Munich Travel Guide: About Munich

Munich - meaning "monks" - was founded in 1158 which is the earliest date it was mentioned in an official document.

17 years later, in 1175, it received the city status and fortifications were built. Now, it is the capital of Bavaria and the third largest city of Germany with a population of more than 2.4 million people.

The colours of Munich are black and golden; the coat of arms shows a monk, which is the "Wahrzeichen" (landmark) of Munich, the "Münchner Kindl".

Due to its location and flourishing economy, Munich is one of the most wealthy and prosperous German cities. Many huge companies have their headquarters here, and many publishing houses are located in Munich.

Although Munich is located in Southern Bavaria, the Munich people are not typically Bavarian. For example, the dialect varies from the Bavarian dialect. To a stranger, people might appear quite snooty in some areas, e.g. in Schwabing or Bogenhausen, which is one of the richest parts of Munich.

As you will probably realize immediately when you walk along, Munich is a very clean city. In addition, it is very safe with the lowest crime rate of all the cities of Germany.

As Munich is a very prosperous and wealthy city, it is unfortunately quite expensive as well. Therefore you either have to take a sufficient amount of money with you or you have to budget carefully and keep track of spending.