Munich, the capital of Bavaria, Germany | travelbynatasha Munich, the capital of Bavaria, Germany The Rathaus (City Hall) in Marienplaz Munich, Germany ©Jean Janssen Boris really wanted to do the The Third Reigh tour while in Munich. The gold line honors those who took this back alleyway in Munich to avoid giving the Nazi salute. They were reported, arrested, and sent to concentration camps. ©Jean Janssen Boris is teaching American law for two weeks in the Ukraine this coming fall so we are off for a training conference in Salzburg, Austria. The current political situation makes his assignment tentative, but he will be reassigned if his safety is in question. We are flying through Frankfurt to Munich where we will spend one night before taking the train to Salzburg. Due to equipment issues our first flight was delayed in Houston. We waited along with two INS agents who were deporting two women to Eastern Europe. We made up all but 30 minutes en route, but we really had to scramble to clear passport control and make our second flight. We made it; unfortunately, our luggage did not.

After a taxi ride to the Hilton Munich Park (near the English Garden), I gave into sleep and took a two-hour nap, waking in time to enjoy the sunset. Marienplaz by night Munich, Germany ©Jean Janssen We made the short trip to the old city where things were really hopping. The shops were open and sidewalk cafes were reverting to inside service with the loss of the sun and its warmth. In spite of the bombing which devastated this city during World War II, the architecture of Munich is amazing. We walked around, Boris offering me a mini-tour and me snapping pictures. There is a large area of the old city that is pedestrian only and just made for walking tours. Every good German restaurant needs a giant beer barrel in the middle. The Ratskeller, Munich, Germany Dinner at the Ratskeller, below the town hall Munich, Germany ©Jean Janssen Dinner was at the Ratskeller in the basement of the Rathaus (city hall). They serve traditional German food to tourists and locals alike. Within the restaurant, you can wander from room to room, each with its own character. Lots of tables are tucked into nooks and crannies.

We ordered way too much food, but that happens when you want to sample everything. Boris also sampled his way through a variety of the beer offerings. The English language menu includes pictures, but for the complete list you’ll have to ask for the “picture-less” menu in German. The War Memorial at night. Munich, Germany ©Jean Janssen Full and sleepy we headed back to the hotel after dinner, noting that crowds had thinned. The shops were now closed, but I suspected that the restaurants and bars were full. We’ll return tomorrow to get some of the same pictures in daylight. During our absence, our luggage had arrived. Lovely painted building in old town Munich, Germany ©Jean Janssen Boris’ Hilton points got us into the Executive Lounge on the 12th floor for breakfast. We had a drink in the same lounge before bed last night. The Lounge had lovely views of the river. From our room we could see the various clock and church towers of the old town. Munich is the capital of Bavaria and has the same flavor we had enjoyed in Passau in December. One thing I did note was the large number of cranes dotting the city skyline. Lots of construction is going on here.

Another thing I noted was how clean the city was. I saw no graffiti or trash anywhere. Except for cigarette butts; they were everywhere. The Rathaus glockenspiel chimes at 11 am and enacts two stories from the 16th century. It is part of the second construction phase of the Rathaus and dates from 1908. ©Jean Janssen After breakfast, we checked out and took our luggage for storage in the train station. After spotting the departure point for our 11:30 am tour, we went back to the old city and wandered around the pedestrian area. There were not too many people out early, but things picked up as the morning wore on. We didn’t know the mass schedule, but caught a bit of mass in one of the many Catholic Churches. No interior church shots this time. Boris wanted to conserve his strength for the walking tour, so he sat people watching for part of the time. Coffee and hot chocolate were enjoyed. After an ATM stop, we walked back to the train station for the start of our Third Reich tour. Munich is the birthplace of the Nazis and leave it to Boris to locate this unique tour.

Ironically, our guide Kevin was a hopeful graduate student from Houston, Texas. What are the odds? The name of the tour company is Radius Tours and they offer a variety of walking and travel tours, along with bike rentals. The Hofbrauhaus is perhaps the most famous beer garden in Munich. It upper hall was a popular meeting and rally location for the Nazis. Although it has now been rebuilt, the upper floor was damaged by bombs during WWII. The lower hall was undamaged. Its beautiful painted ceiling features a child’s pinwheel using the color of the Bavarian flag. Formerly, the pinwheel was a swastika. As the ceiling is protected for it historical significance and can not be painted over, artists cleverly “restored” the swastika to look like a pinwheel. If you look closely, you can see where the paint is darker and the original design exists. ©Jean Janssen The original meeting spot (beer hall) of the Nazi party. Like other spots related to Nazi history, there is no marker on the building. The ground floor is now an Apple Store.

