Between September 21st and October 6th, Munich, Germany, hosts its annual Oktoberfest, the biggest beer festival in the world, which makes millions of visitors from all over the world consider the concept of Germany tourism. This festival, where the approximately 6.9 million visitors consume about 8 million liters of beer, hundreds of thousands of sausages and chicken, which generate revenues of 750 million only in Munich has reached its 180th edition. Oktoberfest has become a brand among beer fans and if you ever consider to start a globetrotting adventure, you should make Germany and especially the city of Munich one of your priority destinations.
The city that hosts Oktoberfest, the Bavarian capital, is not just worth visiting during Oktoberfest. Munich is a complete destination where everything is possible, while other cities and regions there will worth every penny. Maybe Germany is not that type of place to go to find luxurious all inclusive beach resort touristic deals, but this doesn”t mean you can”t spend the holiday of your life by immersing in a new culture, learn history, take part to exciting events and get to spend high quality time with your friends and family in an almost magical place.
Here are 10 reasons to consider a vacation in Munich especially during autumn.
1. A walk through the Altstadt
On the streets that form the old city center are all the key targets in Munich in terms of historical importance. In the German language, Altstadt means “old town” and is a place that not only preserves the charm of ancient history, architecture and beauty, but it is a good reason to visit it if you want to taste German culture at the street level. You must not miss Frauenkirche – Church of Our Lady, or simply Munich Cathedral – a Gothic brick building with twin towers nearly 100 feet tall. Not far from them is Peterskirche (St. Peter), the oldest in the city, dating from the twelfth century, but restored in time, in various architectural styles. On clear days you can see the Alps from Peterskirche’s highest tower.
Munich, just like any other touristic city in Germany, welcomes its visitors with a large palette of accommodation options. If you want to live in the heart of the city, there are a lot of recommended hotels and online possibilities to make reservations before your arrival.
2. Marienplatz
Marienplatz, the heart of the old center of Munich, is dominated by a number of monumental buildings, most notably Mariensäule (Column of Mary) – a monument built in 1638 with a pedestal golden statue of the Virgin Mary, patron of Bavaria. In Marienplatz tourists gather attracted by the 43 bells of the Glockenspiel in the tower of City Hall (Rathaus). Not far away, you can see Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall), with its tall tower of 85 meters high, which you can climb with a quickly with an elevator.
Germany tourism addresses also to families with children looking for fun family vacations and Marienplatz doesn”t make an exception: in the old city hall there is the Toy Museum, Spielzeugmuseum, a place that should not be missed by children and nostalgic grownups.
3. Royal residence
In less than a three minute easy walk from Marienplatz Square is another objective that should not be missed: Residenz Munich – royal residence, a strong reason to consider Germany tourism. It is a residential complex that served as the headquarters of government and residence of the Bavarian rulers in the period 1508-1918.
The first palace was built in 1385 by the Wittelsbach family, with timber added new buildings, gardens and even chapels. Residenz Munich has a total of 130 rooms, the majority of an unimaginable opulence, furniture and oil paintings, tapestries and porcelains made by the best artists of the time.
Visiting the royal apartments, the throne room, Ahnengalerie (Ancestral Hall) – with over 100 portraits cast in gold, Porzellankabinett (china cabinet) you realize the glamorous lifestyle in the Wittelsbach family. Here on Tenmania, we reviewed a while ago some eccentric statements of wealth, but this Royal Residence definitely takes the cake.
Today, the Residenz Munich is one of the largest museums in Bavaria. Severely damaged in World War 2, Munich Residenz was and still is subject to reconstruction.
4. Nymphenburg
A worth visiting location is also the Nymphenburg Palace located in the west of Munich, the former summer residence of the Bavarian monarchs, where Louis II was born, to whom we owe the construction of one of the most famous castles in the world, Neuschwanstein.
Nymphenburg is not as opulent as Residenz Munich but also has a very richly decorated interior, with huge rooms, with painted walls and impressive chandeliers. A very remarkable place to see is the gallery of beauties, a room that exhibits beautiful ordered paintings of Ludwig I. If you go here, do not miss Marstallmuseum and Porcelain Museum, Amalienburg or the This can be an excellent choice for someone with no money to pay a trucking drivers ed book out of pocket. Botanical Garden, located in the same complex.
The Nymph”s Castle (main building alone) receives more than 300,000 visitors per year, according to travel statistics. Also, the palace and its gardens were featured as main filming locations for the movie “Last Year at Marienbad.”
