Clay MacLachlan / Aurora Photos
To pick up the buzz and beat of Munich, the first thing you want to do when you get to town is to wander through Marienplatz (St. Mary's Square) in the heart of the Altstadt (Old City). Every day painted mechanical figures emerge from the New Town Hall's famous Glockenspiel to reenact famous events from Munich's history as the carillon's 43 bells chime.
There's nothing more Munich than sitting at a communal table in the Schwemme (taproom) of the world's most famous beer hall, while downing a glass of Löwenbräu, munching on a Schweineshaxe (ham hock), and listening to the sounds of the traditional oom-pah-pah band.
Right up until 1918 Bavaria was ruled by the Wittenbachs, who made the Residenz their main royal residence. This enormous palace, begun in the fourteenth century, today houses a magnificent treasury. You can also tour the former royal apartments and state rooms--all of them loaded with lavish furnishings and art.
Even if you aren't interested in the history of the Bavarian Motor Works, BMW Welt (BMW World) is worth a visit as a stunning example of new Munich architecture. This attraction's vintage cars are examples of German automotive design at its very best.
Many of Munich's fine churches had to be rebuilt after World War II, with interiors stripped of their original ornamentation. The eighteenth-century rococo Asamkirche is a marvelous exception, florid to the point of dizziness. Multicoloured marbles, gold leaf and silver cover every square inch of the interior.