Munich & Bavaria Travel Adventures

By Henrik Bekker

Bavaria is by far the most popular destination in Germany for both international and domestic tourists. This is no real surprise since it includes such a wide range of attractions, from historical sights to natural beauty, high culture, relaxation in worl

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Mar 15, 2008
• ISBN: 9781588436436

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Munich & Bavaria

Henrik Bekker

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC.

www.hunterpublishing.com

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© 2011 Hunter Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Introduction

History

Culture

Geography

Climate

Government

The Economy

Top Attractions

Travel Information

Fast Facts

Orientation

When to Go

Customs & Immigration

Getting Here

Getting Around

Embassies & Consulates

Money

Food & Drink

Electricity

Media

Medical

Restrooms

Shopping

Telephones

Mail

Dates & Time

Costs

Holidays

Public Holidays

Festivals & Major Events

Adventures

Special Interest

Information Sources

Language

A Few Useful Words

Munich

Information Sources

Getting Around

Sightseeing

Cultural Events

Festivals

Shopping

Adventures

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Fünfseenland (Five Lakes Country)

Zugspitz Region

Upper Bavaria South of Munich

Kochelsee

Tegernsee-Schliersee-Wendelstein

Eastern Upper Bavaria

The Inn Valley

Chiemsee

Berchtesgadener Land

Bad Reichenhall

Berchtesgaden Town

Obersalzberg

Königssee

Ramsau

Ostbayern (Eastern Bavaria)

Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria)

Landshut

Danube Valley

Ingolstadt

Kelheim

Regensburg

Straubing

Deggendorf

Passau

Franken & Nürnberg

History

Getting Around

Nürnberg (Nuremberg)

Oberfranken/Upper Franconia

Bamberg

Coburger Land

Coburg

Frankenwald

Kronach

Kulmbach

Bayreuth

Unterfranken/Lower Franconia

Würzburg

Fränkische Weinland (Franconian Wine Land)

Sommerhausen

Ochsenfurt

Tückelhausen

Frickenhausen

Marktbreit

Kitzingen

Etwashausen

Sulzfeld

Iphofen

Mönchsondheim

Mainbernheim

Dettelbach

Volkach

Gaibach

Schweinfurt

Mittelfranken

Romantische Straße (Romantic Road)

Rothenburg to Dinkelsbühl

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

South of Rothenburg

Allgäu & Bayerisch-Schwaben (Bavarian Swabia)

Southern Romantic Road

Ries-Danube Region

Augsburg

Landsberg am Lech

Pfaffenwinkel

Schwangau & Füssen

Allgäu

Suggested Reading

Introduction

Bavaria is by far the most popular destination in Germany for both international and domestic tourists. This is no real surprise as the state seamlessly integrates such a wide range of attractions, from historical sights to beautiful nature, high culture to the most popular international artists, relaxation in world-class spas to active hiking, cycling, mountain climbing, and skiing.

Bavaria has an interesting and complex history, which left it with numerous castles, palaces, monasteries, churches, and historical towns. Its rivers, traditionally creators of wealth through trade and transportation, offer great opportunities for watersports as well as easy cycling and hiking routes. The Alps are famous for winter sports while several other, mostly forested mountain ranges are scattered through Bavaria.

Bavarians are generally somewhat conservative and preserve their traditions. Traditional dress (Trachten) is worn at numerous local festivals while lederhosen are still often worn in rural areas as practical daily clothing. Bavarians are proud to be Bavarian and the blue-and-white Bavarian standard is proudly displayed.

Bavaria is a very easy region to travel in. Public transportation and tourism facilities are generally excellent. Most persons in the tourism industry speak good English and Bavarians in general speak English well. Prices for accommodation, food, and entry fees are often surprisingly low.

This guide starts with the capital, Munich, moves south to Upper Bavaria and then counter-clockwise through Eastern Bavaria and the three Franconia regions, before concluding with the Allgäu and Bavarian-Swabia in southwestern Bavaria.

Munich

Munich (München) is the state capital and the premier destination. Despite World War II damage, it has numerous historical buildings. A true highlight is the astonishing range of excellent museums, ranging from fine arts to technology. Munich has pleasant beer gardens and beer halls as well as numerous restaurants – from international fast-food chains to haute cuisine. It has a wide range of cultural offering. About 3,000 Oktoberfests are held annually around the world but only Munich has the real one. In Bavaria, all roads (and railways) lead to Munich, making it an excellent base from which to explore the rest of the state – many sights can easily be explored on a daytrip from the capital.

Altes Rathaus

Oberbayern

Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria) is for many the essence of Bavaria. Lakes, rivers, meadows, and green rolling hills make up most of the region, with the Alps an ever-present feature on the horizon. The region includes famous Alpine resorts such as Berchtesgaden, Reit im Winkl, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, as well as the Chiemsee and Starnberger See, Bavaria’s most famous lakes. Architectural highlights include monasteries (Ettal, Andechs, Benediktbeuren), marvelous churches (Wieskirche, Rott am Inn, Schäftlarn), and opulent palaces (Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof). A new attraction is Marktl, where Pope Benedict XVI was born.

Ostbayern

Ostbayern (East Bavaria) is often overlooked by foreign tourists. The Danube is the main geographical feature and, not surprisingly, major historical towns are found on its banks. Foremost are Regensburg with its medieval core and the mostly Baroque Passau – both cities escaped the Second World War undamaged. Regensburg has the largest Gothic cathedral in Bavaria, while Passau has the largest Baroque one in Germany and the largest pipe organ in the world.

Franken & Nürnberg

Franken (Franconia) covers the northern half of Bavaria, although there has not been a united Franken region for around a millennium. It is an area rich in history and beautiful nature part of Bavaria since the early 19th century. This guide divides the region according to the three administrative regions plus Nürnberg, rather than the official 15 tourism regions.

Kaiserburg in Nürnberg

Franken does not have a capital and Bavaria’s second-largest city, Nürnberg (Nuremberg) has no special administrative status. However, it is a tourism giant with very interesting sights. Most of its historical core was extensively damaged in air raids in 1945 but many buildings have been restored, including several churches and the strong Kaisersburg castle. The German National Museum here has the largest collection of German cultural and art objects in the world bar none. Also very interesting is the area where the Nazis held their annual rallies.

Oberfranken

Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) is rich in culture and natural beauty. Bamberg has a marvelous historical core that is on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. Coburg, with its strong links to the British monarchy, joined Bavaria only in 1920. It has a mighty castle, as do the nearby towns Kronach and Kulmbach. Bayreuth is most famous as the seat of the annual Wagner Festival but also has impressive Rococo palaces.

Unterfranken

Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) is Bavaria’s principle wine-producing region, especially on the banks of the ever-meandering Main River. Most of the region was traditionally ruled by the bishop of Würzburg and has numerous Renaissance Rathäuser (Town Halls) and Baroque churches. Despite severe bomb damage in 1945, Würzburg, the largest town in the region, is well worth a visit to see the amazing Baroque Residence and sculptures by Tillman Riemenschneider.

Mittelfranken

Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) has some of the most romantic sights in Germany. The Romantic Road holiday route passes through this area with the most famous walled-in medieval town in Germany, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, overrun by tourists but still absolutely worth a visit.

The Allgäu & Bayerisch-Schwaben

The Allgäu and Bayerisch-Schwaben (Bavarian Swabia) are at the southwestern corner of Bavaria and like Franconia only became part of Bavaria following the Napoleonic era. The southern half of the Romantic Road passes through the area. Major sights include Augsburg and the fairy-tale castle Schloss Neuschwanstein. Ottobeuren is one of the largest and artistically most accomplished Baroque monasteries in Germany.

History

Like most German states, Bavaria has a colorful and complex history, which in no manner is simplified by being the oldest German political entity still in existence. Bavaria has been a political entity from around 555 and that is the only simple fact of Bavarian history. The rulers, the people, and the borders frequently changed as dynasties split or reunited and wars added or lost land.

Bavaria received its present borders only after the World War II, although it has been mostly in its present form since the end of the Napoleonic era. Although Bavaria at times incorporated much of Austria and even Northern Italy, before the early 19th century, it mostly consisted of the areas now known as Upper and East Bavaria.

It is, of course, impossible to isolate the history of Bavaria from that of Germany in general. But Bavaria, despite its present size, generally failed throughout history to take a leading role in German politics.

German history is complex and somewhat confusing. Use this chart to keep important events in context.

100 BC-AD 400: Romans occupy parts of Germany, mostly west of the Rhine and south of the Danube.

555-778: Agilolfinger dynasty rules Bavaria.

800: Charlemagne is crowned Roman Emperor.

9th to 12th centuries: Romanesque (Romanik) architecture.

962: Otto II is crowned German Roman Emperor. (The entity later known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation lasted until 1806.)

1180: Otto von Wittelsbach becomes duke of Bavaria. The Wittelsbachs rule Bavaria until 1918.

1255: Bavaria is split into two duchies. Several further divisions followed.

1329: Wittelsbach family splits into Bavarian and Palatinate lines.

13th to 16th centuries: Gothic (Gotik) architecture. The oldest surviving half-timbered (Fachwerk) houses are from this period, although many of these medieval buildings actually date from the 16th to 18th centuries and even later.)

1506: Bavarian duchies reunite and the rule of primogeniture is decreed.

1516: Beer Purity Law is decreed.

1518: Martin Luther’s 95 Theses initiates the Lutheran Reformation.

1524-26: The Peasants’ War rages in much of Franken and Swabia, though not in Bavaria.

