Lines Currently Closed

Munich- General Information

Oktoberfest

The appeal of Munich for many visitors is that it seems the purest distillation possible of the ‘real’ Germany. It has bustling beer halls with traditionally costumed staff, hearty cuisine, beautiful Bavarian architecture, excellent art galleries and a spacious public park – with the snow dusted Alps as a backdrop. Add to all this the annual bacchanalia of the Oktoberfest and you’ll see why the city has become the most visited in Germany, eclipsing both Berlin and Hamburg.

Munich was founded in 1158 by Henry the Lion. Its position on the Isar, a tributary of the Danube, made it the ideal place to collect tolls from river traffic. In 1180 it came under the control of the Wittelsbachs, the dynasty who ruled the province continuously until 1918. Given that Bavaria was an independent kingdom for centuries, Munich, though relatively modest in size, gradually became a planned city of broad boulevards, spacious squares and grandiose palaces. This means that Munich’s centre has the impressive scale of a major city like Paris or London while being compact enough to stroll around easily. Even today Bavaria’s semi-detached position within the Federal Republic means that Munich is, to all intents and purposes, a full-fledged European capital.

Munich Skyline

Although the city was extensively bombed during World War Two, its reconstruction managed to preserve much of its original appearance. Since then it has become an economic powerhouse, thanks to the success of companies like the car manufacturer BMW, the aerospace company MBB and the electronics group Siemens. As a result foreign nationals now make up more than a fifth of the population.

The best way to orient yourself around the city is to start at Marienplatz, which is the heart of the Altstadt (old town). The boundaries of the Altstadt are marked by three of the four early 14th century gates that still remain: Sendlinger Tor to the south, Isartor to the east and Karlstor to the west. All the key areas fan out from here. To the north you’ll find the smartest part of the city, where ritzy shops and expensive cafés line the Theatinerstrasse, Maffeistrasse and Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse. To the north-east lies the city’s main park, the Englischer Garden. The hub of the city’s commercial activity runs due west between Marienplatz and the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof), featuring numerous department stores, some of the city’s most famous beer halls and a series of contrasting churches. The Theresienwiese park, of Oktoberfest fame, lies to the south west.

Marienplatz itself, with its Fischbrunnen (fish fountain), street musicians and local artists entertaining the crowds, boasts the quality of gemütlichkeit (friendly cosiness) for which Munich is justly famed. Many people gather daily to watch the colourful figures that emerge from the jingling carillon on the late 19th century neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus to perform a stately dance. Just to the south of the square is the Peterskirche (popularly known as Alter Peter), the oldest church within old city, whose distinctive tower offers a peerless view of Munich.

Outside of the main landmarks, the centre of Munich offers many other enticing attractions. South of the Marienplatz is the Viktualienmarkt, a picturesque centuries-old marketplace where you can buy pricey but delicious fruit and vegetables, as well as all kinds of cheeses, meats and other foodstuffs. Even further north than the ritzy café and boutique distrcit, you’ll find Schwabing, Munich’s entertainment centre. Here residential streets mix with wacky shops, student bars and restaurants. Nightclubs are thick on the ground here too, especially around the Wedekindplatz near Münchener Freiheit.