Bavaria. Munich attractions & beer tours

The capital of the federal state of Bavaria and the administrative center of the Upper Bavaria district is the third largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg with a population of 1.61 million. The symbol of the city is the image of a young monk and the towers of the Cathedral.
The foreign influence is very much felt in the city. Dutch, French, Italian. Therefore, Munich is considered the most non-German city in Germany.

Walking around the city
Sightseeing in Munich is recommended to start from the train station square. A walk through the old town will take at least two hours. Bypassing the bulk of department stores, it is easy to get to the lively Karlsplatz square. Here we advise you to explore the Palace of Justice, the Old Botanical Garden, the old Karlstor Gate.
Lovers of walks can wander along the central pedestrian street of Munich – Neuhauserstraße. It is pleasant to admire the beautiful buildings, the pediments of which are decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptural groups. Munich's pedestrian zone is an open-air theater where mimes, clowns, musicians and singers perform. There are also numerous shops, shops with national Bavarian souvenirs and restaurants in the national style.

The famous Burgersal Church, the building of the Old Academy and the Michaelskirche (St. Michael's) Cathedral – all this will amaze the imagination of the most sophisticated traveler. Many of the famous members of the Wittelsbach royal family of southern Germany, including the Bavarian “fairy king” Ludwig II, are buried in the cathedral's family crypt.
But the real gem of Munich is the Cathedral of Our Lady. It is located a block from the Kaufingerstraße. The cathedral was built in the strict late Gothic style, with two towers topped with onion-shaped domes, which have become one of the symbols of Munich. 46 representatives of the Wittelsbach dynasty are buried in his crypt. And if you go up to the south tower of the cathedral, you can admire the panorama of the city from a bird's eye view and even see the Alps (by the way, we advise you not to miss the excursion to the Alps).
In the heart of the so-called Old Town lies the Marienplatz square with its New and Old Town Halls. This square is a favorite tourist destination. Life here does not stop almost for a minute.
Lovers of exotic and good beer can visit the Platzal square, which is located right behind the Old Court – the first city residence of the Bavarian dukes. The famous Heubrofhaus brewery is located here. This is the most famous brewery in the world, which was founded by William V in 1589 to quench the thirst for “court and rabble”. Every day 10,000 liters of beer are drunk here.

The Oktoberfest beer festival is the city's most famous holiday. Every year, on the penultimate Saturday of September, at exactly 12 noon, the mayor of the city opens a barrel of beer in front of everyone … and a popular festival begins. The program of the festival includes a large procession of brewers, huge booths lined with tables and benches with beer, and fun all day and night.
In Munich, you can also visit the royal chambers, which are located in the Residence Museum. You should definitely see the Ancestral Gallery, the ceremonial chambers (a luxurious place for receptions), the Chinese study, the Antivarium and the Imperial Hall, where official events take place.
It also makes sense to visit the Munich City Museum, which is free on holidays. This is a whole museum complex, which includes a museum of photography and cinema, a museum of dolls, musical instruments and fashion. Film studio “Bavaria”, Olympic Park, zoo. Hellabrunn and the BMW Museum are already for lovers of modern style.

Where to go
From Munich, you can very quickly travel around the entire south of Germany. Not far from Regensburg, there is a whole open-air history museum. Built on the banks of the Danube, the city is the ideal starting
point for river cruises. Like Munich, the city of Stuttgart annually holds an autumn festival called not Oktoberfest, but Kanstatter Wasen, which attracts millions of tourists. Guests visit the old Bonenviertel district, where there are many restaurants, bars, jewelry and antique shops.
Freiburg, located on the border with France and Switzerland, is considered the gateway to the picturesque Hellenthal Valley. The outskirts of the city are famous for their beautiful vineyards. The largest leisure park in Germany is located not far from the city. It has over 100 attractions, including the largest roller coaster in Germany. And in the Bavarian city of Günzburg there is Legoland Park – the youngest amusement park in the country, designed for children and adolescents. You can also go to Wolfsburg, just north of Munich. There is a huge auto city, where we recommend taking a trip on a car simulator and walking through the pavilions, gawking at the outlandish cars of various brands.
The so-called cycling tourism is very popular in Germany. The total length of cycle paths is over 40 thousand km. Special hotels have even been built for cyclists. So from Munich you can travel to almost anywhere in the country by two-wheeled vehicles.

What to eat
German cuisine is fried sausages with cabbage, all kinds of fish dishes, pork dishes, onion pie and Berlin-style cutlets, spicy browncolle with pinkel and hundreds of breads and pastries. The Germans prefer to drink good food with beer, water or wine. In total, there are about 1200 breweries in Germany producing more than 500 types of beer. In Munich, the famous Bavarian “hel” is brewed – light and not bitter. Besides beer, you can taste German wine.
When it comes to gourmet places for food consumption, the Koenigshof restaurant is undoubtedly in the first position. Elegant in style, with a warm and friendly, almost homely atmosphere. The bar is refined and furnished to a high standard with a fireplace and comfortable armchairs.
Located in the elegant Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the heart of Munich's historic center, Mark's Restaurant is one of Munich's most popular gourmet restaurants. Here guests are offered international cuisine, there is a Lobby-Bar. A marble staircase, Chinese porcelain, precious woods in the interior, flowers that adorn every table … And after 18:00 a grand piano sounds in the restaurant.
Restaurants L'Osteria, Lenbach, Hofbrauhaus, Sport Sceck cafe-bar are very popular.

Where to shop

Haute Couture Week takes place in Munich twice a year.
Now about souvenirs. It is best to purchase a variety of beer mugs as a keepsake or as a gift. In order not to waste time simply, we advise you to immediately direct your feet to the largest Munich Shopping Center, where there is a gigantic selection of souvenirs. Anything related to beer is also sold in a shop near the Munich brewery. The pub offers fun souvenirs and rare bottled beers. Among other things, the city has shopping centers of leading German car brands. So you can grab the latest model of the “boomer” in addition to the mug.
Munich has more book publishers than any other city in the country. So in almost any bookstore you can buy at a reasonable price not only the fairy tales of German writers in the original language, beloved from childhood, but also books in Russian.
The numerous numismatics shops are another of the specialties of Munich. Their addresses, as well as the addresses of other shops, can be found in the city guide. By the way, guidebooks are issued free of charge in the tourist center of Munich.

Transport
Munich is called “the gateway to romantic Europe.” It is connected by direct flights to more than 200 cities around the world.
High-speed trains run regularly from Munich to all major cities in Germany. Communication with a number of foreign cities (for example, Vienna – 5.5 hours, Prague – 7 hours, Zurich – 6 hours) is no less intensive. There are direct trains to Berlin – for 100 euros you will be on the way for 6 hours, the same travel time to Hamburg, but for 125 euros.
The city center is small, it is more convenient to walk around it. Of course, you can also use public transport. All routes are divided into zones. Tickets are valid for trains, metro, trams and buses. The fine for travel without a ticket is 30 euros.
A short-distance ticket (4 stops by bus and tram, or two stops by train or metro) costs 1 euro, a longer trip will cost 2 euros. It is cheaper to buy a so-called “streifenkart” for 9 euros – this is a ticket of 10 strips,
and to punch one strip at a time, costing 0.9 euros for one trip over a short distance. It is also profitable to buy a day ticket for 4.5 euros per person or 7.5 euros for five for the “inner zone” of the city. The metro stops operating at around 12:30 on weekdays
and 1:30 on weekends.

Currency
As of January 1, 2002, the legal tender in Germany is the euro. Cash is issued around the clock at ATMs using EU cards and other international payment cards: American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Evrocard and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere.