Welcome to the capital and largest city of exciting Bavaria!
Regardless of whether you’re relocating to München temporarily or you’re moving there for a long period, or even permanently, consider yourself very fortunate and prepare to be genuinely amazed by what the city has to offer.
In this Munich Moving Guide, we’ll take you on a pleasant and informative walk around the Bavarian capital.
Munich is located north of the Bavarian Alps, right on the River Isar. Its 1.46 million inhabitants living within the city limits make it the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg.
Economy
BMW Headquarters in Munich, Germany
Munich is one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in the country. It is the thriving economic center of southern Germany, driven by the information technology, biotechnology, and publishing sectors. The public transportation system is quick and reliable, with excellent international, national and local connections. The headquarters of many global German and foreign corporations are located in the city, such as Siemens AG, BMW, MAN AG, Allianz, OSRAM, McDonalds’, Microsoft and many others.
Munichers enjoy high purchasing power, low unemployment rate (5.6%), low crime rate (compared to other large German cities) and low environmental pollution. The high quality of life and safety are the reason why the city is nicknamed “Toytown” among English-speaking residents (Germans, on the other hand, call it “Millionendorf” (“village of a million people”)). It is not wonder then that Munchen has become the top-ranked destination for migration and expatriate location in all of Deutschland.
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Munich presents a compelling mix of reconstructed historic buildings and new state-of-the-art landmarks of modern architecture. Also, its numerous parks make it an exceptionally green city.
Marienplatz (Mary’s Square)
Marienplatz has been Munich’s main square since 1158.
This large open square, named after a Marian column erected in its center, is situated in the very heart of Munich where various markets and tournaments were held in the Middle Ages. Today the square is distinguished by the grand and imposing New City Hall on the north side and the gothic Old City Hall on the east side.
The Glockenspiel in the tower of the New City Hall was inspired by those medieval tournaments and attracts millions of tourists each year. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures and reenacts stories from the 16th century every summer day at 12 pm and 5 pm.
Peterskirche (St. Peter’s Church)
Situated close to Marienplatz, this Roman Catholic church is the oldest one in the district. It was an early monastic settlement before Munich was officially founded in 1158. Its interior is dominated by a high alter with a figure of Saint Peter.
Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)
The symbolic cathedral Frauenkirche can hold approximately 20 000 people.
This cathedral church is probably the most famous building in the city center and is considered a symbol of the capital city of Bavaria. The church towers are clearly visible from anywhere due to local laws that prohibit the construction of buildings in the central zone with a height that exceeds the one of the two church towers (99 meters). The south tower is open for visitors and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of Munich and the Alps nearby.
Münchner Residenz (Munich Residence)
Located in the city center, The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany. The first buildings on the site were erected in 1385 and today this former royal palace of the Bavarian Monarchs is open for visitors from all around the world and is renowned for its architecture, room decorations and displays of royal collections. The complex of buildings contains ten courtyards, has 130 rooms and ranks among Europe’s most significant museums of interior decoration.
Nationaltheater München (National Theater Munich)
The earliest date Munich was mentioned in a document was 1158, which is assumed to be its foundation date. The city’s name Munchen is derived from the term ad Munichen which means “by the monks’ place”. There used to be a monastery at the place that later became the Old Town.
Located next to the Residenz palace complex, this neo-classical opera house is the home of the Bavarian State Opera and the Bavarian State Ballet. The National Theater has seen countless significant productions (including many operas from leading German composers) and many world premieres.
Deutsches Museum (German Museum)
With about 28 000 exhibited objects and around 1.5 million visitors per year, the Deutsches Museum (founded in 1903) is the world’s largest museum of science and technology is the largest one in Munich. The main site is located on a small island in the Isar River.
Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum)
The Bavarian National Museum is one of the most important museums of decorative arts in Europe. It was founded in 1855 by King Maximilian II of Bavaria. Housed under a total area of 13 000 square meters, the museum’s large inventory is divided into two main groups: the historical art collection and the folklore collection.
Englischer Garten (English Garden)
With an area of 3.7 sq km (1.4 sq mi), the Englischer Garten is one of the world’s largest urban public parks, larger than Central Park in New York City.
The Englischer Garten is a large public park that stretches from the central zone to the northeastern city limits. It was created in 1789 by the American-born British physicist and inventor Sir Benjamin Thompson.
Its main attractions include:
Japanese teahouse and Japanese garden – the teahouse was a gift from the head of the Urasenke tea school in Kyoto and the garden created in April 1972 to celebrate the Summer Olympics of that year;
Schönfeld meadow – nude sunbathing has been permitted there since the 1960s;
Monopteros – a 16-meter Greek-style stone temple on the place of a nearby wooden Apollo temple;
Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) – a 25-meter 5-storey wooden structure modeled on the Great Pagoda in the Royal Botanic Gardens in London.
Kleinhesseloher See (Kleinhesseloher Lake) – an artificial lake created around 1800 with a surface area of 86 410 square meters, now a favorite stop for walkers in the Englischer Garten.
The Olympiapark
The elephant house at HellaBrunn Zoo was built in 1914.
On Olympic Park constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Today the park is used as a venue for cultural, social and religious events.
Tierpark Hellabrunn (HellaBrunn Zoo)
HellaBrunn Zoo is a 36-hectare zoological garden situated on the right bank of the Isar River which was opened on 1 August, 1911. With its 19 811 animals of 757 different species, it was ranked 4th best zoo in Europe in 2013.
Oktoberfest
One of Munich’s most famous attractions, Oktoberfest in the world’s largest fair held annually in Munich. It is a 16-day festival starts end of September and finishes on first Sunday in October with more than 6 million people from every corner of the world attending its beer tents (Bierzelte) and fairground attractions every year. The festival is held in an area named the Theresienwiese and this is why locals often call it Wiesn. Incredibly large quantities (7 million liters in 2007) of Oktoberfest Beer (beers served at the festival and supplied by six breweries) are consumed and visitors enjoy a wide variety of amusements rides, games and traditional food.
The first Oktoberfest was held on 12 October, 1810 in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Even More About Munich
Circus Krone with its own building in Munich.
Founded in 1905 in Munich, Circus Krone is one of the largest circuses in Europe and the first one in Western Europe to occupy a building of its own.
Weisswurst (white sausage) is a Munich speciality made from very finely minced veal and fresh pork back bacon, and flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger and cardamom. Weisswurst is highly perishable and is traditionally manufactured early in the morning and eaten as a snack between breakfast and lunch. It is said that white sausages should not be allowed to hear the church bells’ noon chime.
Local beers: Munich is famous for its breweries and especially the Weissbier (wheat beer). Local beers worth mentioning are Helles, Pils, Munich Dark Beer and Starkbier. There are around 20 major beer gardens in the city, as four of the most famous ones are located in the Englischer Garten.
Moving to Munich
Moving to Munich is a unique opportunity see, taste and experience things that usually come around once in a lifetime. Also, it is a great chance to meet and speak with open and hospitable Munich residents and merge into the rich Bavarian culture.
When searching for professional European movers for your relocation, visit our German site for more information on trustworthy movers in the area. Also browse for international movers that perform moves to Germany.
Since 2006, the city’s motto has been “München mag dich” (“Munich loves you”). Spend some time in this remarkable city and it won’t be long until you fall in love with it and come up with your own motto – “Ich liebe München” (“I love Munich”).
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