©Jean Janssen The 2.5 hour tour started with a subway ride back to the Rathaus and focused on the locations were the Nazi party met and experienced significant events. Kevin also recognized how present-day Germans deal with the history and on the German resistance movement. As necessary, he assumed you knew little or nothing about the history of the Third Reich and brought us up to speed. After squandering his inheritance, Adolph Hitler often supported himself by drawing postcards for tourists. This is one of his favorite spots for drawing in Munich. ©Jean Janssen At the conclusion of the tour, we had to go directly to the train station to catch our 2:55 departure to Salzburg. The train compartment was nice. It did not have the most plush of seats, but was very clean. The scenery along the way was beautiful and as the Alps came into view I started singing The Sound of Music in my head. There were several stops along the way, but the whole trip took less than two hours. We arrived at the Schloss Leopoldskron in time to join the cocktail party on the terrace. Sound of Music fans will recognize this gate, lake, and view of the Alps from the 1965 movie.

©Jean Janssen After a taxi ride, we arrived at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron where exterior shots from The Sound of Music were filmed. Welcome to Salzburg, Austria. Share this: Bavaria | state, Germany | Britannica.com Bavaria Maximilian I Bavaria, German Bayern , largest Land (state) of Germany , comprising the entire southeastern portion of the country. Bavaria is bounded to the north by the states of Thuringia and Saxony , to the east by the Czech Republic , to the south and southeast by Austria, and to the west by the states of Baden-Württemberg and Hessen . Munich (München) is the capital. Area 27,240 square miles (70,550 square km). Pop. (2011) 12,397,614. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Ger. © Huber/Press and Information Office of the Federal Government of Germany Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Geography Bavaria is a country of high plateaus and medium-sized mountains.

In the north are basalt knolls and high plateaus; in the northwest are the wooded sandstone hills of the Spessart. The northwest is drained by the Main River , which flows into the Rhine . To the southeast the topography varies from the stratified land formations of Swabia-Franconia to shell limestone and red marl, the hill country of the Franconian-Rednitz Basin, and the limestone mountains of the Franconian Jura along the Danube , which divides Bavaria north and south. On the eastern edge of Bavaria are the Bavarian and Bohemian forests, and in the north is the Franconian Forest . South of the Danube is a plateau upon which lies the capital, Munich, and beyond it are the Bavarian Alps . Bavaria’s share of the Alps consists of wooded peaks of several thousand feet, behind which rise steep ridges and high plateaus (in the west, the Allgäuer Alps; in the east, the Alps of Berchtesgaden). They reach their highest point with the 9,718-foot (2,962-metre) Zugspitze , which is also the highest point in Germany.

Bavaria has a continental climate that is harsh for middle Europe, although there are some exceptions, such as the Lower Main valley. Eastern summit of the Zugspitze, Germany Hans Huber Saarland Historically, the north has been inhabited by descendants of the Franks , the southeast by residents of old Bavarian stock, and the southwest by people of Bavarian-Swabian descent. The majority of Bavaria’s inhabitants still live in small towns. Only about one-fifth live in cities of 100,000 or more. Munich is the third largest city in Germany and the largest city in Bavaria. Marienplatz with (centre) New Town Hall, Munich, Ger. Brand X Pictures/Jupiterimages After World War II there was an influx of refugees from the Sudetenland and eastern Europe , where many ethnic Germans had lived for centuries. A significant proportion of Bavaria’s population at the beginning of the 21st century was composed of those refugees and their descendants. Beginning in the 1960s, the industrial areas received large numbers of migrant workers from southern Europe. Great changes took place in the religious composition of the population after the war, with a heavy influx of Protestants.

At the beginning of the 21st century, most Bavarians were Roman Catholics, and Evangelical Lutherans were the second largest religious group. About two-fifths of the state’s gross output in the early 21st century consisted of industrial and handicraft products. Trade, transportation, and services accounted for more than half and agriculture and forestry for only a tiny amount. Farms in Bavaria tend to be large and highly mechanized. The Gäuboden Plain, a fertile farming basin along the southern bank of the Danube, is known as the granary of Bavaria. Rye, wheat, and barley take up about half of the farmland; much of the rest is planted with other grains and feed crops. The Allgäu is Germany’s leading cheese- and butter-producing region. Rye (Secale cereale) growing in Bavaria, Germany. Frank Krahmer—Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images The development of Bavarian industry was at first hampered by a lack of minerals and poor transportation. These natural disadvantages have been overcome by the development of hydroelectric power and by access to oil piped in from the Mediterranean ports of Marseille in France and Genoa and Trieste in Italy .