1552-55: Second Margrave War in much of Franken concludes with the defeat of the Margrave of Kulmbach.

1555: Peace of Augsburg allows rulers to select the state’s religion.

1520-1620: Renaissance architecture.

1618-48: Thirty Years’ War devastates and depopulates large areas of Germany. The Peace of Westphalia (1648) left Germany with around 350 independent political entities.

17th and 18th centuries: Baroque (Barok) and Rococo (Rokoko) architecture developed – the styles most associated with Bavaria.

1701-14: Bavaria is on the losing side and occupied during much of the War of Spanish Succession.

1756-63: Seven Years’ War confirms the rise of Prussia as the fifth European power.

1777: Bavarian line of the Wittelsbachs dies out. The Palatinate line continues Wittelsbach rule of Bavaria up to 1918.

1792-1815: Napoleon redraws the European and German political map. The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation comes to a formal end in 1806. Germany is reduced to 25 political entities. Bavaria doubles in size by adding Franken, Allgäu, and numerous free imperial cities and other entities.

1806: Bavaria becomes a kingdom.

19th century: Romanticism (Romantik) and Historicist architecture. After 1871, Foundation time (Gründerzeit/Wilhelmine) architecture, followed by Art Nouveau (Jugendstil).

1866: Prussian-Austrian war confirms Prussia as the preeminent power in Germany.

1870-71: Franco-Prussian war ends with the foundation of the (Second) German Empire, dominated by Prussia. Bavaria joins as a kingdom with limited sovereignty in the empire.

1886: Bavaria’s Fairy Tale King Ludwig II is declared insane and dies.

1886-1913: Regency Period in Bavaria.

1914-18: First World War ends with Germany defeated and the end of the monarchy.

1919-1933: The ill-fated Weimar Republic fails to cope with economic and political upheaval. Munich sees several revolutions and attempted coups d’état.

1933-1945: The Nazi era ends in the carnage of the Second World War. Germany is totally defeated, occupied, partitioned, and reduced in size.

1949-1989: Germany divided into a democratic West Germany and a Communist East Germany. Bavaria is geographically the largest state in West Germany.

1989: A peaceful revolution ends the East German regime.

1990: Germany re-unites and Berlin resumes its role as capital.

The Bavarians

Bavarians generally developed out of three Germanic tribes: the Bajuwaren (also known as the Bavarii), the Swabians (Alemanni), and the Franks. However, modern-day Bavarians are an intermix of these and other peoples.

The Bajuwaren probably originated in Bohemia and moved into the Bavarian area after the Romans had left. The Franks, who lived mostly in Franconia, the northern half of modern-day Bavaria, were related to the Franks who at the end of the Roman era settled along the Rhine. Charlemagne was their most famous ruler. The Swabians developed out of the Germanic Alemanni tribe and lived in the far west of modern-day Bavaria in the regions of Allgäu and Bavarian-Swabia.

Early History

The first written reference to humans in Bavaria is of the Celts, who settled in the region around 500 BC. The Romans arrived shortly before the Christian era and ruled the area south of the Danube as the province Raetia.

By the fifth century, the Romans had left and the Bajuwaren settled in Upper and East Bavaria. Around 555, Garibald I, of the powerful Agilolfinger family, became duke of Bavaria, then an easternmost province of the Frankish Empire. In 788, Charlemagne banished the rebellious Duke Tasillo III, the last Agilolfinger, to a monastery and the Franks took direct control of Bavaria.

Charlemagne

Much of Bavaria converted to Christianity in the seventh and early eighth century. St. Boniface reorganized the church in the region and founded the bishoprics of Regensburg, Passau, Freising, and Salzburg – the institutions that would remain the mainstay of the church in Bavaria for centuries.

Duchy of Bavaria

In 1180, Bavaria was awarded to Otto von Wittelsbach of the Palatinate. The Wittelsbach dynasty would rule Bavaria up to 1918. However, consistency should not be confused with stability. The Wittelsbachs followed the Germanic habit of dividing properties equally among all sons. For the next three centuries or so, the Wittelsbachs were so preoccupied with dividing lands and fighting among themselves that, despite its size and central location, Bavaria was removed from the center of German power politics.

The first split was in 1255 and many more, along with numerous wars, followed, until Bavaria was reunited, more or less, in 1506. In 1329, the Wittelsbach dynasty itself divided into the Bavarian branch, which would rule Bavaria up to 1777, and the Palatinate branch, which would rule the Palatinate and again Bavaria from 1777 to 1918.

Meanwhile, in Bavaria itself the divisions continued, with separate duchies at times ruled from Munich, Landshut, Straubing, and Ingolstadt. Numerous wars (often between brothers), papal and imperial bans, first-class treacheries, straightforward kidnappings and murders later, in 1506, Duke Albert IV the Wise succeeded in reuniting most of Bavaria. He decreed the rule of primogeniture, which did not prevent his younger son from forcing his older brother to cede a small part of Bavaria for his rule. But Bavaria henceforth would not be divided between princes again.

