Munich is the main city of Bavaria State, in southern Germany. Munich is the biggest city in Bavaria. This city is situated north of the Alps, along Isar – the river that flows through it. 

This city has its origins back from the Benedictine monastery, probably founded 750. Henry (duke of Bavaria) gave the right to the monks to make a market in the place where the road approaches from Salzburg to the Isar River. In that period monks also built a bridge and also a defensive wall was put around the marketplace. 

When to visit Munich 

Best to visit Munich is in spring, from March until May. Or the first weeks of September (just before Oktoberfest). In this period you will have pleasant weather and a lot of events, like festivals and concerts. The summer period is full of outdoor activities, and the Christmas period is interesting because of the Christmas markets and holiday atmosphere. 

The average temperature in Munich is 0 C in January and 18 C in July. 

Good to know about the city

The infrastructure has an aim to makeover the area of sustainability, and minimise the influence on the environment. In this city they recycle building materials, also reusing the digged earth, and those made from demolition of old buildings are used to make new buildings. 

Munich have the next ways of transport:

S-Bahn (train): It has 8 lines to travel. The main route gives flexibility when travelling in the city centre. The passengers can go from the Airport to the centre of the city. The stations are labelled with S and there are from S1 to S8 lines. 

U-Bahn (subway): This subway has around 100 stations. It is labelled with the letter U. 

Bus: The buses are in the metropolitan area. There are also night lines labelled with N. 

If you want to live in Munich, you must consider that this city is a little expensive. Average money you will spend in Munich is 1000 euros per month. And most money you will spend for the rent. 

Average salary in Munich is 4000 euros per month. 

Tips in Munich restaurants are 10-15% of the bill. But, the tip depends on the place, size of order and occasion. You must tip the waiter more than the bartender, because their tips are shared with the staff from the kitchen. 

In cafes you should round the bill to the next bigger amount. But if you are in a fancy bar, you can give a bigger tip. 

Famous people born in Munich are: Werner Herzog (Film director), Franz Beckenbauer (Former German Footballer), Richard Georg Strauss (Composer),Heinrich Himmler (Nazi Commander). 

What to see in Munich

Alte Pinakothek

This art gallery dates from 1836 and is one of the oldest. This art gallery is made by an order of King Ludwig I to put in the Wittelsbach dynasty collection. Its building was started by Duke Wilhelm IV. This gallery has French, German, Flemish, Dutch, Spanish and Italian paintings, from the period of 1200s and 1800s. The painters who have paintings there are: Peter Paul Rubens, Van Dyck, Albrecht, Hans Baldung Grien, Leonardo da Vinci, Hieronymous Bosch, Titans and Rembrandt. 

Munich Residenz

This building started from a castle for the Wittlesbach monarchs and developed until it built a large palace complex with 130 rooms. 

A lot of emperors, dukes, kings and princes had their statements in their periods of ruling. Because of the size and richness of the art, this place is a must-to-see when visiting Munich. 

Other places to visit are: Italian Grotto Courtyard, Baroque Ancestral Gallery and Antiquarium banquet hall. 

Neues Rathaus

The façade is decorated with pinnacles and little trefoil arches. Also 4 statues of the 4 Bavarian kings are displayed. This façade is 100 meters long, and has 400 rooms. You can go 85 metres up, from where people can see the Alps. 

The Glockenspiel plays every day from 11 and 12 am, and also at 17 pm (March-October). 

Englischer Garten

Englischer Garten is one of the biggest places to visit in Munich. It was made in the 18th century and has an area of 370 hectares. It is made of tree groves, lawns, pasture, waterways and a lake. By its size, it is bigger than New York’s Central Park.  On the artificial river is a strong current, where you can also surf. 

Neue Pinakothek

In Neue Pinakothek are 400 paintings from the period of 1800s, and they are representing all movements from that century. 

The paintings are made of: Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Caspar David Friderich, Courbet, Delacroix, Cezanne, Degas, Gaugin, Monet and Renoir. 

You can observe all these periods of paintings. Other great pieces are made of: Rodin, Goya, Klimt, Turner, Munch and many others. 

Marienplatz

It is situated in front of Neues Rathaus, and has several places to shop, sightseeing or just relaxing.  This square has been in the heart of the city since the 12th century. It is named because of the Marian column standing here. 

The Marian column was made in 1638 and it celebrates freedom from Swedish troops. There is a golden statue on the top. It was made in 1950 and shows Mary as the Queen of Heaven. The most vibrant part of the year here is the Christmas market. 

St Peter’s Church

St Peter’s Church was built in the 1100s, but it was damaged by fire.The reconstruction was made in Gothic style.A lot of extensions were made during various periods, especially Renaissance and Baroque. Here you can see the paintings of Polak under the ceiling fresco made by Johann Baptist Zimmermann. 

There is also a figure of St Peter made from Erasmus Grasser, positioned on the high altar. This church is set on the hillock. The tower has a lot of stairs and has a beautiful view and you can see the city with a telescope. 

Deutsches Museum

This Museum is quite interesting and can take you the whole day of sightseeing.  This museum is situated on the island of Isar and shows the science and technology from Germany.

Many fields are shown in this museum: nanotechnology, reproduction, astronomy, aerospace, engineering etc. If the tour is only for several hours, you can only focus on one theme of the museum. It is very interesting for kids too, because there are interactive exhibits, where they can push buttons.