Things to do in  Munich

Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is home to many of the country's most quintessentially German traditions—every September, the famed Oktoberfest comes to the city. But the festivals, lederhosen, and beer halls are only a small part of the city and region’s story. Munich’s architecture shines in palaces such as the Nymphenburg and castles like Residenz, and there are plenty of similarly intriguing buildings scattered across Munich. On Marienplatz, the city’s central square, old and new town halls compete for attention. The Church of St. Peter (Peterskirche), a Romanesque structure, was built even before the city's foundation in 1158. Get a sense for the city’s layout, top attractions, and historical context on a guided tour, with everything from walking to biking to Segway to hop-on hop-off bus tours available. Visitors can also enjoy the English Garden, an enormous park with “urban naked zones” (yes, expect some voyeurs in the buff) and a lakeside beer garden. Of course, you'll also probably want to explore Bavaria's offerings outside of Munich. Sightseeing tours to the royal castles of Neuschwanstein—inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle—and Linderhof are especially popular, and guides provide historical tidbits you might not otherwise hear. Half-day trips to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial take visitors to the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany, and can be combined with a Munich Third Reich tour. Just across the border in Austria, the delights of Mozart's native Salzburg await.