Dates after a ruler’s name refer to years reigned, while those after other names are the years they lived.

Electoral Bavaria (1623-1805)

The reunited duchy used the 16th century to consolidate power and to fend off the Lutheran Reformation threat. Duke Maximilian I (1597-1651) was a particularly able ruler, which was fortunate for Bavaria as large parts of the duchy was decimated by the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648).

The Thirty Years’ War

The Thirty Years’ War (1618-48) was the most devastating war in German history. It started off between the Protestant Elector of the Palatinate and the Catholic Habsburg Emperor over the right of accession to the Bohemian throne, but over three decades the war came to involve most of Europe.

Most of the battles were on German soil. A scorched earth policy was followed by both sides, which saw up to a third of the German population die – mostly from hunger following harvest destruction. Even the most conservative estimates of population lost exceed 15% and, in some regions, it was well over 50%. Following four years of negotiations, the Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended the war and rang in the era of nation states and national armies in Europe. However, Germany remained divided into some 350 politically independent entities.

Much of the Duchy of Bavaria recovered quickly after the Thirty Years’ War. However, numerous free imperial cities, such as Rothenburg and Nürnberg, as well as Protestant areas, such as Brandenburg-Ansbach, were left impoverished and either took longer to recover or never really played a prominent role again.

On the political and diplomatic front, the 18th century was disastrous for Bavaria. It started off badly with Elector Maximilian II Emanuel (1679-1726) making common cause with France during the War of Spanish Succession (1701-14) and suffering a devastating defeat at the Battle of Blenheim/Höchstadt (1704) against the Austrians and English. Bavaria was partitioned between the Palatinate and Austria and occupied until 1714.

Elector Karl Albrecht (1726-1745) learned nothing from his father’s disastrous war with Austria. During the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748), Bavaria allied itself again with France and invaded Austria. Karl Albrecht succeeded in having himself crowned king of Bohemia and even Holy Roman Emperor in 1742. However, Austria again occupied Munich. The new Elector Maximilian III Joseph (1745-1777) quickly made peace with his southern neighbor. He was an enlightened ruler but died childless, ending the Bavarian line of the Wittelsbach dynasty.

For Bavaria, the miserable century continued. Duke Karl Theodor (1777-1799), elector of the Palatinate, cared little and did nothing for Bavaria. In an attempt to get his illegitimate children acknowledged as princes of the realm, he secretly tried to exchange Bavaria for the Austrian Low Lands (modern-day Belgium).

Karl Theodor further disgraced himself by not preparing for or resisting the French invasion of the Palatinate in 1792 and of Bavaria itself in 1795. Karl Theodor fled to Saxony and died early in 1799. His successor Elector Maximilian IV Joseph (1799-1805, titled King Maximilian I from 1806-1825) had little choice but to ally with Austria, which was already occupying his duchy, and he shared in Austria’s defeat by Napoleon at the Battle of Hohenlinden (1801).

However, after a miserable 18th century, Bavaria’s fortunes were about to change. Egged on by his very able Minister Maximilian Count of Montgelas, Maximilian allied himself with Napoleon. The payoff was enormous: in exchange for some Bavarian counties near the Rhine, Bavaria received, among others, the bishoprics of Würzburg, Bamberg, Augsburg, Freising, and Passau, the territories of 12 abbeys, the County Brandenburg-Ansbach, and several former free imperial cities. In 1805, Napoleon consented to Bavaria becoming a kingdom.

Shortly before Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of the Nations (Leipzig, October 1813), King Maximilian switched sides in exchange for guarantees to keep his kingdom intact. Following the peace negotiations at the Congress of Vienna, Bavaria kept most of its gains – in effect all of Franken, Bavarian-Swabia, the Allgäu, numerous abbeys, and free imperial cities, including Nürnberg and Regensburg. During the Napoleonic era, Bavaria thus doubled in size while the population tripled.

After 1815, the hundreds of former independent German entities were reduced to just 25. Much of the next half-century would consist of a power play between Prussia and Austria for supremacy in the German-speaking world. Bavaria failed to influence events much.

The Kingdom of Bavaria (1806-1918)

The Bavarian kings were generally able, benevolent, and popular rulers. They were well educated and fond of the arts.

Ludwig I

Ludwig I (1825-48) erected several monuments, including Walhalla near Regensburg, the Freedom Hall in Kelheim, as well as the Alte and Neue Pinakotheken and Glyphotek in Munich. He had a famously roving eye and had the Schönheitengalerie (Gallery of Beauties) installed in the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. He had several affairs but allowing his mistress Lola Montez to involve herself in politics cost him his throne when he had to abdicate following the 1848 Revolution.