World Tour After World War II the government made efforts to attract industries, with the result that Bavaria attained a higher rate of industrial growth than the rest of Germany. Munich , the largest industrial centre in Bavaria, is the focus of high-technology industries and a major transportation hub. Manufacturers there produce precision optical and electrical equipment, machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, and clothing. Nürnberg, Erlangen, and Fürth form Bavaria’s second largest industrial area. Nürnberg (Nuremberg) is one of Germany’s leading centres of electrical manufacturing and also produces many types of machinery, from heavy equipment to precision instruments. Fürth specializes in metals processing. Electrical engineering and high technology are important economic activities in Erlangen . Other important products manufactured in Bavaria include electronics and aerospace equipment, chemicals, textiles, toys, beer, foodstuffs, and fine china and industrial ceramics. Britannica Stories Scientists Ponder Menopause in Killer Whales The most important waterway is the Main River , which is navigable as far as Bamberg . The Danube carries vessels as far upstream as Kelheim. Bavaria has well-developed road and rail networks. Major airports are located near Munich and Nürnberg.

Under its constitution of 1946, Bavaria is a free state with democratic parliamentary institutions. Voters directly elect representatives to the Landtag (state parliament) for five-year terms. The Landtag chooses a minister-president and a cabinet. The Christian Social Union dominated Bavarian politics from 1946 into the 21st century. Tourism is very important, particularly in the Bavarian Alps, portions of which are protected within the Bavarian Forest National Park and the Berchtesgaden National Park. The town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen , located at the foot of the Zugspitze, is one of Europe’s most popular mountain resorts. The Allgäuer Alps near the Austrian border are also a popular tourist destination, and many winter and summer resorts, health spas, and medicinal springs are located in the area. One of Bavaria’s most popular tourist spots is the Neuschwanstein Castle , the famous “fairy castle” built for King Louis II of Bavaria in 1869–86.

The region is also noted for its many picturesque villages, such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber , Nördlingen , and Dinkelsbühl , which feature lavishly decorated churches, public buildings, and homes. To the north lies another scenic area known as Franconian Switzerland , characterized by sinkholes, caves, and outcrops and dominated by the ruins of medieval castles. Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps, Germany.

© Huber/Press and Information Office of the Federal Government of Germany Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest UNESCO has designated several World Heritage site s in the state: the Residence in Würzburg , a Baroque palace and its surrounding gardens (designated in 1981); the Pilgrimage Church of Wies (1983), a Rococo masterpiece located in an Alpine valley; the old town area of the medieval town of Bamberg (1993), encompassing thousands of buildings, some dating to the 11th century; the old town of Regensburg (2006), situated on the Danube River , with structures representing two centuries of architecture; the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth (2013), an outstanding example of Baroque theatre architecture and decor; and the section of the limes of the Roman Empire (2005) that traverses the state. The Residenze, Würzburg, Ger. © Laif/Press and Information Office of the Federal Government of Germany Folk arts and culture remain important in Bavaria, and traditional crafts continue to be practiced. Popular festivals occur throughout the year, the best known being Munich’s Oktoberfest .

Bavaria is also well known for its music and theatre. The annual Bayreuth Festival features the music of Richard Wagner . There are theatres in all the larger cities, as well as numerous orchestras, opera companies, museums, and art galleries. Revelers celebrate Oktoberfest in a beer hall in Munich, Germany. Joe Viesti/The Viesti Collection Market day for cattle is the occasion for a festival in a Bavarian village. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz History The earliest known inhabitants in the area of present-day Bavaria were the Celts. Romans conquered the region about the beginning of the Common Era. They divided the southern part into Raetia and Noricum and built fortifications along the northern boundary to keep out the Teutons. Flourishing Roman colonies arose in the south at Augsburg , Kempten , Regensburg, and Passau . The Romans were overcome in the 5th century by repeated Germanic attacks. The lands were eventually settled by Germanic tribes from the east and north who mixed with the remaining Celts and Romans.

The tribe that gave the territory its name was the Baiovarii (Bavarians), which settled in the south between 488 and 520 ce. In the 7th and 8th centuries Bavaria was Christianized by Irish and Scottish monks. In 788 Charlemagne incorporated Bavaria into the Carolingian empire for a short time. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Bavaria became a part of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th century. During that period Bavaria was constantly ravaged and all but depopulated by the Hungarians. At the Battle of Pressburg (now Bratislava, Slovakia), on July 4, 907, the Hungarians inflicted a disastrous defeat on the Bavarians, but Hungarian ambitions in Bavaria were checked permanently in 955 by Otto I at the Battle of Lechfeld, just south of Augsburg . That defeat ushered in an era of cooperation between Bavaria and Hungary, culminating in 996 with the marriage of the Bavarian princess Gisela and the Hungarian prince who would be crowned king as Stephen I .

