ℹ️ About Bavaria
Bavaria in southern Germany is the country's largest state by area, combining cosmopolitan flair, centuries-old traditions and the dramatic backdrop of the Alps. From baroque churches to beer culture and fairy-tale castles, the region offers one of Germany's most varied destinations.
Top Destinations in Bavaria
Munich impresses with Marienplatz, Oktoberfest and world-class museums. Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen, the inspiration for countless fairy-tale castles worldwide, is one of Europe's most photographed buildings. The Bavarian Alps around Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze offer hiking in summer and skiing in winter.
Practical Travel Tips for Bavaria
Munich has one of Germany's largest airports, from where all of Bavaria is well connected by train or car. Autumn is Oktoberfest season, while winter suits the Alpine region. The currency is the euro.
Good to Know about Bavaria
Bavaria is the only German state with its own official beer purity law, dating back to 1516 and still shaping its brewing culture today. Nuremberg is famous for its Christkindlesmarkt, one of Germany's oldest Christmas markets. Lake Chiemsee, Bavaria's largest lake, is nicknamed the "Bavarian Sea" for its beauty.
Cities in Bavaria
Things to Do in Bavaria 2026/2027
Alte Pinakothek
One of the oldest picture galleries in the world, showcasing masterpieces by Dürer, Rubens and Raphael as part of Munich's famous Kunstareal museum district.
Bavarian National Museum
One of Europe's most significant museums of art and cultural history, featuring sculpture, porcelain, nativity scenes and Bavarian folk art.
Beer and Oktoberfest Museum
This small museum, in one of the oldest houses in the old town, tells the story of Oktoberfest and Munich's beer-brewing tradition.
BMW World & BMW Museum
The futuristic exhibition center and the distinctive bowl-shaped museum next to BMW's headquarters trace the brand's history back to 1916.
Deutsches Museum
The world's largest museum of science and technology, located on Munich's Museum Island - featuring everything from historic aircraft to a walkable mine gallery.
German Hunting and Fishing Museum
Housed in a former Augustinian church on Neuhauser Straße, this museum displays hunting trophies, historic weapons and fishing tackle.
Glyptothek
Munich's oldest public museum on Königsplatz houses Greek and Roman sculpture, including the famous Aeginetan marbles.
Jewish Museum Munich
Opened in 2007 on St.-Jakobs-Platz, this museum documents Jewish life in Munich from its beginnings to the present day.
Lenbachhaus
The former villa of painter Franz von Lenbach houses the world's largest collection of "Der Blaue Reiter" art, with works by Kandinsky, Klee and Marc.
Munich City Museum
Housed in the old town's former armory, the City Museum tells Munich's history and holds significant collections on photography, film and musical instruments.
Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism
This modern museum building, on the site of the former Nazi party headquarters, documents Munich's role as the "Capital of the Movement".
Munich Toy Museum
Located in the tower of the Old Town Hall right on Marienplatz, this toy museum displays historic toys spanning several centuries.
Museum Brandhorst
Known for its striking colorful striped façade, this museum in the Kunstareal district showcases modern art by Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly and Sigmar Polke.
Museum Fünf Kontinente
One of Germany's oldest ethnological museums displays cultural artifacts from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and the Arab world.
Pinakothek der Moderne
One of the largest museums for modern and contemporary art in Europe, combining painting, graphic design, architecture and design collections under one roof.
State Collection of Antiquities
Opposite the Glyptothek on Königsplatz, this collection showcases world-class Greek vases, gold jewelry and Etruscan art.
State Museum of Egyptian Art
This underground museum, opened in 2013 near Königsplatz, holds one of Germany's most important collections of ancient Egyptian art.
Allianz Arena
This 2005 football stadium, home of FC Bayern Munich, is world-famous for its inflatable outer skin that glows in the club's colors.
Alte Münze (Old Mint)
The Renaissance courtyard of the former ducal mint near Max-Joseph-Platz ranks among the most beautiful courtyards in the old town.
