Munich

The camera is up a tower on the south side of Marienplatz, high enough to be level with the top of the Neues Rathaus opposite - close enough that its clock face and the carved bays of the Glockenspiel read clearly, and you are looking slightly down into the square in front of it, where rows of market stalls with green roofs are packed in. Behind and to the left the Frauenkirche shows as an enormous plain brick nave under a steep red roof with its two domed towers over the top of it. Everything between and around is old-town roofline: red tile in every direction, chimneys, dormers, courtyards, and the occasional green copper spire, running out flat to a grey winter horizon with no high building anywhere to interrupt it. This is a band of a panorama rather than a full sphere - the strip from the rooftops to the sky.

Munich is the capital of the Bavaria region in Germany. This city has a long history that includes many pivotal and interesting events. Today, the city has many attractions for visitors to see and some top events worth experiencing, like the world-famous Oktoberfest here.

Munich’s long history features everything from beer to Mozart. Munich became the capital of Bavaria when it was reunited in 1506. This began a period of flowering in arts, music, and literature with such luminaries as Mozart playing a prominent role. The famous Hofbrauhaus was built in 1589 for the purpose of brewing the city’s trademark brown beer. The Kingdom of Bavaria was established in 1806, and Munich became its capital. It was during the nineteenth century that much of the city’s finest architecture was erected, and Munich began to rival Vienna as a city of beauty and culture.

Oktoberfest Munich’s Oktoberfest is without a doubt the granddaddy of all beer festivals. It is world famous and one of the top world festivals in any category. It is held in Munich during September and October, attracting more than 5 million attendees each year. It was first held in 1810. Today, the Oktoberfest has become a veritable Bacchanalian feast of food (including Bavarian signature foods like sausages, potato pancakes, pretzels, sauerkraut, and red cabbage) and the consumption of Germany’s favorite beverage—beer. About 20 to 25 large beer tents are set up, and each of these can accommodate hundreds to several thousand revelers. Each beer tent has its own character and type of music. You can listen to everything from rock music to traditional “oomp pah” brass bands.

Marienplatz Marienplatz is the center of the city. It is named, not for a person named Marien, but for the Marien column that sits in the center of the large open square. Here you will find both the Old (Alt) and New (Neues) Town Hall (Rathaus), which was built in 1874 and contains 400 rooms. The Neues Rathaus tower boasts a famous and elaborate glockenspiel that performs every day at 11 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. Like the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, just about every visitor to the city will make an effort to be in the square at least once to witness the event. Visitors can ride to the top of the tower by elevator. There are still three medieval gates remaining from the walls and fortifications that once surrounded the city. Other buildings and landmarks around the gracious square include the Palace of Justice with its fountain, the Romanesque St. Peter’s Church, the oldest (1158) church in the city, the baroque Church of the Holy Spirit, and the Viktualienmarkt, the most popular market in the city.