Munich

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, on the Isar River in southern Germany north of the Alps. Its name comes from the monks, Mönche in German, and a small monk known as the Münchner Kindl still appears on its coat of arms. The Oktoberfest on the Theresienwiese began with the celebrations of a royal wedding in 1810.

Henry the Lion founded the town in 1158 at a bridge over the Isar where salt was traded. The Wittelsbach family made it their residence from the 13th century and ruled Bavaria from it until the end of the monarchy in the 20th century. It became the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria in the early 19th century, and Ludwig I lined new avenues with buildings in classical and Italian styles. After the Second World War the old center was rebuilt along its earlier streets. The city held the Summer Olympic Games in the 1970s, when the tent-like roofs of its Olympic Park were built.

BMW builds cars at its main plant beside its headquarters, a tower shaped like four cylinders of an engine. Siemens makes high-speed trains and factory automation systems and has its headquarters in the city. MAN Truck & Bus builds trucks and buses at its plant in the north of Munich.

Marienplatz, the central square, is overlooked by the New Town Hall, where the figures of the Glockenspiel dance and joust each day. The Englischer Garten, laid out in the late 18th century, is a public park where surfers ride a standing wave on the Eisbach stream. The Deutsches Museum on an island in the Isar shows science and technology from early aircraft to a coal mine rebuilt underground. The Olympic Park keeps its tent roofs, stadium and tower as a park for concerts and sport.