King Maximilian II (1848-64) spent most of his reign trying to (unsuccessfully) stave off the increasing influence and power of Prussia in Germany. He was in favor of a union of central German states to balance the power of Prussia in the north and Austria in the south but nothing came of this idea. He is also remembered for restoring Schloss Hohenschwangau in a Historicist style and thereby inspired the fairy tale castles of his son.

Mad King Ludwig II (1864-86 – the Germans generally prefer Märchenkönig or Fairy Tale King, ascended to the throne at age 18. He loved the arts and sponsored several of Wagner’s operas as well as the construction of the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. He is best remembered for his fairy-tale castles Neuschwanstein, which inspired Disney, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee, which bankrupted him and cost him his throne.

During his reign, Bavaria sided with Austria in the Seven Weeks’ War (1866) but, due to the generosity of Bismarck’s clever diplomacy, paid little directly for being on the losing side. Bavaria shocked France by joining the Prussian side in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Ludwig II, encouraged by Bismarck (and several concessions), suggested that Prussian King Wilhelm become German Emperor. On January 18, 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed – for the first time ever, Germany was a nation state.

As part of the German Empire, Ludwig II was less important than before and he increasingly withdrew from society to concentrate on his castles and other fantasies. In 1886, the Bavarian government, worried by his actions, debts, and the absence of a son (or indeed wife), had him declared insane. (Debate still rages over whether he was insane, just eccentric, or abusing substances.) Ludwig II died four days after being dethroned – whether it was suicide, murder, or natural causes has never been clarified. His brother Otto (1886-1916) officially became king but, as he was unquestionably insane, his uncle took over the reign as Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria (1886-1912).

Luitpold’s rule, known as the Prinzregentenzeit (Regency Period), was a golden age for Bavaria and especially Munich. He allowed a liberal government and Munich became an important European cultural center.

Luitpold was succeeded by his son Ludwig III (1913-18), who declared the regency period over and ascended the throne as king of Bavaria, leaving Bavaria officially with two kings until the death of Otto in 1916. The reign of the Wittelsbachs came to an unceremonious end in 1918.

The 20th Century

In the chaos that followed throughout most of Germany during the final days of the First World War, socialist Kurt Eisner took the political lead in Munich and on November 8, 1918 declared Bavaria a Free State and the monarchy ended. Extremist parties held sway in Bavaria, with the socialists and Communists particularly strong in Munich. After Eisner was assassinated in 1919, left-wing parties, fearing a right-wing Putsch, declared the Räterepublik (Soviet-style republic) in Munich; parliament fled to Bamberg. The Freikorps (right-wing nationalists) were called in to suppress the Soviets, which they did with aplomb and in the bloodbath that followed at least 2,200 Communists were killed in Munich.

In the anti-Communist atmosphere that followed, right-wing parties flourished. In 1923, Adolf Hitler, the leader of a minor right-wing party, attempted the Bierhalle Putsch (Beer Hall Coup d’État), in what he had hoped would be the beginning of a fascist march to ultimately take power in all of Germany. The participants received lenient sentences and Hitler himself was a free man in just over a year.

Despite the chaos, Germany remained a union and became a republic with an ultraliberal constitution. It had a difficult start but by the mid-1920s it seemed as if Germany was well on its way to becoming a liberal democracy. However, the worldwide recession did it in. Growing unemployment was the ideal breeding ground for extremists but the rightist-nationalist National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party) had the most success. Not only were the Nazis masters of propaganda, they were also more than willing to use violent and illegal methods to silence opposition. In 1933, Hitler formally took power in Germany. Learning from the failed 1923 coup, the Nazis this time made sure they followed all legal procedures to make Hitler dictator. (Of course, illegal methods were used to keep the opposition out of parliament.)

Many of the Nazi leaders hailed from Bavaria and showered the state with privileges. Munich became the Capital of the Movement, Landsberg the Nazi City of Youth, while Nürnberg hosted the annual party rallies. Hitler had moved to Berchtesgaden following his release from prison in 1924 and, after the Nazis came to power in 1933, all the top leaders built villas for themselves there. Berchtesgaden was like a second capital. In 1933, Dachau, the first of the Nazis’ notorious concentration camps was built outside Munich.

During the Second World War, numerous Bavarian cities were bombed in air raids, with Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, and Würzburg particularly hard-hit. In contrast, Regensburg and Passau escaped the war with very limited damage.

Following the war, Bavaria was mostly occupied by American troops. The occupation lasted until 1955, although the US maintained several bases in Bavaria.

In 1949, Bavaria became a free state in the Federal Republic of Germany (or West Germany up to 1990). Post-war Bavarian politics have been dominated by the center-right Christian Socialist Union (CSU), which has governed post-war Bavaria for all but three years during the 1950s.

