It is the incomparable mixture of cosmopolitan outlook and tradition, of high-tech and being down-to-earth, of being innovative and displaying a charming composure, which makes Munich so attractive for tourists (and new citizens) from all around the world. The Bavarian state capital with its 1.54 million inhabitants offers everything that a visitor would dream of for his/her perfect stay: a wide-ranging arts and cultural scene, unlimited sports and shopping facilities, a lively bar scene and nightlife, a varied gastronomy and an excellent public transport network. The city owes its high leisure and recreational value to the numerous green oases such as the English Garden, the Isar riverbanks, the parks of the castles and the proximity to the Alps and the Upper Bavarian lakes.
Munich has a worldwide reputation as a metropolis of art, culture and science. Three top orchestras, major music festivals, outstanding opera and concert venues and an internationally renowned club scene allow for a wide range of music on offer, from classical music to jazz, rock and pop to avantgarde. Munich has over 60 museums and exhibition venues.
A constantly growing world-class art scene in the city attracts art-lovers from all over the world. The Brandhorst Museum, which already makes an impression from the outside with its colourful facade, with its famous collection of modern works, greatly complements the three Pinakothek museums. In 2013 the new State Museum of Egyptian Art opened its doors to visitors and for almost four years, the Lenbachhaus, was opened again to the public after a renovation to add on an extension. With the opening of the National Socialist Documentation Center in 2015, Munich now has a central place of learning and remembrance, which remembers the crimes of the National Socialist dictatorship and explains its causes, characteristics and consequences up to the present day.
Home of BMW
The history and future of technology can be experienced up close in the Deutsches Museum and it also has two branches in the city with the traffic center on Theresienhöhe and the Schleißheim airfield in the north of Munich. Those who have an interest in automobiles and the combination of technology and design can visit the BMW World and the BMW Museum of the Munich based-company.
A deep insight into the history of the city can be discovered in the Munich City Museum with its permanent exhibition “Typical Munich”. You can also visit the Residence, the city palace of the Wittelsbacher family and learn about the history of the royal town and the 700 years’ rule of the family. Even older is the neighbouring Alter Hof, the first seat of the Wittelsbacher family, where the "Info Point" of the Bavarian Museums is located. A small multivision show introduces the history of the Wittelsbacher Dynasty within the house museum. The most famous member of the Bavarian royalty is undoubtedly Fairytale King Ludwig II, who was born in the Nymphenburg Palace, the Munich summer residence of the Wittelsbacher family.
City of Sports
In addition to the city's rich culture, Munich citizens love their sport. Whether tennis or ice hockey, swimming or rowing, marathon or cycling, golf or football. There are no limits to the enthusiasm for sports in the city which held the Olympic Summer Games in 1972 and the FIFA Football World Cup in 2006. Even today the Olympiapark with its stadiums are used in many different ways: for leisure sports, major sporting events, concerts, festivals or simply to enjoy the greenery in front of the still spectacular tent roofed stadium. With the Allianz Arena, Munich has one of the most modern and extraordinary stadium buildings in Europe. The outer skin and roofing of the stadium rings consist of thousands of diamond-shaped air cushions, which light up red and white - the club colours of FC Bayern. Those who keep themselves active and fit have a range of possibilities to do so and can be found at one of the numerous popular sports festivals, in the green areas, swimming pools or skating rinks.
Bavarian Way of Life
Last but not least Munich is a shopping paradise with chic fashion boutiques and designer outlets, cool studios, large department stores, original antique shops and excellent bookshops. In the city center sightseeing and shopping can be ideally combined with a visit to a cafe or restaurant because everything is within walking distance and can be reached easily. The gastronomy offer spans a wide range from the international star cuisine to the snack bar at the Viktualienmarkt or the down-to-earth pub culture. The ideal place to enjoy Bavarian delicacies and a cool beer is under chestnut trees in one of Munich's many beautiful beer gardens - where tourists and locals meet, where old friendships are cultivated and new ones can be made. Beer gardens in Munich have a tradition of over 200 years and have become the epitome of the Bavarian way of life.
Munich Tourism is a municipal tourism organisation within the Department for Work and Business in the state capital of Munich. Munich Tourism develops together with its partners from the private sector, the Tourism Initiative Munich TIM e.V., marketing and PR measures as well as tourism products in order to position Munich as an internationally competitive destination and to promote tourism to Munich. In this context, the Tourism Commission Munich, a joint body of the city council and the local tourism industry, operates to provide strategic direction.
Contacts: Department of Labour and Industry
München Tourismus, Markt- und Medienmanagement
Herzog-Wilhelm-Str. 15, 80331 München
Phone: +49 (0)89 - 233 30320
E-Mail: tourismus.sales@muenchen.de www.einfach-muenchen.de
