"Munich" a Munich Travel Page by 15ilikestuff

Munich is the capital of Bavaria and was voted by the Germans as the city they'd most want to live in. Indeed, it is one of the pretiest, and most layed back cities in the world with a nice and compact old town (though a lot of what you see isn't actually that old). In fact, even outside the old town you'll find great architecture and that overall Munich "easy going" feel. The best way to get around is by foot or bike (it seems like everyone here is on a bike). If you like bike tours, contact Mike's Bikes (a Munich institution). Tours are lighthearted and take you across the city, and as a whole, is popular with the college crowd. What impressed me most about Munich was the clenliness. There is virtually no trash in the street or graffti on the walls. In addition, despite the thousands of people who visit this city each year, it didn't feel overcrowded (even in peak tourist season in the heart of the old town). Munich offers something for everyone: museums, parks, side trips, shopping, impressive monuments and best of all (for many) beer gardens. Also, I should mention that Munich has excellent food. You can spend a whole week here, but if your doing a grand tour of Germany, try to stay here 2 days. Here's my suggested itinerary:

Day 1: Take a walking tour of the old town. You'll want to see the marienplatz, containing both the old and new rathaus (town halls). The Viktualienmarkt is right off the square and a great spot for lunch.
Keep your map handy and continue down Kaufinger past shops, street performers and the Fraunkirche church. Once your reach the end make your way to the Odeonsplatz then to Residenzstrasse, past the palace and National theater. Finally, walk down Maximillenstrasse (street with upperclass stores). This entire walk (assuming you do not go into anything) should only take 3-4 hours. Along the way you can visit the Residenz (if you're sick of palaces skip to the seperate treasury) or go outside the city to see Schloss Nymphenburg.

Day 2: See a museum or two, any of the three pinoteks will do (each focuses on a different time period of art). Head to the English Garten, where there are beer gardens for lunch. Afterwords explore the isator or visit another museum that fits your specific taste.

This schedule has some of the highlights but for some it may be to tense, so do as the Muncheners do, explore at your own pace and take it easy! No matter what, you'll enjoy the nicest city in Germany.