Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria.
As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third most-populous city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is not a state of its own, and it ranks as the 11th-largest city in the European Union (EU). The metropolitan area has around 3 million inhabitants, and the broader Munich Metropolitan Region is home to about 6.2 million people. It is the third largest metropolitan region by GDP in the EU. Munich is located on the river Isar north of the Alps. It is the seat of the Upper Bavarian administrative region. With 4,800 people per km2, Munich is Germany's most densely populated municipality. It is also the second-largest city in the Bavarian dialect area after Vienna.
Getting to Munich
- 01München Flughafen / Munich Airport
- 02Hauptbahnhof
- 03Ostbahnhof the east station is in Haidhausen
Trains from Hungary and Austria via Salzburg all stop here.
- 04Pasing station is in southwest Munich
Many long-distance trains stop off or pick-up here en route to and from Hauptbahnhof.
Worth seeing
Four royal avenues were laid out in the 19th century, with imposing architecture. Briennerstraße starts at Odeonsplatz (where you can find Feldherrnhalle, Theatinerkirche and the Residenz) on the northern fringe of Altstadt. It runs east to west past Wittelsbacherplatz (with Alfons-Palais and the statue of Maximilian I), Karolinenplatz (the black obelisk honours the Bavarian Army), to Königsplatz.
Things to do
St Patricks's Day is on 17 March, but in Munich is held over the nearest weekend, with parades and a street festival. Locations vary but parades are likely to be around Odeonsplatz in Altstadt and Münchner Freiheit further north. May Day is a public holiday in Germany. Many Bavarian villages erect maypoles, dress up in Lederhosn and Dirndln, and cavort to the tunes of oompah bands.
Where to eat
Bavarian cuisine is the main offering, majoring on sausages and other pork. Munich specialities are Weißwurst (a breakfast sausage served until noon and not a second later, washed down with Weissbier), Schweinsbraten (roasted pork) or Schweinshaxe (roasted pig's knuckle). Other trad dishes such as schnitzel are popular but not specifically Bavarian. Beer gardens and beer halls serve heaps of all these.
Getting around Munich the local way
- Get aroundThe "floating" service of Donkey Republic no longer covers Munich.
- Get aroundThese are your best option for a day trip: charges are notional; you pay for the S- or U-Bahn ride.
- Go nextSee individual "Get in" pages for practicalities, but train is quickest, and the Bayern-Ticket is a bargain deal for day trips across the region.
From Wikivoyage: Munich, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Burkhard Mücke (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