In 1180 the Holy Roman emperor Frederick I Barbarossa gave Bavaria to the count palatine Otto of Wittelsbach. That marked the start of the Wittelsbach dynasty , which was to rule Bavaria until 1918. Frederick I (Frederick Barbarossa) as a Crusader, with (right) Henry of Schaftlarn dedicating to … Courtesy of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Otto was succeeded in 1183 by his son Louis I , who was the real founder of the Bavarian principality. He recklessly used every means to extend his power. He founded cities (Landshut, Straubing, Landau, and Iser) and also won the Palatinate of the Rhine (1214). His son Otto II increased the area of his lands mainly by purchases. The efforts of those and succeeding dukes to consolidate their power were fairly successful but were soon vitiated by partitions that for 250 years made the political history of Bavaria little more than a chronicle of territorial divisions, family feuds, and petty squabblings.

By the late 14th century the family’s various branches had divided Bavaria into three separate duchies, which had the effect of temporarily eclipsing the power of the dukes. The government of the country and the control of its finances passed mainly into the hands of an assembly called the Landtag, or Landschaft, which had existed since the beginning of the 14th century. The towns, assuming a certain independence, became strong and wealthy as trade increased, and the citizens of Munich were often formidable antagonists to the dukes. Trending Topics Opium Wars A consolidation began when Duke Albert IV (the Wise) of Bavaria-Munich (reigned 1467–1508) established in 1506 the principle of primogeniture in Bavaria. Albert also made Munich the capital of his duchy. Albert’s son William IV (reigned 1508–50) reunified Bavaria into one duchy in 1545.

In 1546, however, Bavarian policy changed abruptly to an alliance with the Austrian Habsburgs , following the introduction of the Reformation in the Palatinate, and under William IV’s successor, Albert V (reigned 1550–79), Bavaria became a strictly Roman Catholic territory. Throughout the 18th century, Bavaria was ravaged by the wars of the Spanish Succession and the Austrian Succession . In 1777 the Bavarian succession passed to the elector Charles Theodore of the Palatinate. Bavaria and the Palatinate were reunited. In the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–79), Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia successfully prevented Austria from incorporating a large part of Bavaria to which it had laid claim. Frederick II, painting in the Castello di Miramare, Trieste, Italy.

Archivo Iconografico, S.A./Corbis In the 1790s Bavaria was a member of the first and second anti-French coalitions, and for its pains it was successively occupied by Revolutionary France (1796), by Austria (1799), and then again by France (1800). In the following year Bavaria became an ally of France and was thus able to expand its territories at the expense of Austria, acquiring by the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 approximately the boundaries it now has. The treaty also elevated the Bavarian duchy to the status of a kingdom. Externally, the freedom of Bavaria continued to be restricted by the power of Napoleon I —from July 1806 onward technically in his capacity as protector of the Confederation of the Rhine , which the new kingdom joined. Internally, however, full sovereignty provided the basis for the creation of a modern state. Traditional privileges were swept away, often ruthlessly, by the central bureaucracy . The reforms were anticlerical in spirit, and many monasteries were secularized.

French pressure, moreover, helped to bring about equality before the law, universal liability to taxation, abolition of serfdom, liberty of conscience , and some individual constitutional safeguards proclaimed in the constitution of May 1, 1808. In 1813, shortly before the Battle of Leipzig , Bavaria rejected Napoleon, and in 1815 it joined the Germanic Confederation against him. It retained much of its territorial and political gains, making it the third largest German state, after Austria and Prussia. A new constitution was proclaimed on May 26, 1818. The parliament was to consist of two houses, with the lower house elected on a very narrow franchise. Religious equality and the rights of Protestants were guaranteed. In 1850 Maximilian II (reigned 1848–64) brought Bavaria into an alliance with Saxony, Hanover, and Württemberg in accordance with the aim of establishing the medium-sized states in Germany—of which Bavaria was the largest—as a third force to counter the preponderance of Austria and Prussia . Bavaria subsequently tended to support Austria against Prussia.

Maximilian’s successor, Louis II (reigned 1864–86), refused the Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck ’s proposal to incorporate Bavaria into a German domain under Prussian leadership, and Bavaria sided with Austria in the Prussian-Austrian War of 1866. But the quick victory of the Prussians and the moderation of their policies toward Bavaria led that kingdom to join Prussia in the Franco-German War of 1870 and afterward to share in the establishment of a German Empire under William I , king of Prussia. Maximilian II, detail from an engraving, 1859 Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co. Ltd. Under the German constitution of 1871, Bavaria received a larger measure of independence than any of the other constituent states of the German Empire. Meanwhile, Louis II had begun showing signs of mental instability, and his extravagant building projects (notably Neuschwanstein Castle ) had drained the Bavarian treasury. In 1886 he was declared insane, and an uncle, Luitpold , became regent that same year.

