München

München

DE
Population1,484,226
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is not a state of its own. It ranks as the 11th-largest city in the European Union. The metropolitan area has around 3 million inhabitants, and the broader Munich Metropolitan Region is home to about 6.2 million people. It is the third largest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union. Munich is located on the river Isar north of the Alps. It is the seat of the Upper Bavarian administrative region. With 4,500 people per km2, Munich is Germany's most densely populated municipality. It is also the second-largest city in the Bavarian dialect area after Vienna. The first record of Munich dates to 1158. The city has played an important role in Bavarian and German history. During the Reformation, it remained a Catholic stronghold. Munich became the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806 and developed as a centre for arts, architecture, culture, and science. The House of Wittelsbach ruled until 1918, when the German revolution of 1918–1919 ended their reign and saw the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic. In the 1920s, Munich became a centre of political movements, including the rise of the Nazi Party. The city was known as the "Capital of the Movement". During World War II, Munich was heavily bombed, but much of its historic architecture has since been restored. After the war, the city's population and economy grew rapidly. Munich hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics. Munich is a major centre for science, technology, finance, innovation, business, and tourism. It has a high standard of living, ranking first in Germany and third worldwide in the 2018 Mercer survey. It was named the world's most liveable city by Monocle's Quality of Life Survey 2018. Munich is among the most expensive German cities for real estate and rents. In 2023, 30.1 percent of residents were foreigners, and 19.4 percent were German citizens with a migration background from abroad. Munich's economy is based on high tech, automobiles, the service sector, information technology, biotechnology, engineering, and electronics. Multinational companies such as BMW, Siemens, Allianz SE, and Munich Re are headquartered there. The city has two research universities and many scientific institutions. Munich is known for its architecture, cultural venues, sports events, exhibitions, and the annual Oktoberfest, the world's largest Volksfest.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in München

Müllersches Volksbad

Müllersches Volksbad

Archäologische Staatssammlung

Archäologische Staatssammlung

The Bavarian State Archaeological Collection (German: Archäologische Staatssammlung, until 2000 known as the Prähistorische Staatssammlung, State Prehistoric Collection) in Munich …

Staatliche Antikensammlung

Staatliche Antikensammlung

The Staatliche Antikensammlungen (German: [ˈʃtaːtlɪçə anˈtiːkənˌzamlʊŋən], State Collections of Antiquities) is a museum in Munich's Kunstareal holding Bavaria's collections of …

Neues Rathaus

Neues Rathaus

The New Town Hall (German: Neues Rathaus) is a town hall that forms the northern part of Marienplatz in Munich, …

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst]; locally d'Wiesn) is the world's largest Volksfest (German for “folk festival”). It combines a beer festival …

Alte Utting

Alte Utting

The Alte Utting is a bar, nightclub and music venue in Munich. The decommissioned, land-bound passenger ship is placed on …

Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum

Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum

Ruhmeshalle

Ruhmeshalle

The Ruhmeshalle (German pronunciation: [ˈʁuːməsˌhalə], lit. 'Hall of Fame') is a Doric colonnade with a main range and two wings, …

NS-Dokumentationszentrum München

NS-Dokumentationszentrum München

The NS-Dokumentationszentrum (NSDOKU) is a museum in the Maxvorstadt area of Munich, Germany, which focuses on the history and consequences …

Monopteros

Monopteros

Propyläen

Propyläen

The Propylaea (German: Propyläen) is a city gate in Munich at the west side of Königsplatz.

Oide Wiesn

Oide Wiesn

Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst]; locally d'Wiesn) is the world's largest Volksfest (German for “folk festival”). It combines a beer festival …

Frauenkirche

Frauenkirche

The Frauenkirche (Full name: German: Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau, Bavarian: Dom zu Unsra Liabm Frau, lit. 'Cathedral of Our …

Olympiaturm

Olympiaturm

The Olympic Tower (German: Olympiaturm) in the Olympic Park, Munich has an overall height of 291 m (955 ft) and …

Haus der Kunst

Haus der Kunst

The Haus der Kunst (German: [ˈhaʊs deːɐ̯ ˈkʊnst], House of Art) is a museum for modern and contemporary art in …

Dianatempel

Dianatempel

The Diana Temple in the Munich Hofgarten, the garden of the Munich Residenz, is a twelve-sided gazebo from the Renaissance …

Ost-West-Friedenskirche

Ost-West-Friedenskirche

The East-West Peace Church (German: Ost-West-Friedenskirche), also known as the Church of Father Timofej (German: Kirche von Väterchen Timofej), was …

Japanisches Teehaus Kanshoan

Japanisches Teehaus Kanshoan

Bayerische Staatskanzlei

Bayerische Staatskanzlei

Bayerische Staatskanzlei (Bavarian State Chancellery) is the name of a state agency of the German Free State of Bavaria and …

Haidhausen Museum

Haidhausen Museum

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