Sightseeing

Munich is a city with a rich, long history and offers a large number of fascinating attractions. Some of these should be visited in any case, some can be experienced throughout the year while others need to be enjoyed during the summer. Many attractions are located near the city centre, so visitors are advised to plan ahead by looking at a map. In this area are:

• Karlsplatz Stachus - a large square in central Munich

• Alter Peter - St. Peter's Church
• Frauenkirche - Cathedral of Our Dear Lady
• Marienplatz - Mary's Square (central square)
• Viktualienmarkt
• Hofbräuhaus - the public Royal Brewery
• Alter Hof
• Residence - the former royal palace
• Odeonsplatz - a square in central Munich
• Bavarian State Opera - The National Theatre Munich

Outside the old town, you will find a lot of interesting attractions, which include essentials such as:

• English Garden - A large public park located in the centre of Munich. With an area of 3.7 square kilometers, this park is one of the largest urban public parks in the world (larger than New York's Central Park) and includes several restaurants and the second largest beer garden in the city (over 7,000 seats) named Chinese Tower.
• Hirschgarten (Deer Park) - The largest beer garden in Munich and in the world with more than 8,000 seats. One of the most popular local meeting spots.
• Nymphenburg Palace - Built in 1664, this palace was used as the summer residence for the Bavarian Wittelsbach royal family. The palace and its surrounding park are one of the most famous sights in the city.
• Botanical garden - This botanical garden houses over 14,000 species of plans from around the world and is directly connected to the Nymphenburg Park.
• Olympic Park - This large park (850,000 m²) houses many sports facilities and was the venue of the twentieth Summer Olympic Games in 1972.
• Allianz Arena - A football stadium for about 80,000 spectators located in northern Munich. The home stadium for FC Bayer Munich, Germany's most successful football club, and TSV 1860 Munich.

• Hellabrunn Zoo - A 100-year-old zoo with over 700 animal species.
• Oktoberfest - A 16-day festival celebrating beer that is held annually in Munich and begins in late September. One of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with over five million people from around the world attending each year.

In the city centre and nearby areas are many museums. Museums are typically open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Once a week and on Sundays and public holidays, museums are open later until 10:00pm in the evening. On Sundays, admission into museums is either free or only €1. For more information, see the Museums Directory. The following museums are highly recommended:

• Bavarian National Museum - A collection of art and historical-cultural. It includes exhibits from the early Middle Ages to the early 20th Century. Address - Prinzregentenstr. 3, 80538 Munich
• Pinakothek, Art Gallery - A complex of three world famous art museums: Alte Pinakothek (14th - 18th century), Neue Pinakothek (19th century) and the Pinakothek of Modern Art (20th - 21th century)