Luitpold died in 1912, and his son Louis III became king. Louis II, detail from a portrait by Ferdinand Piloty; in the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen, … Courtesy of the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen, Munich At the end of World War I , an Independent Socialist, Kurt Eisner , deposed the Wittelsbach dynasty on the night of November 7–8, 1918, and proclaimed Bavaria a republic . King Louis III fled, thus ending the rule of one of the oldest European dynasties . Eisner was assassinated in February 1919, and, in the subsequent chaos , revolutionary councils carried out a “Red Terror” and formed a short-lived soviet republic that ended in May 1919 when German army units and citizens’ defense corps recaptured Munich and instituted a similarly ruthless “White Terror” against the communists. Under a new Bavarian constitution passed in August 1919, Bavaria became a parliamentary state in the Weimar Republic of postwar Germany. Louis III, drawing by F.

Gärtner, 1915; in the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich. Courtesy of the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich The Bavarian political scene remained unsettled, however, and in 1920 and 1921 there were unsuccessful right-wing coups. The National Socialist movement of Adolf Hitler got its start in Munich, and in 1923 Hitler and Gen. Erich Ludendorff attempted their unsuccessful putsch in that city. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they built their first concentration camp in March 1933 at Dachau , near Munich. The fanatical Nürnberg rallies , held annually from 1933 to 1938, gained worldwide notoriety. Many Bavarians supported Nazism , but others, especially in the rural areas, opposed the regime’s anti-Catholic policies. Adolf Hitler (left) and associates in Landsberg Prison following the abortive Munich putsch. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Nazi Storm Troopers marching through the streets of Nürnberg, Germany, after a Nazi Party … Bettmann/Corbis After World War II, Bavaria became part of the American occupation zone. The Palatinate was detached and joined to the new Rheinland-Pfalz state. Under the Basic Law (constitution) of West Germany of 1948, Bavaria became a state of the Federal Republic. The postwar era saw Bavaria dramatically transformed from a largely agricultural society to an urban industrial one, as Germany’s Wirtschaftswunder (“economic miracle”) took hold. Exports fueled the growth of such Bavarian companies as electrical equipment manufacturer Siemens AG , sports apparel manufacturers Adidas and Puma, and a host of Mittelstand (small- and medium-sized family-owned concerns that created a wide range of high-quality specialized products). In the 21st century Bavaria served as an engine of German economic growth, balancing a global outlook with a distinct and robust cultural identity. Additional Media Bayern - Bavaria - Profile of the German Federal State View of the Bavarian Alps. A virtual guide to the German Federal State of Bayern.

Beside a state profile, this page offers links to sources that provide you with information about this "Bundesland", e.g.: official web sites, local news, culture, history, education, city- and country guides with travel and visitors information, tourist attractions, events and much more. Bayern, Bavaria Flag of the Free State of Bavaria en: Free State of Bavaria Nick name: The Beer State Abbreviation: BY Time zone: Central European Time (CET); Central European Summer Time (CEST) (UTC+1/+2) Capital City: München (Munich; pop. 1.4 million) Other Cities: Augsburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Erlangen, Fürth, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Passau, Regensburg, Würzburg. Geography: Location: in the southeastern part of Germany, bordering Czech Republic in east, Austria in south Area : 70,550 km² Religions: 25% Protestants, 55% Roman Catholic. Natural resources: Sand and gravel, natural stone, clay, silica sand, kaolin.

Agriculture products: Dairy products, cheese, meat and meat products, sugar, beer, hops. Industries: Car industry, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, foods, tourism. The Free State of Bavaria (in German: Freistaat Bayern) comprises the entire southeast portion of Germany. It is geographically the largest federal state in the country. Bayern shares international borders with Austria and the Czech Republic as well as with Switzerland (across Lake of Constance). Neighbouring federal states within Germany are Baden-Württemberg , Hesse , Thuringia (Thüringen) and Saxony (Sachsen). The landscape of Bavaria consists of four major regions: the Bavarian Alps, with Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany at 2,962m in south; the Alpine foothills, known as the Bavarian Alpine Foreland with its numerous lakes; the Eastern Bavarian central mountains, a wooded low-mountain region with Germany's first national park, the Bavarian Forest National Park; and in west, the plateaus of Swabia and Frankenalb (Jura).

