More to Munich than Beer

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When considering heading for Munich, compare car hire deals and pick up a great motor to
suit your purpose before hitting the road for one of Europe’s premier cultural destinations.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, and only half-jokingly referred to as Germany’s secret
capital. It lies almost in the dead centre of Europe and has over the centuries overshadowed
its often very powerful neighbouring cities such as Nuremberg, Augsburg and Ingolstadt. It
is now the main metropolis in the south of Germany and is easily reached on that country’s
excellent autobahns by simply following the signs.

In fact, it’s difficult once on the road to avoid getting sucked in to its wealth of great old
buildings, cosmopolitan atmosphere, vibrant nightlife and brilliant monuments and museums,
not to mention some of the finest beers in the world.

Munich has for centuries been a centre for the arts, and throughout the Baroque and Rococo
periods fantastic masterpieces were created here, the rival of anything coming out of Italy
and France at the time.

A fresh, Neo-Classical style took over during the 19th century and it became known as
Athens on Isar. The Greek and Roman sculptures collected by King Ludwig I that can still
be seen on Konigsplatz and Ludwigstrasse, and in the Glyptothek, bear witness to the
architectural mood of the times which dominated not just Germany but the whole of Europe.
The Munich Academy of Fine Arts was renowned in the 19th century as being one of the
finest art schools in Europe, and the opera houses, theatres and museums to be found
in Munich today take some beating. This is a city so devoted to art in all its forms that the
new visitor can feel overwhelmed at first before settling down to enjoy the experience and
probably also starting to prepare for future visits.

The famous Oktoberfest held each year in Munich is the biggest folk festival in the country.
It’s held on the Theresienwiese and visitors during this hectic period can just sit back and
enjoy the sights and sounds or take an active part in events. Order a full plate of delicious
sausages with sauerkraut and wash it down with fine Bavarian beer.

The shops in Munich are fully as good as any to be found in Milan or Paris, and a stroll along
beautiful old streets lined with luxury boutiques and elegant pavement cafes is a great way
to spend an afternoon here.

Munich is also at the centre of Germany’s media and high-tech industries, so it continues a
long tradition of being a thriving centre for international commerce. Successive burgers of
the city have lavished gifts on it in the form of architectural endowments that have made it
one of the glittering prizes of European culture that we see today.

There are few better destinations for a holiday break by car than the wonderful city of
Munich, and the surrounding area has its own natural and cultural attractions that are readily
accessible by road and clearly signposted.

David Elliott is a freelance writer who loves to travel, especially in Europe and Turkey. He’s
spent most of his adult life in a state of restless excitement but recently decided to settle in
North London. He gets away whenever he can to immerse himself in foreign cultures and lap
up the history of great cities.