Chinese Tower
This wooden pagoda tower in the English Garden, dating to 1790, is the centerpiece of the city's second-largest beer garden, with seating for thousands.
Hofbräuhaus Munich
The world-famous beer hall was founded in 1589 as a royal brewery and remains a Munich institution to this day, complete with brass bands, long wooden tables and liter mugs.
Maximilianeum
This historic building at the eastern end of Maximilianstraße, overlooking the Isar, now serves as the seat of the Bavarian State Parliament.
Müllersches Volksbad
This Art Nouveau indoor swimming hall by the Isar, opened in 1901, is considered one of Europe's most beautiful historic bathhouses and remains in operation today.
National Theatre at Max-Joseph-Platz
Home of the Bavarian State Opera, its temple-like columned façade makes it one of the world's most significant opera houses.
Allerheiligen-Hofkirche
This Byzantine-Romanesque court church inside the Residenz was built by Leo von Klenze as King Ludwig I's private chapel.
Alter Peter (St. Peter's Church)
The oldest parish church in Munich's old town - its tower, affectionately called "Alter Peter", offers one of the city's finest panoramic views.
Asam Church
A small but extraordinarily lavish Baroque church, built by the Asam brothers in the 18th century as their own private church.
Bürgersaalkirche
This two-level Baroque church on Neuhauser Straße consists of a festive upper hall and a simple lower prayer crypt.
Heiliggeistkirche
This church right by the Viktualienmarkt grew out of a medieval hospital and received a Baroque interior makeover in the 18th century.
Mariahilfplatz & Mariahilf Church
The central square of the Au district, home to the neo-Gothic Mariahilf Church and host of the traditional "Auer Dult" flea market.
Munich Frauenkirche
This Gothic brick cathedral with its distinctive onion domes is Munich's defining landmark, visible far beyond the old town for centuries.
St. Anna im Lehel
Munich's first Rococo church, in the Lehel district, was decorated by the Asam brothers with magnificent frescoes and stucco work.
St. Michael's Church
The largest Renaissance church north of the Alps was built for the Jesuit order and its crypt holds the tomb of King Ludwig II.
Theatine Church
This Italian-style Baroque church, with its distinctive mustard-yellow façade and twin towers, has defined Odeonsplatz since the 17th century.
English Garden
One of the largest urban parks in the world - bigger than New York's Central Park - home to the Chinese Tower beer garden and surfers riding the Eisbach wave.
Flaucher
These natural Isar riverbanks south of the city center, with gravel beaches and grilling meadows, are Munich locals' favorite summer escape.
Hellabrunn Zoo
Munich's zoo on the Isar opened in 1911 as one of the world's first "geo-zoos", grouping animals by continent rather than species - home to around 19,000 animals.
Hirschgarten
One of the largest beer gardens in the world, seating around 8,000 guests, sits inside a former royal deer park that is still home to a small herd of deer today.
Hofgarten
This Renaissance-era court garden next to the Residenz, centered on the Temple of Diana pavilion, offers a peaceful break in the heart of the city.
Munich Botanical Garden Nymphenburg
One of the most species-rich botanical gardens in the world, with around 14,000 plant species, right next to Nymphenburg Palace park.
Old Botanical Garden
Munich's first botanical garden, dating to 1814 near the main station, is today a small green park retaining historic garden features.
Westpark
This expansive park was created for the 1983 International Garden Show and features an East Asian garden plus a Thai pavilion.
Monopteros
This small Greek-style rotunda on an artificial hill in the English Garden is one of Munich's most popular viewpoints and photo spots.
Olympic Park & Olympic Tower
The site of the 1972 Summer Olympics, famous for its tent-roof architecture, plus the 291-meter Olympic Tower with its observation deck.
Angel of Peace
The golden angel statue high above the Isar commemorates 25 years of peace after the Franco-Prussian War and offers one of the city's finest views.
Feldherrnhalle
This hall of fame on Odeonsplatz, modeled on Florence's Loggia dei Lanzi, honors Bavarian military commanders and is also a historically significant site.