Bavaria is divided in 7 administrative regions: Oberfranken (Upper Franconia), Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), Unterfranken (Lower Franconia), Bayerisch Schwaben with Allgäu (Bavarian Swabia), Oberpfalz, (Upper Palatinate), Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), and Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) Note: External links will open in a new browser window. Official Sites of Bayern Geography of Bavaria southern Germany Geography and facts of Bavaria Location Bavaria, home to 12.5 million inhabitants, is located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest of the 16 federal states of Germany. Bavaria covers almost one-fifth of the total land area of Germany and has an area of 70,548 square kilometers (27,200 squaremiles). Bavaria borders Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland (across Lake Constance), as well as the neighboring German states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony. The capital city of Bavaria is Munich (München).

Other major cities in Bavaria include: Nuremberg (Nürnberg), Augsburg, Würzburg, Regensburg, Ingolstadt, Fürth and Erlangen. The two major rivers that flow through Bavaria are the Danube (Donau) and the Main. The Bavarian Alps are home to Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze 2,962 meters / 9,717 feet, and form a natural border with Austria. The landscape of Bavaria can be subdivided into four major regions: the Alps, with the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany at 2,962 meters; the Alpine foothills with their numerous lakes; the Eastern Bavarian central mountains with the first ever national park in Germany; the Swabian-Franconian cuesta landscape. Bavaria was the first ever region in Europe to be precisely measured. Nature conservation and environmental protection are of high importance, and have been an integral part of the Bavarian constitution since 1984. The German Alpine Association has set itself the task of making the Alps accessible while preserving the alpine environment.

Munich - Capital of Bavaria - TANDEM Munich Munich "München leuchtet" - "Munich shines" - and how! So said Thomas Mann, way back in 1902 and his words still hold true today. This beautiful old city is a media, arts and cultural metropolis, the capital of Bavaria, home to princes and kings down the ages and, to top it all, Germany's economic centre for technology: the so-called 'Silicon Valley' of Europe! Munich by numbers With a population close on 1.5 million, this 857-year old historical centre is Germany's third largest city. It boasts 14 colleges and universities attended by some 94,000 students, 61 theatres, 83 cinemas, 2 opera houses, 46 museums and art galleries including the world-renowned 'Neue Pinakothek', 'Alte Pinakothek' and 'Pinakothek der Moderne'. To add to this impressive list are 6 breweries and, of course, the Oktoberfest (Sept. 17th-Oct. 3rd 2016).

This is the world's biggest festival attracting over 6.5 million visitors each year to its legendary beer tents. Munich and its surroundings The area around Munich is certainly not to be missed ! Head south and you will discover crystal clear lakes amidst the stunning mountain scenery of the Bavarian and Austrian Alps - superb ski centres in the winter and fantastic for hiking, mountain biking and much more during the rest of the year. King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle ' Neuschwanstein ' nestles in the Alpine foothills only 120km away. Last but not least, many other historical German and European cities are close enough for weekend visits - Augsburg (60km); Salzburg (136km); Nuremberg (160km); Prague (380km); Vienna (430km), to name but a few. Munich and us At TANDEM Munich you'll find a great learning centre, an easy-going atmosphere and a competent and experienced body of teachers who are not just here to teach. They are here to help you settle in to the German way of life and make the whole Munich experience more accessible!

Donnerstag Munich: Munich - The Bavarian Capital - TripAdvisor Want the lowest hotel prices? You're in the right place. We check 200+ sites for you. Munich: Munich - The Bavarian Capital Review a place you’ve visited JOIN We'll send you updates with the latest deals, reviews and articles for Munich each week. Munich Traveler Article: Munich: Munich - The Bavarian Capital Save Article Comments (0) Munich's motto is "München mag Dich" when translated in English means Munich loves you. It situated near to the Alps not far from the Austrian border. It is the capital of Bavaria, one of the most famous states of Germany. Known to some as "Texas of Germany". The few places mentioned in this article are one of the best places that Munich has to offer, so it should not be missed when you are travelling to Munich. BMW Museum and Welt: "Bavaria Motor Works" or BMW as known commonly, has its roots at this very City. If you are an automobile enthusiast then this Museum is the right place for you.

This museum has got engines and turbines, aircraft, motorcycles, and vehicles, along with the past it has futuristic models also known as "Concepts" at its display. This museum is visited by 250,000 yearly. Near to the Museum, you can also visit the welt. It serves for customer experience as well as exhibition facility showing different cars and motorcycles. The welt also hosts a shop where you can buy BMW auxiliary products like caps, shirts,... Etc and also a good restaurant. Marienplatz: Marienplatz is the oldest place to visit in Munich. It is the heart and soul of Munich. Its connected to a lot tourist spots then are located near to it. Here you will find numerous shops and restaurants. Nymphenburg Palace: It's not only a palace but it has a park and a number of canals passes through this locality. It was a residence for the Rulers of Bavaria. Its also known for handcrafted materials that were produced here. 350,000 visitors are recorded annually. It has one of most splendid gardens of Munich. The main palace consists of main villa and two wings.

