Munich's city symbol is the Münchener Kindl or "little monk," recalling its origins as a monastic settlement. The first recorded mention of München, the "home of monks," was in the year 777. The city itself was founded nearly 400 years later by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony. Officially founded in 1158, Munich (München) has been the capital of Bavaria since 1503, and as far as the locals are concerned it may as well be the centre of the universe. Münchener pride themselves on their special status; even people who have made Munich their home for most of their lives are still called Zugereiste (newcomers). Natives and newcomers alike consider themselves Münchener first, Bavarian second and German somewhere way down the line.

From the elegance of its grand boulevards to the brass bands that perform at the beer halls, visitors can see immediately that Munich residents know how to enjoy life. Munich is compact and manageable, contains more theatres than any other city in Germany, has a wealth of fine museums, a number of restful and appealing gardens and an ample selection of beer halls.

The city has all the trappings of a major metropolis with its vast palaces, grand municipal buildings and monumental statues of classical warriors striking Wagnerian poses. But unexpectedly, it also has two of the most beautiful small buildings anywhere in the world. Sendlingerstrasse is a typical Munich street of mostly postwar five- and six-storey buildings painted in muddy pastel colours with uniform large, square windows. The Asamkirche is easily recognisable from a distance, the statues above the door jutting out into the street, but nothing prepares you for the interior. It was built in the 1730s by two architect brothers called Egid Quirin and Cosmas Damian Asam. Egid was also a sculptor and Cosmas a painter, and they built the church as their private chapel undisturbed by the demands of patrons, town planners or deadlines.

The central point in the older part of the city is the square known as the Marienplatz. To the north of the square is the tree lined Maxmillian Strasse which leads to the Bavarian Parliament building and the Residenz Palace. Two great art collections, the Old and New Picture Galleries are a short distance northwest of the city centre. To the south are the history museum and, on an island in the Isar River, the world's foremost museum of science and technology, the Deutsches (German) Museum.

Central Munich is extremely attractive and is easy to explore on foot. There are innumerable restaurants and cafés in Munich with a wide range of culinary choices. Window shopping is one of the most popular pastimes all over the city, but especially along the pedestrian only Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufinger Strasse where many fine specialty shops and department stores are located. Maximilian Strasse is lined with designer fashion boutiques, art galleries and jewellers. Antiques and less expensive fashions are concentrated in the student section of Schwabing, and Bavarian crafts can be found in the streets that run off Max Josephplatz. Munich's famous open air market, Virtualienmarkt appears south of Marienplatz every day except Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Its specialties are fresh produce and baked goods of all varieties as well as locally produced cheese.

Munich is a city in which children are welcomed and loved, so provision has been made for their comfort and entertainment. The Englischer Garten is a veritable wonderland for the whole family. In addition to the boating lake, there are broad expanses of manicured lawns and grassy knolls that invite running, rolling over and over, and turning somersaults and cartwheels. Family picnics are everywhere throughout the parks. The Hellabrunn zoo is one of the best in the world. The castles provide opportunities for experiencing the wonder of days gone by, and for exploring rooms in which even whispers echo, to the delight of children. Munich is clean and orderly with completely safe food and water. It is the ideal setting for family travel.

Local cuisine

If you have burnt off enough calories walking around the museums, you may feel in need of a good meal, and, as you might have guessed from the size of most of the inhabitants, food is something that Bavarians take seriously. They eat hearty high-cholesterol fare with relish, and if there is any part of a pig that is inedible, they have not discovered it.

Expect enormous platefuls of schwein and fleisch (no euphemisms here). You may want to try schlachtplatter (slaughter plate). Useful words to know include inerein (offal), lunge (lung) and hirm (brain). Typical Bavarian food can be found in the Hundskugel, the Haxxbauer and the Ratskeller, but the ultimate is probably Zum Dürrnbräu, just down the road from the Hofbrauhaus.

What's on in October:

19th October 2002 
The Long Night of Munich's Museums
The popular "Museum Night", which by now is looked upon as one of the great Munich cultural events, will be taking place for the fourth time. As in the last three years, some 70 museums and collections as well as numerous galleries, art societies and churches offer a mixed programme of guided tours, concerts and performances.

29th October - 10th November 2002 
Dance 2002 – A dance biennial
The City of Munich's international festival of contemporary dance

Useful links:

Munich Tourist Office

Deutches Museum

Munich restaurants

Major sights in Munich

Our hotels in Munich

A trip to Germany is not complete without time spent in Munich. There are treasures here that are not found elsewhere. Over the years Bavaria and its capital Munich have maintained their individuality and have produced a rich heritage. Bon Voyage.