How to Time Your Trip to Munich

In 1508, Munich became the capital of Bavaria, Germany's affluent southern state just north of the Alps. It has grown tremendously and today is a commercial, industrial and high-tech center, but retains some of its Old World Bavarian charm. It boasts six orchestras and more than 70 theaters.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Travel Clothes
• Foreign Language Phrase Books
• Local Guidebooks To Germany
• Maps
• Airline Tickets
• Travel Services
• Cameras
• Film
• Maps
• Cameras

1. Visit Munich from May through October, if possible. Winters, however, are less severe than in cities with a similar latitude in North America, and skiers have only an hour's drive south to the Alps. The average January temperature is 31 degrees F; in July, the average is 65 degrees F.

2. Check out what festivals, expositions and live performances are happening (see below).

3. Take care of your flight, transportation and accommodations.

4. Check the weather forecast for Munich shortly before leaving, and pack accordingly.

Attractions and Seasonal Events

5. See skiers fly gracefully through the air at the New Year's Day International Ski Jumping competition held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a large ski center south of Munich.

6. Take part in Germany's most famous Mardi Gras celebration. The Carnival season (Fasching) peaks the night before Ash Wednesday.

7. Join nearly seven million visitors in praising the properties of German beer and Bavarian culture at the Oktoberfest. Despite the name, most of the 16-day celebration happens in late September, at Theresienwiese. Reserve a hotel room if you think you'll remember where it is.

8. Explore one of the nicest city parks in the world, the English Garden. This 925-acre masterpiece is the "playground" for Germany's largest university, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat.

9. Cycle this radically bike-friendly city. Join one of the organized Munich bike tours listed in Munich Found.

10. Examine paintings by the European Masters of the 14th to 18th centuries at the Alte Pinakothek. Take U-Bahn line U2 to Konigsplatz.

11. Attain an historical perspective on modern technology at the Deutsche Museum, the largest of its kind in the world. The S-Bahn stop is Isartor. If that isn't enough, visit the BMW museum with high-budget displays and films about the history of the automobile. Take U-Bahn line U3 to Olympiazentrum (Olympic Village).

12. Pay your respects at Dachau, the site of the first concentration camp in Germany during World War II. It's northwest of Munich and accessible via public transportation.