Culture

Germany has a long tradition of producing high culture, with many famous composers and writers. The huge number of small states in centuries past ensured that there were ample patrons and courts that needed musicians and other performers. Classical music and theater remain very popular in modern-day Germany, especially among the middle classes. Ticket prices are often astonishingly low.

During summer, most regions arrange a summer concert season with many open-air events. Castles, monasteries, palaces, and churches are popular venues in addition to dedicated concert halls. Regional tourist offices have details on events and often make reservations too.

Although German art, music, and literature go back to the earliest beginnings of the empire, the post-Reformation works are of most interest to most foreign travelers. The following is a brief summary of the most important artists in the German-speaking world, with special emphasis on Bavarians.

Artists

15th Century

Veit Stoß, sculptor and painter (Angel’s Greeting in the Lorenzkirche, Nürnberg, and Reredos of the Nativity in Bamberg Cathedral).

Tilman Riemenschneider, sculptor and woodcarver (Tomb of Heinrich II in Bamberg Cathedral and Adam and Eve in Mainfränkische Museum in Würzburg).

16th Century

Albrecht Dürer, the painter who brought the Renaissance to Germany, is one of the all time greats in German art. Major works are in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, and Charlemagne in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nürnberg.

Lucas Cranach the Elder, the master painter of the Reformation, left a huge collection of works spread through Germany. The most famous work is probably the painting of Martin Luther now in the Germanishes Nationalmuseum in Nürnberg.

17th Century

Elias Holl, an important Renaissance architect (Rathaus, Augsburg).

18th Century

Johann Baptist Zimmermann (Wieskirche, Schloss Nymphenburg) and the Asam brothers (Asamkirche, Munich) were Rococo virtuosos who left their marks as architects and artists on many Bavarian churches. The Dientzenhofer family erected several Baroque churches in Würzburg and Bamberg. Balthasar Neumann (Würzburg Residence and Fourteen Saints’ Church) created several Baroque masterpieces while in the service of the bishops of Bamberg and Würzburg.

19th Century

Caspar David Friedrich – German Romantic painter, best known for fanciful landscapes.

Max Liebermann and Lovis Corinth were leading members of the Munich Secessionist movement. Their efforts were supported by the magazine Jugend (Youth), which gave the new Art Nouveau style its German name, Jugendstil.

20th Century

The Expressionists saw several movements develop, including Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden and the Munich-based Der blaue Reiter (Blue Rider), founded by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, later joined by Paul Klee and others. The Lenbachhaus, Munich has many Blue Rider works.

Neue Sachlicheit (New Objectivity) included some Bauhaus and Dada artists, among others. One of the most famous proponents was Otto Dix (War in Albertinum, Dresden).

The post-Second World War art scene moved decisively northwards to cities such as Düsseldorf and Hamburg. However, the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich is one of the best places in Germany to see modern art. Fine samples of Concrete Art can be seen in Ingolstadt and Würzburg.

Architecture

Architectural developments in Bavaria follow the larger German model with styles generally originating elsewhere. The styles most associated with Bavaria are the Baroque and more playful Rococo. These styles of the mid-17th to late 18th century coincided with a period of unprecedented building activity in Bavaria, which produced some of the most popular tourist attractions in the country.

Early Architecture

Although a few Celtic structures have survived to the present, these are more archeological than architectural in nature. Even from the Roman period, very little remains. The largest is in Regensburg, while some Roman structures were rebuilt in, for example, Kempten (Allgäu).

A few minor Carolingian buildings survived, including the Torhalle on Fraueninsel (Herrenchiemsee) and the core of the Gnadenkappelle in Altötting.

Romanesque & Gothic

Bavaria has several Romanesque churches, although almost all were converted into later styles. The purest example is probably the Basilica in Altenburg (near Schongau on the Romantic Road).

The Gothic is generally overshadowed by the Baroque in Bavaria but the region still has some fine samples. The largest and most important is the Dom in Regensburg. In Nürnberg, the St Lorenz, Frauen, and St Sebaldkirchen are Gothic. The Frauenkirche in Munich is another pure example and was the last major Gothic work in Bavaria. Numerous town halls and town gates are Gothic.

Renaissance

The Renaissance came late to Germany and, due to the religious and political upheavals of the 16th century, the style is less common than in other parts of Europe. However, Bavaria has some fine examples, including the large Schloss Johannisburg in Aschaffenburg, the Rathaus and Fuggerkapelle in Augsburg, the lovely Michaelskirche in Munich, Plassenburg in Kulmbach, the Stadtresidenz in Lanshut, and Schloss Amerang (Chiemgau).

Michaelskirche in Munich

Baroque & Rococo

No architectural style is more associated with Bavaria than the Baroque. Following the devastation of the religious strife following the Lutheran Reformation and the scorched-earth policies of the Thirty Years’ War, Bavaria rebuilt and did so mostly in the Baroque. Monasteries, churches, and palaces were erected in or converted to this exuberant style.