Isartor
One of three surviving medieval city gates of Munich, dating to 1337, now home to a small museum dedicated to Munich comedians Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt.
Sendlinger Tor
The southern of the three surviving medieval city gates marks the start of the busy Sendlinger Straße shopping street leading to Marienplatz.
Siegestor (Victory Gate)
This triumphal arch on Leopoldstraße, modeled on the Arch of Constantine, has carried an inscription dedicated to peace since the Second World War.
Gärtnerplatz & Gärtnerplatztheater
This circular square in the Glockenbachviertel is named after royal garden architect Sckell and dominated by the historic Gärtnerplatztheater.
Haidhausen (French Quarter)
This trendy quarter east of the Isar, nicknamed the "French Quarter" for its streets named after French cities, is known for its well-preserved 19th-century architecture.
Karlsplatz (Stachus)
Munich's busiest square, popularly known as "Stachus", home to the historic Karlstor gate and one of Europe's largest underground shopping passages.
Königsplatz
This neoclassical square, commissioned by King Ludwig I, is framed by the Propyläen gate, the Glyptothek and the Antiquities Collections, all styled after Greek temples.
Marienplatz
Munich's central square, home to the New Town Hall and its famous glockenspiel, which re-enacts the legend of the Schäfflertanz dancers daily at 11am and noon.
Schwabing
Munich's traditional artists' and bohemian quarter around Leopoldstraße, once the meeting point for cabaret performers and intellectuals around 1900.
Theresienwiese & Bavaria Statue
The Oktoberfest grounds since 1810, watched over by the 18-meter Bavaria statue and the neoclassical Hall of Fame.
Alter Hof
This 13th-century castle of the Wittelsbach dynasty, predecessor to the later Residenz, is known for its distinctive "Monkey Tower" and the Münzhof courtyard.
Munich Residenz
The former city palace of Bavaria's rulers ranks among the largest city palace complexes in Germany, with opulent state rooms and the Cuvilliés Theatre.
Nymphenburg Palace
The sprawling summer residence of the Bavarian kings features opulent interiors, an expansive palace park and the famous "Gallery of Beauties".
Viktualienmarkt
Munich's historic food market since 1807, with its maypole, small food stalls and a cozy beer garden right in the heart of the old town.
🏛️ Museum in Bavaria 2026/2027
Alte Pinakothek
One of the oldest picture galleries in the world, showcasing masterpieces by Dürer, Rubens and Raphael as part of Munich's famous Kunstareal museum district.
Bavarian National Museum
One of Europe's most significant museums of art and cultural history, featuring sculpture, porcelain, nativity scenes and Bavarian folk art.
Beer and Oktoberfest Museum
This small museum, in one of the oldest houses in the old town, tells the story of Oktoberfest and Munich's beer-brewing tradition.
BMW World & BMW Museum
The futuristic exhibition center and the distinctive bowl-shaped museum next to BMW's headquarters trace the brand's history back to 1916.
Deutsches Museum
The world's largest museum of science and technology, located on Munich's Museum Island - featuring everything from historic aircraft to a walkable mine gallery.
German Hunting and Fishing Museum
Housed in a former Augustinian church on Neuhauser Straße, this museum displays hunting trophies, historic weapons and fishing tackle.
Glyptothek
Munich's oldest public museum on Königsplatz houses Greek and Roman sculpture, including the famous Aeginetan marbles.
Jewish Museum Munich
Opened in 2007 on St.-Jakobs-Platz, this museum documents Jewish life in Munich from its beginnings to the present day.
Lenbachhaus
The former villa of painter Franz von Lenbach houses the world's largest collection of "Der Blaue Reiter" art, with works by Kandinsky, Klee and Marc.
Munich City Museum
Housed in the old town's former armory, the City Museum tells Munich's history and holds significant collections on photography, film and musical instruments.
Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism
This modern museum building, on the site of the former Nazi party headquarters, documents Munich's role as the "Capital of the Movement".
Munich Toy Museum
Located in the tower of the Old Town Hall right on Marienplatz, this toy museum displays historic toys spanning several centuries.
Museum Brandhorst
Known for its striking colorful striped façade, this museum in the Kunstareal district showcases modern art by Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly and Sigmar Polke.
Museum Fünf Kontinente
One of Germany's oldest ethnological museums displays cultural artifacts from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and the Arab world.
Pinakothek der Moderne
One of the largest museums for modern and contemporary art in Europe, combining painting, graphic design, architecture and design collections under one roof.
State Collection of Antiquities
Opposite the Glyptothek on Königsplatz, this collection showcases world-class Greek vases, gold jewelry and Etruscan art.
State Museum of Egyptian Art
This underground museum, opened in 2013 near Königsplatz, holds one of Germany's most important collections of ancient Egyptian art.
🏛️ Historic Building in Bavaria 2026/2027
Allianz Arena
This 2005 football stadium, home of FC Bayern Munich, is world-famous for its inflatable outer skin that glows in the club's colors.
Alte Münze (Old Mint)
The Renaissance courtyard of the former ducal mint near Max-Joseph-Platz ranks among the most beautiful courtyards in the old town.
Chinese Tower
This wooden pagoda tower in the English Garden, dating to 1790, is the centerpiece of the city's second-largest beer garden, with seating for thousands.
Hofbräuhaus Munich
The world-famous beer hall was founded in 1589 as a royal brewery and remains a Munich institution to this day, complete with brass bands, long wooden tables and liter mugs.
Maximilianeum
This historic building at the eastern end of Maximilianstraße, overlooking the Isar, now serves as the seat of the Bavarian State Parliament.
Müllersches Volksbad
This Art Nouveau indoor swimming hall by the Isar, opened in 1901, is considered one of Europe's most beautiful historic bathhouses and remains in operation today.
National Theatre at Max-Joseph-Platz
Home of the Bavarian State Opera, its temple-like columned façade makes it one of the world's most significant opera houses.
⛪ Church & Cathedral in Bavaria 2026/2027
Allerheiligen-Hofkirche
This Byzantine-Romanesque court church inside the Residenz was built by Leo von Klenze as King Ludwig I's private chapel.
Alter Peter (St. Peter's Church)
The oldest parish church in Munich's old town - its tower, affectionately called "Alter Peter", offers one of the city's finest panoramic views.
Asam Church
A small but extraordinarily lavish Baroque church, built by the Asam brothers in the 18th century as their own private church.
Bürgersaalkirche
This two-level Baroque church on Neuhauser Straße consists of a festive upper hall and a simple lower prayer crypt.
Heiliggeistkirche
This church right by the Viktualienmarkt grew out of a medieval hospital and received a Baroque interior makeover in the 18th century.
Mariahilfplatz & Mariahilf Church
The central square of the Au district, home to the neo-Gothic Mariahilf Church and host of the traditional "Auer Dult" flea market.
Munich Frauenkirche
This Gothic brick cathedral with its distinctive onion domes is Munich's defining landmark, visible far beyond the old town for centuries.
St. Anna im Lehel
Munich's first Rococo church, in the Lehel district, was decorated by the Asam brothers with magnificent frescoes and stucco work.
St. Michael's Church
The largest Renaissance church north of the Alps was built for the Jesuit order and its crypt holds the tomb of King Ludwig II.
Theatine Church
This Italian-style Baroque church, with its distinctive mustard-yellow façade and twin towers, has defined Odeonsplatz since the 17th century.
🌳 Park & Garden in Bavaria 2026/2027
English Garden
One of the largest urban parks in the world - bigger than New York's Central Park - home to the Chinese Tower beer garden and surfers riding the Eisbach wave.
Flaucher
These natural Isar riverbanks south of the city center, with gravel beaches and grilling meadows, are Munich locals' favorite summer escape.