Olympia Park: Olympia park is not only famous among tourists but many local also use its facilities. It's located near to BMW Museum. It was originally built for Summer Olympics 1972. You can take exciting guided tours such as: Flying fox, Roof Climb... Etc. It is also a famous location for concerts that are being held here throughout the year. Besides this you can also find a museum but of a different nature: A ROCK MUSEUM and highest in the world. "Olympiaturm" which is 290m high, it also located at this park from where you can have an amazing view of Munich if the weather is good and this tower also hosts a restaurant. Englischer Garden: This park is one of the largest and oldest park in Munich. According to some, one of most monumental parks in Germany . If see the map Munich's map, you find the a large amount of area is encompassed by this park. In summer you will find a lot of sunbathers and families strolling around. Here you will find to Chinesischer Turm which was built in 1789. Besides these places you can also visit: Neues Rathaus, St.

Peterkirche, Neuschwanstein which is located near to the Munich, Konigplatz and Hofgarten. Share your knowledge Munich | Bavaria, Germany | Britannica.com Bavaria, Germany Bavaria Munich, German München , city, capital of Bavaria Land (state), southern Germany . It is Bavaria’s largest city and the third largest city in Germany (after Berlin and Hamburg ). Munich, by far the largest city in southern Germany, lies about 30 miles (50 km) north of the edge of the Alps and along the Isar River , which flows through the middle of the city. Pop. (2003 est.), 1,247,873; (2011) 1,348,335. Munich, Germany. iStockphoto/Thinkstock The twin towers of the Church of Our Lady (left) and the New Town Hall (right), Munich, Germany. iStockphoto/Thinkstock Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz History Munich, or München (“Home of the Monks”), traces its origins to the Benedictine monastery at Tegernsee, which was probably founded in 750 ce.

In 1157 Henry the Lion , duke of Bavaria, granted the monks the right to establish a market where the road from Salzburg met the Isar River. A bridge was built across the Isar the following year, and the marketplace was fortified. In 1255 Munich became the home of the Wittelsbach family, which had succeeded to the duchy of Bavaria in 1180. For more than 700 years the Wittelsbachs would be closely connected with the town’s destiny. In the early 14th century the first of the Wittelsbach line of Holy Roman emperors, Louis IV (Louis the Bavarian), expanded the town to the size at which it remained up to the end of the 18th century. Under the Bavarian elector Maximilian I (1597–1651), a powerful and effective ruler, Munich increased in wealth and size and prospered until the Thirty Years’ War .

It was occupied by the Swedes under Gustav II Adolf (Gustavus Adolphus) in 1632, and in 1634 a plague epidemic resulted in the death of about one-third of its population. The third Wittelsbach who left his mark on the community was Louis I , king of Bavaria from 1825 to 1848. Louis planned and created modern Munich, and his architects established the city’s characteristic appearance in the public buildings they designed. The 19th century was Munich’s greatest period of growth and development. Protestants became citizens for the first time in what had been until then a purely Roman Catholic town. The city’s population of 100,000 in 1854 grew to 500,000 by 1900. Munich’s cultural importance in Europe was enhanced when Louis II , by his championing of the composer Richard Wagner , revived its fame as a city of music and the stage.

Similar Topics Hamburg The rule of the Wittelsbach dynasty finally ended with the abdication of Louis III in November 1918, and, in the aftermath of World War I , Munich became a hotbed of right-wing political ferment. It was in Munich that Adolf Hitler joined the Nazi Party and became its leader. The beer cellar where he held meetings that led to the Putsch (“rising”) against the Bavarian authorities in November 1923 can still be seen (see Beer Hall Putsch ). In World War II Munich suffered heavily from Allied bombing raids, which destroyed more than 40 percent of its buildings. The contemporary city In the past Munich suffered economically because of its distance from seaports and from the coal mines of the Ruhr region. But this situation improved when fuels other than coal came into general use. Munich shifted from heavy to light industry, to the manufacture, for example, of precision instruments, optical and electrical appliances, and aerospace and other high-technology products, as well as to the production of food, cosmetics, and clothing. The city has several of the largest breweries in Germany and is famous for its beer and its annual Oktoberfest celebration. Munich is a major tourist destination and a convention centre.

