion of the hip and the avant-garde—a feat that only a few cities have been successful enough in achieving.
Munich is a high-spirited, festival-infused city, a characteristic that is depicted sharply on Munich’s famous Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest as a celebration has truly made its mark on Munich that it has been considered by many as the symbol of the city itself. Reminiscent of the old-time Bavaria, and so evocatively and brazenly pagan, the Oktoberfest draws millions of visitors to Munich each year top become raucous hordes that cram the city to have an amazingly good time.
Munich is a city of culture and the arts with a number of museums and monuments more than any other city in Germany. The city owes much of its high quality collections to the Wittelsbachs, the ruling family of Europe sometime in the 13th to early 20th century. The Wittelbachs were such great collectors that they left behind a city full of treasures—Munich.
At Munich, you will never be at a loss for something to see and do. It’s friendly lifestyle and jolly beer drinking people who still cling to their folkloric roots even in this age of high-technology offers a relaxed, playful atmosphere and a wealth of activities and events. And with so many treasures and sights to see and do, Munich is not for the visitor who plans to stay for only a day or two.
Despite the oompah-pah music that characterizes Munich’s famed Oktoberfest, Munich is no oompah town. The city is laded with sophisticated clubs and elegant restaurants, splendid theaters and only the finest concert halls.
One of Munich’s major attractions is the large open square of Marienplatz which also houses a tower that contains an ornate clock with moving figures, the Rathaus-Glockenspiel. The almost life-sized figures in this clock move to depict scenes from a medieval jousting tournament as well as a performance of the Barrel-makers’ dance, known as the famous Schafflertanz.
Munich is also home to a number of remarkable churches among which are the Peterskirche, the city’s oldest church located just nearby the Marienplatz, the gothic-hall church of Heiliggeistkirche or the Church of the Holy Ghost which looks down upon Munich’s most popular market, the Viktualienmarkt.
Another popular church is the Frauenkirche. This church serves as a cathedral for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising and is probably the most famous building in the city center. It is particularly known for its brass onion domes that cap the twin towers with an architectural design that totally contrasted with the rest of the building’s Gothic style.
Other notable churches in Munich include the Michaelskirche, the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps as well as Theatinerkirche, an Italian high baroque basilica which played a major influence on Southern German baroque architecture.
Munich also has a lot of palaces, royal avenues and theaters. The medieval castle of Alte Hof, which is the first residence of the Wittelbach’s dukes, still exists in the inner city of Munich located just close to Marienplatz. The large Residenz palace complex on the corner of Munich’s Old Town is one of Europe’s most significant museums of interior decoration. The complex also contains the Cuvillies Theater which staged a number of operas including the premiere of Mozart’s Idomeneo in year 1781.
Another must-see in Munich is the Deutsches Museum. Located on an island in the Isar, this museum is one of the oldest and the largest science museums throughout the world.
Munich’s vibrant nightlife is one of contrasts. You can choose to spend an evening watching a major orchestra, ballet performances or enjoy an elegant night out at one of Munich’s theaters which offer everything from classic to contemporary German drama.
If you are looking for boisterous fun, Munich’s club scenes rave all the way up to the wee hours of the morning while Biergartens and Biersteins are filled to the brim with good cheer and jolly beer drinkers.
Whatever you choose to do here in Munich, this boisterous city will surely sweep you off your feet!
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