Munich is a cosmopolitan city, the Bavarian capital and a place full of history. Munich, or Munchen (“Home of the Monks”), traces its origins to the Benedictine monastery at Tegernsee, which was probably founded in 750 AD. Munich was founded in 115 by Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and of Bavaria near a settlement Munichen that was established in Carolingian times. In 1255 it was chosen as the residence of the Wittelsbach family, the dukes of Bavaria and later became the capital of the dukedom.
Munich has a continental climate, strongly modified by the proximity of the Alps. In general summers are fairly warm and very wet, prone to thunderstorms, while winters are cold with light snowfalls. The Alps cause two unique aberrations in the weather in Munich. South westerly winds crossing the Alps can bring warm conditions, during any season but only on a few days a year, pushing up temperatures markedly even in winter. When north-westerly winds blow from the mountains, however, weather conditions known as Alpenstau occur, most often in spring and summer, which bring unseasonably low temperatures, rain and even snow on odd days.
Compared to other German cities, Munich has the strongest economy and also boasts of the lowest unemployment rate. It is the economic centre of southern Germany and is considered a global city. Munich is also a centre for biotechnology, software and other service industries. Aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines, the space and defence contractor EADS, the injection molding machine manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, the camera and lighting manufacturer Arri, the semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies, as well as many foreign companies have their German or European headquarters in Munich. In the finance sector, Munich is home to Hypo Vereinsbank, Bayerische Landesbank and insurance companies. Munich has earned itself the reputation of being Europe’s publishing capital. It is home to the Suddeutsche Zeitung, one of Germany's largest daily newspapers. It also plays host to Germany's largest public broadcasting network and its largest commercial network. Lufthansa has opened a second hub at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss International Airport, the second-largest airport in Germany, after Frankfurt International Airport.
The city's efficient and integrated public transport system is excellent for getting around beyond the centre; it consists of buses, trams, the U-bahn (subway) and the S-bahn (suburban train). Tickets must be validated on entering stations or on boarding, and are transferable between all forms of transport, and valid for two hours after being stamped as long as one travels in the same direction. Fares are zone based. There are various day passes available as well as the Munchen Welcome Card, which covers all transport within the city and includes discounts to the main attractions. Taxis are safe and convenient, but expensive.
A variegated school system and a plethora of respected training, development and adult education facilities form the bedrock of Munich's educational system. Elementary schools and three streamed secondary school systems provide a broad-based general education that gives vital orientation in today's knowledge society. Specialized establishments such as universities and polytechnics help the region accumulate a pool of in-depth expertise. Eleven internationally recognized universities, polytechnics and other institutes of higher education make Munich Germany's second-largest university city.
Beer has been swilled at this world-famous tavern site in the centre of Munich since it became a royal brewery in 1605. Equally famous is the Bavarian jollity and conviviality, known as 'gemuchtlikheid', which has emanated directly from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich along with the beer which flows freely there each day, served by robust rosy-cheeked young women clad in Bavarian dress in litre-sized beer steins. The cheerful atmosphere that reigns constantly in the establishment's different halls is helped along by the foot-tapping strains of traditional Bavarian 'oom-pah' bands and drinking songs.
Marienplatz is the heart of the city of Munich. In the Middle Ages, the square used to be a market place as well as the place where tournaments and festivities took place. In 1807 Marienplatz's market moved to the nearby Viktualienmarkt, but the square still continued to be the city's focal point.
The Olympiapark in Munich, is an Olympic Park which was constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Found in the area of Munich known as the "Oberwiesenfeld" ("upper meadow-field", the Park continues to serve as a venue for cultural, social, and religious events such as events of worship.
In the northwest of Munich is Nymphenburg, a magnificent Baroque palace (1664-172) set in a beautiful landscaped park with fountains and lakes. Nypenburg was the ancient summer residence of the Prince Electors and the kings of Bavaria. It was built to celebrate the birth of the son for Elector Ferdinand Maria and his consort Henriette Adelaide of Savoy.
The Opera Festival is the most important event on the city’s music calendar, held every summer since 1876 in one of the world’s most beautiful opera houses. Enthusiasts from around the world gather to listen to the renowned Bavarian State Opera, with a programme of about 70 different performances. Two free, open-air performances are also held outside the opera house in the square.
Think Germany and most people think of Oktoberfest - huge steins of beer, singing, platters of sausages, men dressed in Lederhosen and ladies dressed in Dirndls. At the end of September/beginning of October each year all roads in Munich lead to the Theresienwiese, a giant grass meadow about the size of 20 football fields near the centre of the city. The field becomes a beer-drinking city, complete with its own post office, police force and fire department, and most importantly numerous huge tents, erected by the various Bavarian breweries, that serve as massive beer halls.
