Munich, the third-largest city in Germany and the capital of the province Bavaria, is on the River Isar. It is an exciting, gorgeous city famous for numerous attractive festivals, outstanding museums, culture, high art and many great sites to know about Germany’s history and heritage. Munich has four seasons during the year, and they all have their charm.
Regardless of when you decide to visit this beautiful city, we recommend several must-see sights in Munich.
Marienplatz
Since the city’s foundation, Marienplatz has been Munich’s central square, the place of medieval tournaments. Near to the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall), you can also see Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), which forms a gate at the far end of the site. There are also the Mariensäule, a Virgin Mary column built in 1683, and the Fischbrunnen, a fountain with bronze figures from the late 19th century. This central part of the city is popular among tourists for its luxury boutiques, stores and plenty of restaurants. This spot is also famous as a festival scene and for its gorgeous Christmas Market. Daily at 11 am, 12 pm and 5 pm, from March to October, rivers of tourists stop to watch the famous mechanical figures of the Glockenspiel dance, joust and dine. In the Rathouse, there is a tourist information centre and a restaurant that serves traditional Bavarian food.
Bavaria Statue
The Bavarian Statue is Munich’s answer to New York’s Statue of Liberty. Erected by King Ludwig I in 1850, it personifies Bavaria. The statue is 18.5 meters tall and weighs almost 90 tons. It is entirely cast in bronze; it is so big that it consists of several parts. Inside the statue, a staircase leads to an observation deck, where the entire Munich’s downtown area is visible through four slits of its helmet.
Munich Residenz
An indispensable part of Munich city tours is Munich Residenz (München Residenz), the seat of kings, dukes, and electors of Bavaria for centuries. It is one of Europe’s most breathtaking palaces. The expansive Residenz complex comprises three main parts: the Festsaalbau (Banqueting Hall), the Königsbau (Kings Hall) and the Alte Residenz, a true masterpiece from the late Renaissance.
Nowadays, it contains a lot of museums and monuments, such as the Residenze Museum, the Court Church of All Saints (Allerheiligen-Hofkirche), the Treasury and Cuvilliés-Theater. Furthermore, explore all the palace parts with their numerous beautiful courtyards that include the wonderful Court Garden and numerous ponds, gardens and fountains too.
The Olympic Park
Munich’s sensational Olympic Park is famous for the 1972 Summer Olympics. The Parc covers about 2.7 million square meters and was used for the training of the Royal Bavarian Army.
Today, it is a vast recreational centre, and its facilities host various events, such as the summer Tollwood Festival. (In the winter, this festival takes place at Theresienhöhe, the home of the world-famous Oktoberfest.)
The Olympic Park also offers many family activities. In addition, the Olympic Tower, a television tower that is 290 meters tall, is interesting as well for its viewing platforms that offer fantastic views of the city.
BMW Museum
Next to BMW’s factories and headquarters, there is a contemporary building at the Olympic Park – the famous BMW museum. Car fans can find almost all the company’s models: sports cars, motorcycles, racing models, etc. It is also possible to see newer models and learn a lot about the modern technology of automobile construction. For fans of automotive things, this attraction is a must-see.
Whenever you decide to visit Munich, you will not make a mistake because this wonderful city offers plenty of sites worth seeing. Although autumn is maybe the most popular season, as you can enjoy the famous Oktoberfest then, we recommend you plan your vacation in the spring; from late March to mid-May.