Munich, the second most visited German city after its capital of Berlin, is one of the country’s finest tourist hotspots, offering a unique blend of traditional flavor and modern perks, all under the umbrella of the “gemutlichkeit” theory which is a German saying for health and happiness. The city is known for its heavy drinking scene and Oktoberfest celebrations with all around excellent museums, art archives, a thriving industrial scene with many international companies having their headquarters here (BMW and MTU, among others), and the finest mix of both Gothic and Baroque architecture. It is also the door to the Bavarian Alps which is one of the most renowned winter sports locations in the world.

Another note about beer: beer is so popular in Munich that breweries can be found on every street corner and is consider a health drink rather than an alcohol with its own vending machines right alongside soda machines.

Sights you can't miss:

Olympic Park, Munich. Photo by Zoli Plosz.

• Olympic Park: Munich’s Olympia park complex was built from the ground up for the 1972 Olympic Games. It comes with a huge tent-style stadium with 70,000 seats and comes with the largest roof in the world which is made out of tinted glass. The lake next to the stadium is filled exclusively with rainwater that is collected by the roof! Olympia Park has an observation terrace 1000 ft high on an Olympic Tower. Right next door is a DMX Museum which chronicles the history of one of the world’s premier automobile brands.
• Marienplatz: Marienplatz is located right in the city center and contains both the Neo-Gothic town hall and the Glockenspiel which is a huge bell clock that rings at 11, 12, 5, and 9 with more than 40 bells and figures that show little vignettes dealing with history. Smack in the center of Marienplataz is a Virgin Mary statue. There is also a toy museum and a 15th century cathedral named the Frauenkirche.
• Hofbrauhaus: The Hofbrauhaus is a world renowned tavern site located right in the heart of Munich. Thousands of gallons of beer are served daily by beautiful women in full Bavarian dress helping to pump a nice atmosphere into the scene. In addition to beer, these scantily clad women serve pretzels and potato soup which is a German trademark food.
• Oktoberfest: The last two weeks of September signals a trek by millions of people down to the Theresienwiese, a gigantic grass meadow about the size of 15 soccer fields where the world’s wildest party is held. Huge tents are erected by German breweries that turn into beer halls for all tourists and natives alike. The two week celebration kicks off with the “tapping” of the first keg, where fun ensues in the form of carnivals and dances along with the miles of stalls selling every kind of beer imaginable.

Where To Stay In Munich:

 The 4-star Regent Hotel is right in the city center and a 2 minute walk from the central station and the OldTown. It comes with 189 beautifully designed rooms and has a gourmet restaurant inside with professional staff ready and willing to make your time in Munich sweet. In addition, you can stay at the downtown hotspot Mandarin Oriental (mandarinoriental.com) with a dazzling view of the Alp amounts from its roof. The cheaper Hotel Advokat (www.hotel-advokat.de) is also a fine choice in location and price. For budget travelers, you can’t get any better than the Hotel Jedermann which offers rooms as low as 67 euros a night with easy access to the main train station. All in all, hotel accommodations don’t come short when you’re talking about Munich.

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