What to do in Upper Bavaria

Marienplatz (Mary's Square) is the pivotal main square of Munich, where pedestrians, street performers and tour groups gather to enjoy the atmosphere or see the city’s sights. Considered the heart of Munich, this square often hosts peace protests or rowdy celebrations when the local soccer team is victorious.

Lovers of the history and function of car design can feed their passions at BMW World. The Bayerische Motoren Werke (“Bavarian Motor Works”) has been committed to the industry of automobiles and motorcycles since 1917. Find the BMW headquarters in the iconic four-cylinder tower, located near Olympia Park in the north of Munich. Just next door, the BMW Plant, the BMW Museum and BMW World offer informative touring experiences. Learn about the history of the brand, see the evolution of its car designs and experience the future vision of BMW.

Olympic Park was constructed in 1972, when Munich hosted to the 20th Summer Olympic Games. The 69,000-seat Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Hall and the Olympic Swimming Pool are all linked together by a sprawling tensile canopy roof. Today, the park is a venue for sporting events of all kinds as well as various forms of entertainment, such as concerts, plays and open-air movie screenings. Situated only 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) northwest of Munich, the park is easily accessible from the city.

A family of discontented royals founded the Hofbräuhaus in 1589. Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V voiced a court-wide dissatisfaction with the quality of local brews and agreed to establish a brewery that would produce refined beer exclusively for Munich’s elites.

The Viktualienmarkt was created in 1807, when King Maximilian I decreed that the food markets of Munich needed to be moved from the Marienplatz to a larger area. The name for the market comes from the old German word Vicktualien, which means “victuals” or “provisions”. The Viktualienmarkt is still the go-to spot for Munich residents to stock up on a wide variety of provisions, both local and exotic.