Munich
Munich is also Germany’s high-tech hub, its film and publishing center, the historical residence of Bavarian royalty, the headquarters of luxury automaker BMW and the city, Germans themselves say they’d most like to live in. The country’s third-largest city is both sophisticated and charming, with haute-couture shopping (it has a thriving fashion industry), grand cathedrals, opulent palaces, vigorous arts activity and an abundance of beer gardens, outdoor cafes, ethnic restaurants and popular nightspots.

From the dizzying elegance of its grand boulevards to the oomph of dances which waits at the bottom of the fifth stein, Munich residents have figured out how to enjoy life. A heady agglomeration of sophistication and abandon, the city is compact and manageable, cramming in more theatres than anywhere else in Germany, a wealth of fine museums and a number of graceful gardens.

Munich lies 50 mi/80 km north of the Alps. The Isar River, which begins in the Alps, flows through the eastern part of the city, near the zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn) and the Bavaria Film Studios, around the island housing the Deutsches Museum, past the parliament building (Maximilianeum) and finally through the lush greenery of Englischer Garten, the city’s main public park. There are heaps of day excursions possible from Munich.

Attractions

The Deutsches Museum
It is one of Germany’s largest, and with its distinctive “hands on” exhibits, one of the most popular science and technology museums in the world. There is no way to see the entire museum in one day, so it’s best to choose the areas that are of particular interest to you. Highlights include a walk-through coal mine, an exhibit of the first German submarine and a re-creation of the Altamira cave drawings in Spain.

Some visitors may be disappointed to learn that explanations for most of the exhibits are in German only. Adjoining the museum in the Forum der Technik is a planetarium and an IMAX theater.

English Garden
English Garden is the largest city park in Germany. Laid out along the Isar River in 1789, Its a very popular public gathering place in the spring and summer. The park’s main focal points are the large beer gardens at the Chinese Tower and the Lake House on the man-made Kleinhesseloher Lake.

You’ll find dogs, children, hippies, businessmen and nude sunbathers enjoying the park. It’s also a good place to walk, jog, Rollerblade or cycle. Northeast of the city center near Odeonsplatz or the Universitat, Giselastrasse and Munchner Freiheit U-Bahn stops. The internationally renowned Circus Krone has been permanently based in Munich since 1919.

The winter season runs December-March at the big-top building of the same name. Top-rate entertainment for young and old alike, with seating for 2,500 people. The building is used for pop concerts and sporting events April-October, when the circus is on the road.