Museums—Old master paintings at the Alte Pinakothek; the Goyas, Van Goghs and other impressionist works at the Neue Pinakothek; 20th-century art and design at the Pinakothek der Moderne; paintings from the Blaue Reiter movement at the Lenbachhaus; blockbuster exhibits at the Haus der Kunst; Greek and Roman sculptures in the Glyptothek.

Memorable Meals—Excellent lattes and innovative cuisine at Dukatz im Literaturhaus; sauerkraut ravioli or roast leg of kid (young goat) at Glockenbach; down-home schweinsbraten, blaukraut and knodel at Weisses Brauhaus; international cuisine and tasteful ambience at Lenbach.

Late Night—Live jazz at Jazzclub Unterfahrt im Einstein; funk music at Nightclub Bayerischer Hof; beautiful people and chic surroundings at Nachtcafe; late-night pastries and coffee at Schmalznudel.

Walks and Recreation—Strolling along Schwabing's Leopoldstrasse or in the gardens of Nymphenburg Palace; bicycling, jogging or walking through the Englischer Garten; window-shopping in the Old Town pedestrian zone or on gilt-edged Maximilianstrasse; ice-skating at the outdoor track in Ostpark and, at Christmastime, at the outdoor rink at Stachus.

Especially for Kids—Tierpark Hellabrunn; the Bavaria Filmstadt tour; the Deutsches Museum's interactive exhibits; the puppet shows at the Munchner Stadtmuseum; children's classics at the Muenchener Theater fuer Kinder; the Circus Krone; winter outdoor swimming in the heated lazy river at the Nordbad.

Four massive city gates provide the general boundaries of Munich's innenstadt, or inner city. Two of the gates, Sendlinger Tor to the southwest and Isartor to the east, were once part of the medieval town wall. Karlstor, which today marks the west entrance to the Old Town, was part of Munich's second ring of medieval fortifications. (The Hauptbahnhof—the main train station—is a few blocks west of Karlstor.) A bit farther to the north of the Old Town is the 19th-century Siegestor (Victory Gate). At the heart of the innenstadt is Munich's central square, Marienplatz, site of the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) and the ever-popular glockenspiel in its tower. Many of Munich's landmarks—Frauenkirche, the twin-onion-domed medieval cathedral; the Residenz, former Renaissance palace of the Wittelsbachs; the world-renowned Hofbrauhaus beer hall; and the city's popular open-air food market, the Viktualienmarkt—are within walking distance.

A lively pedestrian area runs from Marienplatz westward toward Karlsplatz (also called Stachus). Odeonsplatz, a short walk north of Marienplatz, marks the beginning of the boulevard Ludwigstrasse, which turns into Leopoldstrasse north of the Siegestor. This is also the beginning of Schwabing, an artsy student quarter. Two other popular districts, Haidhausen and Bogenhausen, lie on the east bank of the Isar. The Gartnerplatz and Glockenbachviertel, south of Viktualienmarkt, have also developed into a trendy area of Munich.

Beginning in 1727, Duke Maximilian III Joseph began shaping the Munich we know today. He founded the city's academy of science and built the Cuvillies Theater and the Nymphenburg Porcelain Factory. In 1806, Munich became the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, and its rulers set about leaving their mark on the city. In the first half of the 1800s, King Ludwig I commissioned the Glyptothek and the Alte Pinakothek, in which the Wittelsbachs' important artworks were displayed. Nymphenburg Palace was also expanded on his orders. The eccentric King Ludwig II, a professed "Munich hater," spent his time building outlandish castles outside of the city, among them Neuschwanstein. His life and mysterious death in 1888 remain a popular part of Munich folklore.

In the early 20th century, Munich saw the potent beginnings of National Socialism. Adolf Hitler's failed beer-hall putsch ended in bloodshed at the Feldherrnhalle south of Odeonsplatz in 1923. However, by 1933, the Nazi party was in full command, and the concentration camp in nearby Dachau went into operation. In 1935, Hitler named Munich "Die Hauptstadt der Bewegung" (Capital of the Movement). He ordered the building of the Haus der Kunst, which opened in 1937 with the exhibit Degenerate Art, aimed at skewering the works of 'un-German' artists. In 1938, the infamous Munich Treaty (an Allied attempt to appease Nazi aggression) was signed there. By the end of World War II, much of Munich was destroyed.

Reconstruction and restoration of the city took place over the following decades. The 1972 summer Olympic Games, which were held in Munich, were supposed to be a celebration of the city's rebirth. However, when 11 members of the Israeli team were murdered by Palestinian terrorists, the host city again found itself associated with tragedy. The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of Munich as an international center for technology, media and insurance. Today, the city attracts a large number of high-tech companies and serves as the center for Germany's fashion, art and cinema industries. Munich is also one of Germany's most popular tourist destinations, and every year in late September, the Oktoberfest attracts about 6 million visitors.

Spring arrives three weeks earlier in Munich's city center than in the northern suburbs. Just watch the blooming trees. In fall, downtown may be warm and sunny while cold fog clouds the suburbs.

About 23% of Munich's population is made up of foreigners. Only about 35% of people living in Munich were actually born there.

The quality of a Munich mayor is measured by the strokes he needs to tap the first barrel of beer at the Oktoberfest.

The Englischer Garten has a very public section for nude sunbathing.

Munich has about 150,000 beer-garden seats.

The 12,000 staff members of the Oktoberfest work crew bring revelers about 2,340,000 gal/9,000,000 L of beer each year—an amount equal to Iran's annual gasoline imports.