5. Königsplatz
Art enthusiasts should direct their attention to Königsplatz, where there are three art museums, famous Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek der Moderne and Brandhorst Museum. Old works of art, but also modern ones exposed in these museums are a delight for lovers of the genre.
Unfortunately, Königsplatz has a darker side to it and a strong reputation related to pure evil, due to the fact that its name is intimately linked to the Nazi movement and its display of power and terror. The city of Munich doesn”t make a parade out of its dark past, but if you”re interested in universal history and culture, Königsplatz is a place where you can learn more about the Nazi marches, the buildings that hosted the Führer”s decisions and a lot more. Here is a map of Königsplatz that can make your travel to the evil past a little more clear.
6. Deutsche Museum
Deutsche Museum, with approximately 100,000 objects exhibited, is the largest scientific and technical museum in the world, where you can admire both cars, planes and trains, ships, submarines and various other objects devised by engineers and craftsmen. Make sure you prepare yourself with some patience, as this museum gathers around 1.5 million visitors per year, so it is very likely you”ll have to stay in a line before entering.
The youngest visitors can make physics or chemistry experiments to get a taste of real science. Of course, they will not cook meth in Breaking Bad style, but they can learn a lot about the physics and the unseen chemistry of this world in exciting demonstrations and trials. In order to visit the museum, you can book a guided tour in advance. The museum officials recommend tourists to choose only a few sections in order to benefit from a full in depth experience instead of running around the whole museum, as they won”t have enough time to completely enjoy their visit.
7. BMW Museum
Munich is, among others, the hometown of the famous brand BMW, so producers have decided to make a museum that has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Bavarian capital. The famous BMW Welt building with a futuristic aspect, houses the latest models of the brand and a restaurant, while in the BMW Museum you can see the history of the brand from aircraft, ships and cars and motorcycles.
Whether you are a fan of some of the most powerful, elegant and popular cars in the real world or the entertainment industry, or your heart is devoted only to the BMW, you should not miss this museum, as it is the perfect reason for Germany tourism. BMW Museum is located near the Olympiapark which also deserves your attention. Built for the 1972 Olympics, it not only hosts the Olympic Stadium, Olympic pool and ice rink, but also a major shopping center.
8. Tierpark Hellabrunn
You should not miss Tierpark Hellabrunn, one of the largest zoos in the world where animals are kept in areas that are trying to recreate their natural environment as closely as possible. According to the Zoo”s last year official report, 19,183 animals from 757 species lived at Hellabrunn in the 2012 trading year and around 1,622,000 people visited Munich’s zoo.
The zoo is open all year round, so you can visit it no matter the season you pick for your German vacation and while you”re there, make sure you don”t miss the Siberian tiger, the sea lions, the rare Java Gibbon baby, the new giraffe member and the baby arctic fox, among many other incredible, rare, funny and weird animals from all around the world.
9. Bavarian castles
If you arrived in Munich, it would be a shame not to visit the nearby Bavarian castles such as Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee, both built at the orders of King Ludwig II, known as the “mad king” or “king – swan”. Mad or not, we thank him for his decision. Maybe the king was mad, but he also was a genius of his times, his legacy in art, architecture, culture and style becoming Germany”s best touristic attractions and revenue sources even while we speak. Bavarians have nothing more than respect for their Swan King and his castles are still a reason for national pride and touristic exploit.
There are many famous castles in the world, some for their incredible beauty (as those in the Loire Valley in France), others for their connection with supernatural manifestations, murders and evil characters who inhabited them. But Neuschwanstein is famous for its romantic allure, its aura of light and purity and its fairy-tale like construction. And speaking of fairy-tales, the castle was an inspiration source for Disneyland”s famous Sleeping Beauty Castle.
10. Destinations for shopping
Finally, Munich is a great destination for shopping, with stores belonging to the largest retailers, concentrated in the area of Altdstadt or that of Olympiapark – Olympia Einkaufszentrum mall where, especially during sales, you can shop just about anything with discounts up to 70%. If Maximiliansstraße is reserved for shopping with class, Schwabing is the perfect shopping location for those with smaller budgets, especially dedicated to students.
Whether you choose to visit Germany during Oktoberfest or any time of the year for that matter, you will certainly not regret the choice you’ve made. So, contact your travel agent or start looking for yourself and make all the necessary arrangements to visit Germany, the land which does not know the meaning of boredom.
Photo credits: Knogleshof, Laughing Squid, Santegidio, Bollywood Schaadis, Chiemgau.