Book publishing and printing and television production are also important. The city is a centre of the banking and financial industry, and it has one of the largest wholesale markets in Europe for fruit, vegetables, and animal produce. Capitals & Cities: Fact or Fiction? Munich is connected by rail to all the main cities of Germany and Austria , and it is a major hub for the German and European high-speed passenger rail system. Autobahnen (expressways) from Stuttgart , Nürnberg , and Salzburg converge on the city. Franz Josef Strauss Airport, located 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Munich, opened in 1992. A modern subway has been built in the city. Watch a subway tunnel being dug for the Munich underground rail system, 2009 film. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The old town, clustered around the ancient crossroads of the marketplace in the Marienplatz, has increasingly become a business centre and has lost much of its ancient character.

Among the old buildings that still stand are three of the seven town gates—Karls, Sendlinger, and Isar, all dating from the 14th century. Other medieval buildings include Munich’s cathedral, the Frauenkirche ( Church of Our Lady; built 1468–88), whose massive cupola-capped towers are conspicuous landmarks; and the Old Town Hall (1470–80) in the Marienplatz. Nearby is Peterskirche (1169), Munich’s oldest church, which was completely destroyed in World War II but subsequently rebuilt in its original form. The former arsenal of the town at Jakobsplatz is now the municipal museum. The oldest of the Wittelsbach residences, the Old Court, has retained its medieval appearance. The present Residence dates from the 16th century, but the style of every period up to the 19th century was tried out on it with superb effect; the building was destroyed in World War II but has been reconstructed. Another survival from this early period is Michaelskirche (1583–97), which is considered to be the most important Renaissance church in Germany and one of the most beautiful in central Europe.

Despite these older buildings, the old town is predominantly Baroque and Rococo. Italian models inspired the late 17th-century Theatinerkirche (Theatine Church), the early 18th-century Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church), and an 18th-century Marianist church, the Bürgersaal. Michaelskirche at Berg am Laim, the Asamkirche (also called St. John of Nepomuk Church), and the Cuvilliés Theatre at the Residence were completed between 1746 and 1777. The last-named structure, a magnificent Rococo theatre built for the Wittelsbach court, was destroyed in World War II, but much of its interior decoration was saved, and the theatre was reconstructed. Among the summer castles built outside the town walls are Schleissheim and Nymphenburg . The latter’s hunting lodge, the Amalienburg Pavilion, is a Rococo masterpiece. Several palaces built by the Bavarian landed gentry and court nobility at the same time also survive.

The New Town Hall (built 1867–74) was enlarged at the beginning of the 20th century. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Munich received the first great impetus to expand beyond the old town from the magnificent building program undertaken by Louis I in the 19th century. Between the Victory Gate and the Hall of Generals, he had the monumental Ludwigstrasse built, along which he constructed the state library, the Ludwigskirche, and the University of Munich . Other projects commissioned by Louis were the Königsplatz with the Glyptothek (“Sculpture Gallery”), a museum that houses a collection of ancient and modern sculpture; the Propyläen, a magnificent gateway in the style of the Propylaea at Athens; and the Alte (Old) Pinakothek , which contains one of Europe’s great collections of paintings. Louis’s son Maximilian II (reigned 1848–64) built the broad Maximilienstrasse and the Maximilianeum, which now houses the Bavarian parliament (Landtag). The Maximilianeum, Munich.

© Photos.com/Jupiterimages The University of Munich was moved from Landshut to Munich in 1826 by Louis I. Among the city’s other important educational establishments are the Technical University of Munich (founded 1868) and academies of art, music, philosophy, military studies, and film and television. Munich has long been a centre for the arts. Music, especially opera, has flourished. In addition to the Bavarian State Opera Company and the Munich Philharmonic and other orchestras, there are the Bavarian State Dramatic Company and numerous private theatres. Important libraries include the Bavarian State Library and the University Library. Munich has some outstanding museums and art galleries. The Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Picture Galleries , houses the art treasures accumulated by the Wittelsbach family since the 16th century. Its collections of Renaissance-era German and Dutch paintings and Flemish Baroque paintings are especially strong, with many masterpieces by Albrecht Dürer , Peter Paul Rubens , and Anthony Van Dyck.

In addition to the Alte Pinakothek and the Glyptothek, there are the Neue (New) Pinakothek , which houses Munich’s main collection of 19th- and 20th-century art; the Bavarian National Museum, which contains German art and applied art since the Middle Ages; and the Residence Museum, which has paintings, sculpture, furniture, and ceramics. The Deutsches Museum , on an island in the Isar River, is a huge and comprehensive museum of science, engineering, and technology with a notable library. There are also the State Gallery of Modern Art and numerous small art galleries. In 1972 the city hosted the Olympic Summer Games. Watch surfers take to the waves in Munich’s man-made Eisbach River. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Additional Media

Question: What is the capital of Bavaria?
Answer: Munich