Munich Hotels

Capital of Bavarian oompah-pah, beer and BMW-riding excess.

The city is a haven for all sorts of culture, with a staggering array of museums, a vibrant arts scene and the infamous revels of Oktoberfest. Bavaria is souvenir-icon Germany at its postcard best, and the fairy-tale Gothic, Biergarten-filled city of Munich is no exception.

The heart of Munich is bisected by the Isar River, flowing northwards from its source 60km (37mi) away in the Bavarian Alps. Most of the city's sights are clustered on the river's left bank. It's a 15-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof to the Altstadt, the historic old centre - just head east through Karlsplatz (aka Stachus) and along the pedestrianised Kaufingerstrasse. It's difficult to get lost if you use the twin onion-domed towers of the Frauenkirche as a landmark. The grand old square Marienplatz lies at the heart of the Altstadt, with the former royal palace to the north. Southwest of the Hauptbahnhof there's the gentrified Westend and the Oktoberfest grounds at Theresienwiese. The university is north of Marienplatz at Schwabing, bordered by the Englischer Garten (English Garden), Europe's largest park. Schloss Nymphenburg is around 7km (4.3mi) northwest of the centre, and Olympiapark is to the north. The area around the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) enjoys a huge selection of accommodation, while the nearby Westend district is stuffed with appealing cafes. There's a major pub and restaurant quarter east of Marienplatz, and plenty of window-shopping along Maximilianstrasse.

Munich's tourist rush is on for one and all between May and September, when the weather is at its finest. The shoulder seasons - April-May, September-October - are great times to visit, with fewer visitors (with the glaring exception of the Oktoberfest crowd) and plenty of sunshine, although visiting between November and March will pretty much give you the place to yourself, along with the below-freezing temperatures and sunless skies.Still, Munich is chock-full of great events and festivals all year round, so if it's not so much fun outside, there's bound to be some visit-worthy event happening inside.