Ah! Munich! Who does not know Munich and its world famous Oktoberfest? Often hounded down by tourists, especially in the months prior and subsequent to the popular beer festival in October, Munich is more famous for its beer but it is actually more than just a great party. Munich also offers a rich source of culture and history. If you want to feel the art, beauty and tradition that Germany has to offer then Munich should definitely be your very first pit stop.
Munich is the capital of Bavaria, which is the largest federal state in Germany. Munich is also one of the top places that German’s want to live in making it expensive to live in Munich. And who can blame them as Munich offers a very green and beautiful countryside that is only thirty minutes away from the second largest university in Germany, the S-Bahn. Aside from the great beer, Munich also highlights many architectural styles ranging from Baroque to Roccoco. Add this to Munich’s close proximity and easy access to many of the other gems in Europe such as the Mediterranean, Italy, the Alps and many others and one can see why many want to reside in Munich.
With thousands flocking to Germany to have a taste of the Oktoberfest, why not try it yourself? The Oktoberfest is an annual festival in Munich that started in October 12, 1810 as a form of celebration for the wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. During those years, beer was not yet the main attraction of the festival. Agricultural conventions, horse races and fairs were conducted during the festival. It was only in 1896 that the beer businesses in Munich decided to pitch the first beer tent. It was after this fateful year that Oktoberfest has been a festival that is mostly about the beer. Each year the major breweries have large tents where beer is served along with good music and food. These tents are often times crowded so it would be great to be at the tent before 10 in the morning. In the Oktoberfest the beer tents are open all day long.
After the beer festival why not see the Statue of the Bavaria, which is a 20 meter piece that is located at the west border of Theriesienwiese beside the Hall of Fame. The Theresienwiese was actually named after Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
Aside from being a beer capital, Munich is a part of an interesting and memorable history of Germany and it is a great learning experience to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. The tour provides both a guide and an audio guide for those that are visiting. You may want to leave the kids at the inn or hotel for this trip.
For a great art experience visit the Pinakotheken which offers religious paintings from the 15th to 18th century as well as a collection from the expressionists and impressionists of the 19-20th century. The Pinakotheken also features 20th century modern art, paintings, design and architecture.