The five Dientzenhofer brothers (plus sons) were mostly active in Franken. Johann Leonhard (1660-1707) designed the Residenz and Kloster Michaelsberg in Bamberg, Kloster Ebrach, and Kloster Banz (Bad Staffelstein), while Johann (1663-1726) designed Schloss Weissenstein, the Dom in Fulda, and several palaces in Bamberg.

However, arguably the most talented Baroque architect in Franken was Balthasar Neumann (1687-1753). His best works include the Würzburg Residenz and the Vierzehnheiligen church (Bad Staffelstein).

Southern Bavaria is rich in Baroque monasteries, churches, and palaces. Dominikus Zimmermann (1685-1766) was the most accomplished architect of his time. His masterworks include the Wieskirche, as well as the Rathaus and Johanneskirche in Landsberg. He frequently cooperated with his equally talented brother Johan Baptist (1680-1758), whose stuccowork adorns the interiors of numerous Bavarian churches and palaces, including the Wieskirche, Kloster Ettal, Schloss Nymphenburg, Kloster Buxheim, and the Munich Residenz.

The Asam family also left their mark on numerous Rococo churches and monasteries in Bavaria. Georg Asam (1649-1711) was a talented fresco painter (the basilicas in Tegernsee and Benediktbeuren) but his sons are more famous. Cosmas Damian (1686-1739) was a fresco painter and architect, while Eqid Quirin (1692-1750) was a stucco artist and sculptor. Their talents complemented each other in masterworks that included Kloster Weltenburg, the Asamkirche in Munich, Maria de Victoria in Ingolstadt, and Weingarten.

Johann Michael Fischer (1692-1766) designed the monastery churches in Dießen, Rott am Inn, and Ottobeuren. His contemporary, François de Cuvilliés (1695-1768), went from court jester to star architect. He concentrated on secular works, including Amalienburg at Schloss Nymphenburg and the Cuvilliés Theater in the Munich Residenz.

19th Century

The late 18th century, but especially the 19th century, saw a revival of older styles. First off was neo-Classicism, with Leo von Klenze (1784-1865) a leading architect. He designed numerous buildings in Munich (Königsplatz, Alte Pinakothek, Odeonsplatz), fortifications in Ingolstadt and, famously, Walhalla outside Regensburg.

The mid-19th century saw a revival and combination of many styles, often described as Historicism. Famous works from this period include the fantasy castles of King Ludwig, including Neuschwanstein (neo-Romanesque) and Linderhof (neo-Baroque). Munich’s neo-Gothic Rathaus and Memmingens’s neo-Rococo Steuerhaus are other fine samples. The original colorful interiors of numerous Gothic churches and castles were also stripped bare during this period in an erroneous belief that this was what medieval interiors looked like.

The century closed with what is generally known as the Gründerzeit (foundation time) or Wilhelmine style. It roughly corresponds with the English late Victorian period and is named after the foundation of the German Empire (1871) or the two Wilhelm Kaisers. The style is mostly seen in large urban villas, with some fine samples in Bad Reichenhall.

20th Century

The 20th century opened with the lovely Art Nouveau, in German known as Jugendstil. The best-known example in Bavaria is the Müllersches Volksbad in Munich. Fine Jugenstil villas can be seen in the Munich suburb of Schwabing, as well as in Straubing (Ostbayern).

The Nazis loved things stark, pompous, and monumental. Munich converted their Acropolis Germaniae back to the original classical Königplatz, but the Haus der Kunst is clearly to Third Reich taste. The best-known and largest Third Reich constructions are the Nazi Party Rallying Ground in Nürnberg, designed by Albert Speer. He also did the train station in Berchtesgaden, a major Nazi leaders’ holiday retreat.

Following the damage of the Second World War, Bavarian cities mostly chose to restore historical buildings to their pre-war appearance. However, lesser buildings were often replaced by square ones that were easy and cheap to construct. Postwar Hideous is an apt description of this style. Bavarians’ conservative tastes meant that modernism is less popular here than elsewhere in Germany. However, the futuristic 1970s designs of the Olympic Stadium, BMW’s head offices, and Hypovereinsbank in Munich were clear exceptions. Further postmodern designs in the Bavarian capital include the Fünf Höfe shopping complex and the Allianz Stadium, home of Germany’s best-known soccer team, Bayern München.

Music

Germany is famous for its classical music and composers. Classical music is popular throughout Bavaria, with many smaller cities such as Bamberg, Regensburg, and Bad Reichenhall having their own symphony orchestras, while Munich’s opera house and classical music scene are world-famous. It therefore comes as a bit of a surprise that so few of the great German composers are Bavarian natives. Few would be able to name the three most important Bavarian composers (Richard Strauss, Carl Orff, and Gluck) and even fewer could name a fourth (Johann Pachelbel, Werner Egk, or Max Reger?). This section therefore includes musicians from all parts of the German-speaking world.

