Munich & Alpine Region

The Bavarian capital — a mix of a global city and a village, a tech hub and traditional costume wearers.

• Marienplatz — central square with the New Town Hall and the daily Glockenspiel (11, 12, and 5 PM)
• Frauenkirche — landmark with onion domes
• Viktualienmarkt — food market since 1807
• Residenz — city palace of the Wittelsbachs, one of the largest city palace complexes in Europe
• Englischer Garten — larger than Central Park at 3.7 km²; Eisbach surfing wave, Chinese Tower, beer gardens
• Nymphenburg Palace with park
• Olympic Park & BMW Welt — modern icons
• Pinakotheken — Alte, Neue, and Moderne Pinakothek form one of the largest museum ensembles in Europe
• Deutsches Museum — the world's largest technology museum
• Hofbräuhaus, Augustiner-Keller — beer culture for centuries

Oktoberfest (mid-September to early October): the world's largest folk festival, about 6 million visitors.

The Bavarian royal castles in the southwest are world-class destinations:

• Neuschwanstein Castle — inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle; opened unfinished in 1886; Germany's most visited castle. Mandatory: reserve tickets online in advance
• Hohenschwangau Castle — childhood castle of Ludwig II, directly opposite Neuschwanstein
• Linderhof Palace — the only palace completed during Ludwig II's lifetime
• Herrenchiemsee Palace — replica of Versailles on an island in Chiemsee
• Wieskirche (UNESCO) — Rococo pilgrimage church in Wies/Steingaden

The Allgäu and the Werdenfelser Land around Garmisch-Partenkirchen are classic hiking and skiing regions with the Zugspitze (2,962 m) as Germany's highest mountain.

• Berchtesgaden National Park with Watzmann, Königssee (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve)
• Kehlsteinhaus at 1,834 m near Berchtesgaden
• Chiemsee — "Bavarian Sea," Herrenchiemsee Island and Fraueninsel
• Tegernsee, Starnberger See — classic excursion destinations
• Mittenwald, Oberammergau (Passion Plays every 10 years) — fresco villages with Tyrolean character

The northern part of Bavaria — Franconia — has its own identity, its own beer (the highest brewery density in the world), and its own cuisine.

• Nuremberg — Dürer House, Imperial Castle, German National Museum, Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Documentation Center), world-famous Nuremberg sausages, Christkindlesmarkt
• Bamberg (UNESCO) — one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, 10 breweries, smoked beer
• Würzburg — Residence (UNESCO), Marienberg Fortress, Main wine region
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber — extremely popular with tourists from Asia and the USA, perfectly preserved medieval old town
• Romantic Road — themed route from Würzburg to Füssen