When Germans are polled about where they would most like to live, Munich finds its way consistently at the top of the list. Within easy driving distance of the Alps, and some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, it's not surprising that everyone wants to live here! Add to its benefit the beautiful architecture, especially Baroque and Rococo, green countryside which starts a mere half hour away on the S-Bahn, two of the best universities in Germany, a booming economy with global headquarters of many world-class companies (BMW, Siemens, Allianz, Munich Re, Linde, MAN, etc.), modern infrastructure and the greatest beer culture on the planet; could there be anything wrong with Munich? Yes and no. The Bavarians are very conservative (by European standards). However, Munich itself traditionally has a Social Democratic mayor and is currently governed by a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and the Rosa Liste (a gay rights party). And there's a price to pay for living in a city where everyone else wants to be: Munich is the most expensive city in Germany. But all in all, its advantages make a visit more than worthwhile.
The people of Munich don't want their city to be recognized only as a city connected to beer and the Oktoberfest. In fact, the Bavarian Kings had their share to do with Munich becoming a city of arts and science in the 19th century. Its outstanding position among other German cities may have faded, especially due to Berlin becoming the German capital again in the 1990s, but Munich still remains Germany's number-one place for art, having been the home or birthplace of many famous writers, artists, architects, and musicians, including:
Egid Quirin Asam, François de Cuvilliés, Johann Michael Fischer, Albrecht Dürer, architects Barelli and Zuccalli (credited with bringing the Italian baroque style to Munich, a style that would become omnipresent throughout Bavaria), Leo von Klenze, Franz von Lenbach, Wassily Kandinsky and the artists of the Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) School of Expressionist art.
Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger are famous German writers that lived in Munich until they were driven out of the city by the Nazis because of their religion and/or political attitude.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Munich
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Munich - updated May 2024
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Munich Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