Middle Ages

From the 12th century onwards, the Minnesänger (troubadours) were famous entertainers and included masters such as Walther von der Vogelweide and Wolfram von Eschenbach. In the 15th century, the Meistersinger (Mastersingers) formed a guild – the most famous proponent was Hans Sachs from Nürnberg – the inspiration for Wagner’s Meistersinger von Nürnberg opera.

The Lutheran Reformation boosted German music because new religious music sung in German, rather than Latin, was required.

Baroque

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is considered by many the greatest composer of all time. He left an incredibly large collection of works, mostly but not exclusively religious. His range was restricted by his rather conservative employers who wanted no opera or drama in the church service.

The Bavarian-born Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714-87) rewrote the style of operas by placing more emphasis on a decent story. Although not particularly popular during his lifetime, he greatly influenced later musicians, including Mozart and Berlioz.

Other famous composers from the period include Georg Friedrich Händel, who spent most of his working life in London, and Georg Philipp Telemann.

Wiener Klassik

Under Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, working mostly in Vienna, classical music reached a high point. Mozart left more than 600 works, including 41 symphonies. (Mozart praised Munich’s musicians and was welcomed in the Bavarian court but financial difficulties meant that Elector Maximilian III could not afford to offer him a position.) They were followed by Ludwig von Beethoven, who was born in Bonn but spent most of his productive life in Vienna. He was the first major composer to finance himself through concerts rather than being employed by a court or writing on commission. His nine symphonies and other works set the stage for the Romantics.

Romantics

The Romantics of the 19th century wrote a wide range of music ranging from Lieder (songs) to operas, symphonies to chamber music and piano sonatas. Famous composers from this era include Franz Schubert, Carl Maria von Weber, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and Johannes Brahms.

Richard Wagner

Probably the most famous composer was Richard Wagner. He was a close friend of Bavarian King Ludwig II, who financed and encouraged his endeavors, including the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. His epic operas included the Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Parsifal, and the Ring (Rheingold, Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung). His popularity with the Nazis probably limited his international appeal more than the strong German themes of his works.

20th-Century Classical

The Bavarians Richard Strauss (Also sprach Zarathustra) and Carl Orff (Carmina Burana) wrote some innovative pieces early in the century, before the Second World War interfered. Kurt Weill cooperated with Bertold Brecht on The Threepenny Opera. Werner Egk shot to fame just before the Second World War but is best remembered for his productions in Munich in the two decades following the war.

Literature

Early Literature

The ninth-century Hildebrandlied is generally considered the first German literary work, although the Wessobrunner Gebet is an older but clearly religious work. It was followed in the 12th and 13th centuries by the works of the Minnesänger (troubadours). The epic Nibelungenlied was possibly commissioned for the court of Passau during the 13th century.

The first work in modern German was Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible. It standardized the language and most works written since then can be read by anyone with a decent knowledge of German.

The first major German novel was Grimmelshausen’s Simplicissimus, a picaresque novel inspired by the misery that the Thirty Years’ War had caused.

The Age of Enlightenment (Aufklärung) saw works by philosophers such as Gottfried Leibnitz and Emanuel Kant. Gotthold Lessing is best known for his tragedies, following the example of Shakespeare and the ancient Greeks. Christoph Wieland’s novels are often also grouped into this era

Sturm und Drang & Classicism

The short Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) period lasted only from 1767 to 1785. It broke away from the rationalism of the Enlightenment in favor of freedom, nature, and emotions. The best-known works from this period are Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s novella Die Leiden des jungen Werthers and Friedrich Schiller’s play Die Räuber.

Both writers found inspiration from the Greek and Roman ideals and wrote some of the best works ever produced in German. At the top of the list is Goethe’s Faust, a two-part drama in verse. Schiller’s plays such as Wilhelm Tell, Maria Stuart, and Don Carlos are still popular and often performed.

19th Century

The Brothers Grimm

As in much of the rest of Europe, romanticism took hold in German 19th-century literature. One of the most popular poets was Friedrich Hölderlin, while Hegel is the best-known philosopher from the era. The Brothers Grimm, though serious linguistic scholars, are best remembered for the fairy tales that they collected on their travels through Germany.

The Franconian writer Jean Paul wrote satirical and comical novels and was even more read during his lifetime than were his contemporaries Goethe and Schiller. Bavaria’s premier literary prize is named after him.

ETA Hoffmann spent much of his life in Bamberg where he wrote his satirical and bizarre stories, as well as setting new standards for music criticism. One of his stories inspired Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker.

Ludwig Ganghofer and Ludwig Thoma wrote several works praising the simplicity of rural life in Bavaria. They remain popular in Germany but are generally unknown in the English-speaking world.

20th Century

Some of the best-known modern German writers wrote mostly prior to World War II. Novelists from this era include 1929 Nobel Laureate Thomas