Book Online or Call 24x7x365 1-213-225-9858
$city_name Overview
Munich Quick Facts
A Traveler's Guide to Munich
Six things you must see/do in Munich.
Most people associate the city of Munich with two things: Oktoberfest and the infamous Olympic Games incident. Both of these are accurate associations, albeit one of them is a fairly infamous one. But there are many things to do and see in Munich. If you're planning a trip to the capital city of Bavaria, here are six things that you must see while there.
1. Marienplatz. What better place to start than the center of the city? The Marienplatz is the geographical center of Munich. In medieval times this is where the markets and tournaments took place. Today it is the home of the Mariensaule, a statue of Mary that was erected to commemorate German independence from Swiss occupation in 1638. The Glockenspiel chimes out the hours and entertains visitors with its moving clockwork figurines that depict events from Munich's history. Spend your time strolling in and out of the shops that line the Marienplatz, or stop at a streetside cafe to sample a local dish.
2. Nymphenberg Palace. Built in the 17th century, this beautiful estate was the primary summer residence for the ruling family of Bavaria. It is similar in design and layout to Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles outside of Paris but is less grand. Nymphenberg is one of Munich's most popular tourist sites, with over 350,000 visitors each year. One can stroll through the gardens of the palace or tour the outer stables and a few inner rooms of the estate.
3. Dachau. Although Dachau is a bit of a drive from the city of Munich, it's definitely worth paying a visit to. Dachau is one of the oldest Nazi concentration camps from World War 2. It was also one of the first to be liberated by Allied forces in 1945. Many of the barracks that housed the prisoners have been torn down, but a few remain and are open for visitors to tour. There is a dramatic film presentation given in the main hall of the camp that includes actual footage from the camps daily operations and liberation. Guard towers, oven chambers, and the infamous "Brausbad" chambers are still standing and can be freely toured.
4. Hofbrauhaus. Munich gets its name from the monks that lived in monasteries nearby. The name comes from the old word "Munichen" which means "the place of the monk". These monks were famous for their brewing of ales and beer. In fact, soon the monk's brew became the most sought after beer in all of Bavaria and the brewing tradition has continued ever since. One of Munich's most famous breweries is the Hofbrauhaus, which was frequently visited by Hitler when he stopped in Munich. Guests can tour the brewery as well as sample local brews and purchase beer by the liter.
5. Oktoberfest. If you are going to be in Germany in late September or early October you absolutely must visit Oktoberfest. If you are planning a trip to Germany but don't yet know what time of year to visit, plan your trip to coincide with this festival of festivals. The Oktoberfest is one of the oldest cultural festivals in Europe. Traditionally, Oktoberfest has been a celebration of Bavarian culture, including oompa bands, local beer, and local fare such as weisswurst, steckerlfisch, and obatzda. By far the most important part of the festival is the beer tents, which are set up by the many German brewing companies that sponsor the event.
6. Allianz Arena. The one thing that Germans love as much as their beer is their football. FC Bayern Munchen is the local team of Munich. The team used to play at the old Olympic stadium, but recently Allianz Arena was built as a new home for the team. FC Bayern competes in the Bundesliga and is one of Germany's most successful football franchises. If you are a sports fan of any kind, nothing rivals the atmosphere of an FC Bayern home match at Allianz Arena. Maybe you can join in the crowd's enthusiastic cheer of "Stern des Sudens!"
Three Ways to Find Answers
Search FAQ
to find answers to your questions.
Customer Support
Chat with US
and let us help answer your questions.
Start Chat
Send us an email
with any non-urgent questions.
(We respond to inquiries within 24 hours.)
Exclusive Web Deals
-
Guru exclusive are special handpicked web deals, available for instant purchase.
-
These fares may change at any time, because airlines are always updating their prices and their availability. Web fares may not be available for long periods of time and price can change in a matter of minutes.
-
Guru Advice
Guru's advise you to book the fare as soon as you see it. It may not be available at a later time. Many people call us for these special fares, which they saw earlier and did not book are disappointed because those deals were not available anymore.
Free Newsletters
Subscribe to our free weekly Travel Deal newsletter!
We'll send you updates with the latest deals, reviews and articles for instant purchase.