Munich

The capital of Bavaria, Munich, Germany, is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. The country's third-largest city, Munich is one of Europe's main cultural centers, with museums like the Deutsches Museum, the largest museum of technology and natural sciences in the world, with over 13 acres of exhibitions containing original machines and equipment, models and reconstructions, from classical mechanics to telecommunications. The BMW Museum presents the history of the company as well as its engines, motorcycles and automobiles.

The Spielzeugmuseum houses a collection of European and American toys worldwide, with dolls, doll houses, trains, airplanes, bears, and other animals. Also, Rathaus, the new town hall, is worth a visit to see its impressive façade –more than 300 feet in length, built between 1867 and 1909 in Flanders Gothic style, and elaborate stone ornamentation. The Isar Gate is the most easterly of the city’s three remaining town gates and dates from the 14th century. Careful restoration has recreated the dimensions and appearance of the original structure. The Isar Gate accommodates the Valentin Museum. The Olympic tower was built for the Olympic Games in 1973, along with the rest of the Olympic Park. At 951 feet high, it is Germany's highest television tower. It has a revolving restaurant at the top, and offers panoramic views. Königsplatz, one of the city’s squares, was commissioned by Ludwig I and later used as a Nazi marching ground. The neo-Classical square boasts the Propylaen gateway and the Glyptothek, a small collection of Greek and Roman sculptures.

Restaurants, bars and pubs are easy to come by in the city and in the warmer months, many cafes offer outdoor seating. It’s easy to come by a variety of cuisines and restaurants are found all throughout the city. The city is also famous for its beer cellars, such as Hofbräuhaus, which also has a beer garden in the back, and Löwenbräukeller, not far from the central train station and also with a beer garden in the back. Of course beer gardens are also extremely popular. Aumeister has trees to offer shade and overlooks the pond in the Englisher Garten. Hirschgarten is Bavaria’s largest beer garden, with 8,000 seats.

Germany’s second-largest airport, Franz Josef Strauss International, is about 19 miles north east of the city center. The airport can be reached by suburban train lines S8 from the east and S1 from the west part of the city. Local transportation includes the Munich U-Bahn (underground railway), the Munich S-Bahn (suburban trains), trams and buses. The transformation of the historic area into a pedestrian zone enables can be walked or biked. The main railway station is Munich Hauptbahnhof, in the center of the city, and there are two smaller main line stations at Pasing, in the west of the city, and Munich Ostbahnhof in the east. ICE high-speed trains stop at Munich-Pasing and Munich-Hauptbahnhof only. Munich is part of the motorway network of southern Germany, allowing direct access to the different parts of Germany, Austria and Italy.

Munich’s continental climate is modified by its proximity to the Alps, meaning precipitation can be high and the temperatures between day and evening as well as winter and summer can be extreme. Winters last from December to March and summer, which can be fairly warm, from May until September.