Munich – A City Of Culture

By Terry Cod

The historic city of Munich. Germany’s third largest city and capital of Bavaria, Munich is recognized as one of Europe’s most prosperous destinations and one that requires a much larger holiday budget.
It is considered to be one of the cultural capitals of Europe and it is justly famous as a city where you can have a great deal of fun.

Munich is situated about 50 kilometres north of the Bavarian Alps in Upper Bavaria upon the River Isar. Munich’s weather pattern is controlled by the Alps with the occurrence of unexpected rainstorms with snowy winters and warm summers.

Founded in the twelfth century, many of Munich’s most elegant buildings were constructed in the beginning of the nineteenth century. It became the Nazi Party’s stronghold in 1933 when it was designated the ‘capital of the movement’. In spite of heavy allied bombing where much of the city was devastated, the old city was quickly restored to its previous pre-war appearance.

When compared to Berlin, Munich seems to have so much more to offer than the capital and it’s no surprise that the city is referred to as the ‘secret capital’. The wealth of attractions and landmarks to see makes Munich just about the best place to visit in the whole of Germany. With so much to see, it’s a pleasant surprise to realize that savings are possible on admission costs if you buy a Munich Welcome Card. The card offers free unlimited public transport around the city together with massive discounts on entrance prices to all of the attractions. A one day Munich Welcome Card costs just 6.50.

It comes as a relief to find out that much of Munich’s top landmarks and attractions are easily accessible on foot. This is the easiest way to discover the city as much of it is not accessible to motor vehicles. For the attractions away from the centre of the city, you will be pleasantly surprised when you encounter the city’s public transport system. Its incredibly efficient, easy to use, clean and flexible as one ticket will buy you travel on any of the trams, underground trains (U-Bahns) overground trains (S-Bahns). Marienplatz station provides the main transport hub where you can switch between U-Bahns and S-Bahns.

Marienplatz in the city centre is an ideal spot to begin a day’s voyage of discovery. Here you can’t miss the Town Halls, Old and New with their ornate clock showing the ‘barrel makers dance’, a medieval jousting scene. Nearby are the the Residenz Palace, National Theatre and Maximilianstrasse which is a major attraction for the serious shoppers amongst us. Konigsplatz or King’s Square was where the Nazi Party rallies were famously held before and during the second world war. It is here where Munich’s top galleries and museums are found. There is an excellent selection of superb museums and galleries such as the the Toy Museum, Bavarian National Museum and the Kunstareal (art area) comprising Pinakothek der Moderne (modern art), Neue Pinakothek (paintings from the 19th century) and the Alte Pinakothek (pre 19th century) which is famed for its brilliant collections from the 14th to the 18th centuries with artists that include Giotto, Rubens, van Dyck and Raffael.

Admirers of old architecture are certain to enjoy the Altstadt, full of baroque and neo-classical buildings. The most ancient church in the centre of Munich is that of the twelfth century Peterskirche while the Frauenkirche with its onion shaped domes is possibly the most renowned of Munich’s buildings having miraculously survived the Second World War bombings. Other outstanding buildings to look out for in the city centre comprise the 12th century castle (Alter Hof), the Mint Yard of the Renaissance and the fourteenth century Residenz Palace.

While in Munich schedule in a visit to the 19th century Wilhelma Park and Zoo. It is famed for its orchid and magnolia park and for its thousand strength species.

Lastly, you can’t visit the city of Munich without taking a beer at the Hofbrauhaus am Platzl, the famous beer hall. You can’t miss it for it is in the heart of the city centre and all you need to do is follow the crowds!. Which steers us neatly onto the subject of the Oktoberfest, Munich’s excellent beer festival. Actually held every September. It was originally held to celebrate the marriage in 1810 of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese.

This article on Tenerife was written by Terry Cod, a writer who has traveled extensively throughout Europe. He is the owner of http://www.online-hotel-bookings.co.uk/ offering accommodation in Munich.

Article kindly provided by UberArticles.com

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Tags: Germany, munich, munich beer festival, Travel and Leisure

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