Munich

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**Munich**

**Background**
From its founding in 1158 to being Bavaria's capital following the Thirty Years' War to being the capital (and founding city) of Hitler's extremist Nazism, Munich (spelled München in German) is a place of great historical importance, yet a place of tourism nonetheless. Although Munich began as a small city, it has grown in size and, its population of Munich had reached 1.3 million 2006, but had not yet razed. In 1973, Munich hosted the Olympic Games, and in 2006, it participated as a co-host in providing room to build a soccer stadium for the World Cup.

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**Maps**
[|Here is a link to the Munich Rail Lines (it was too big to fit on the wiki)]

[|Here is a link to the streets of Munich (again, it was too big for the wiki)]

[|Click here to see a map of Munich's neighborhoods]



**Geography**
Munich has a standard continental layout, which means that it's mainly flat. It also means that the weather is continental also (i.e. the summers are hot, and the winters are cold). It's located near the southern border of Germany (refer to the map above for an exact location), and it is the largest city in the South. Additionally, it's located about "an hour and half drive from the Swiss Alps". It takes up about 121 square miles (310 square kilometers) in area.

**Climate**
The climate of Munich is extremely similar to that of Illinois (which is most likely due to the similar geography that Munich and Illinois have in common). Because we'll be visiting Munich in the summer, it should be the most discussed here. The summer is very hot and, unlike Illinois, thunderstorms pass over on a regular basis during the evenings. However, they lack the destructive power that would otherwise delay our sight-seeing or our trip in any other way or form.

**Neighborhoods**
The following is a list of the major neighborhoods/quarters that can be found in Munich:
 * Altstadt
 * Haidhausen
 * Lehel
 * Ludwigstrasse
 * Maximilianstrasse
 * Olympiapark
 * Nymphenburg
 * Schwabing
 * Arabellapark
 * Bogenhausen
 * Maxvorstadt
 * Westpark

**Architecture**
Many of Munich’s great buildings were destroyed during the Second World War. However, besides merely reconstructing these historical sites, much effort has also been put into constructing new buildings that are as great marvels and engineering as the old buildings. At the center of Munich lies the Marienplatz, which is a large open square surrounded by buildings such as the Old and New Town Hall and a clocktower known as the Rathaus-Glockenspiele. One of the oldest buildings in the city, the Peterskirche, a church built during the Roman period, pre-dates the founding of Munich as a city in 1158. Much of the cities styles of architecture are often grouped with on different streets. For instance, ludwigstrasse has many buildings with Italian Romanesque styles while Maximilianstrasse contains various neo-Gothic such as the Schauspielhaus and the Museum of Ethnology. Most of Munich’s modern high-rises are in the northern skyline and include modern works of art such as the BMW headquarters.

**Food**
Munich is world famous as the home of Oktoberfest and is one of the major beer brewing capitals in the world. Breweries have resided in Munich for over 3,000 years. All of this amazing beer is used to wash down the finest and heartiest Bavarian food. One of the most iconic Bavarian dishes is Weisswurst, a white sausage made from veal, pork bacon, and some parsley. Tradition mandates that Weisswurst should “never hear noon church bells toll.” This white sausage is normally eaten two per serving with pretzels and mustard.  Other examples of Bavarian food include various dishes of pork and dumplings. Another Bavarian specialty is Obatzda cheese, with a pungent odor and strong flavor. It is often served in beer gardens as a spread for pretzels or rye bread and goes well with wheat beer. 

**Historical Landmarks**
Besides the previously mentioned Marienplatz square and it’s renowned clock tower, there are numerous other places to visit. One of the other most visited parts of Munich is the English Garden, well known for being even larger than Central Park in New York City. The English Gardens have various foreign attractions, such a Japanese teahouse, and also a nudist area. Of course, what is any European city without it’s own extremely large and exquisite church? In this case, the Frauenkirche, which translates to Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady, holds an enormous 20,000 people and has towers that can be climbed to get a better view of Berlin.

As capital of Bayern, Munich is the location for the Residence Palace for the Bavarian monarchs. This lavish palace has now been transformed into a museum that showcases art and furniture from various periods including baroque and the Renaissance.




 * Sources**

For the Political Map of Germany: http://www.library.yale.edu/international/germany_map.gif For a more detailed guide of Munich: http://www.discover-munich.info/munich_guide.php For an even more detailed guide: Rick Steves': Germany & Austria 2006 For information about architecture and geography: http://www.german-architecture.info/GERMANY/G-MUN/MUN.htm For information on types of German food visit: http://www.viator.com/tours/Munich/Bavarian-Beer-and-Food-Evening-Tour-in-Munich/d487-2666BEER For details on the history of Weisswurst: [] Architecture in Munich from: []  Various Historical landmarks and pictures from: []