Hellabrunn Zoo
Munich's zoo on the Isar opened in 1911 as one of the world's first "geo-zoos", grouping animals by continent rather than species - home to around 19,000 animals.
Hirschgarten
One of the largest beer gardens in the world, seating around 8,000 guests, sits inside a former royal deer park that is still home to a small herd of deer today.
Hofgarten
This Renaissance-era court garden next to the Residenz, centered on the Temple of Diana pavilion, offers a peaceful break in the heart of the city.
Munich Botanical Garden Nymphenburg
One of the most species-rich botanical gardens in the world, with around 14,000 plant species, right next to Nymphenburg Palace park.
Old Botanical Garden
Munich's first botanical garden, dating to 1814 near the main station, is today a small green park retaining historic garden features.
Westpark
This expansive park was created for the 1983 International Garden Show and features an East Asian garden plus a Thai pavilion.
🔭 Viewpoint in Bavaria 2026/2027
Monopteros
This small Greek-style rotunda on an artificial hill in the English Garden is one of Munich's most popular viewpoints and photo spots.
Olympic Park & Olympic Tower
The site of the 1972 Summer Olympics, famous for its tent-roof architecture, plus the 291-meter Olympic Tower with its observation deck.
🗿 Monument & Statue in Bavaria 2026/2027
Angel of Peace
The golden angel statue high above the Isar commemorates 25 years of peace after the Franco-Prussian War and offers one of the city's finest views.
Feldherrnhalle
This hall of fame on Odeonsplatz, modeled on Florence's Loggia dei Lanzi, honors Bavarian military commanders and is also a historically significant site.
Isartor
One of three surviving medieval city gates of Munich, dating to 1337, now home to a small museum dedicated to Munich comedians Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt.
Sendlinger Tor
The southern of the three surviving medieval city gates marks the start of the busy Sendlinger Straße shopping street leading to Marienplatz.
Siegestor (Victory Gate)
This triumphal arch on Leopoldstraße, modeled on the Arch of Constantine, has carried an inscription dedicated to peace since the Second World War.
🏘️ Square & Old Town in Bavaria 2026/2027
Gärtnerplatz & Gärtnerplatztheater
This circular square in the Glockenbachviertel is named after royal garden architect Sckell and dominated by the historic Gärtnerplatztheater.
Haidhausen (French Quarter)
This trendy quarter east of the Isar, nicknamed the "French Quarter" for its streets named after French cities, is known for its well-preserved 19th-century architecture.
Karlsplatz (Stachus)
Munich's busiest square, popularly known as "Stachus", home to the historic Karlstor gate and one of Europe's largest underground shopping passages.
Königsplatz
This neoclassical square, commissioned by King Ludwig I, is framed by the Propyläen gate, the Glyptothek and the Antiquities Collections, all styled after Greek temples.
Marienplatz
Munich's central square, home to the New Town Hall and its famous glockenspiel, which re-enacts the legend of the Schäfflertanz dancers daily at 11am and noon.
Schwabing
Munich's traditional artists' and bohemian quarter around Leopoldstraße, once the meeting point for cabaret performers and intellectuals around 1900.
Theresienwiese & Bavaria Statue
The Oktoberfest grounds since 1810, watched over by the 18-meter Bavaria statue and the neoclassical Hall of Fame.
🏰 Castle & Palace in Bavaria 2026/2027
Alter Hof
This 13th-century castle of the Wittelsbach dynasty, predecessor to the later Residenz, is known for its distinctive "Monkey Tower" and the Münzhof courtyard.
Munich Residenz
The former city palace of Bavaria's rulers ranks among the largest city palace complexes in Germany, with opulent state rooms and the Cuvilliés Theatre.
Nymphenburg Palace
The sprawling summer residence of the Bavarian kings features opulent interiors, an expansive palace park and the famous "Gallery of Beauties".
🛍️ Market & Shopping in Bavaria 2026/2027
Where to stay in Bavaria, Germany
Compare current hotel prices and find the right place to stay.