All this and more is possible at Bavaria Filmstadt. A tour guide will explain in detail how the great film classics and TV series are produced. On the tour of the production area, you'll get to see the amazing tricks that the special effects experts have up their sleeves and see things most mortals never get the chance to. The ultimate highlight is the Bavaria Stunt Show, a breathtaking spectacle both for action-film fans and everybody else. A visit to the 4D cinema with its sensational sound system is another experience not to be missed.

For all fans of the beautiful game, the chance to soak up the atmosphere at the awe-inspiring Allianz Arena is one not to be missed. Whether it's a Bundesliga battle, Champions League thriller or an international game, any match held in this masterpiece by star Swiss architects Herzog & De Meuron is sure to be an unforgettable experience. If you wish to enjoy the ultimate buzz, deafening chants and goosebumps galore along with 75,000 other spectators, this is the ideal place. Guided stadium tours offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into one of Europe's most modern and, as many would have it, beautiful stadiums.

The Alte Pinakothek is one of the world's biggest and most important museums for art from the Middle Ages to the mid-18th century. Directly opposite, the Neue Pinakothek features works from the 19th and early 20th centuries, while the Pinakothek der Moderne next door features collections of contemporary art from various genres.

Covering an area of more than four square kilometres on the western banks of the river Isar, the English Garden is one of the largest inner city parks in the world. This delightful attraction holds a spellbinding appeal during the summer, but is also not without its charms in winter. One of the main attractions of the park is the Chinese pagoda with its famous beer garden. Visitors can even enjoy surfing on the Eisbach rapids or see a classical play at the tucked-away little amphitheatre.

The square is dominated by the neo-Gothic New Town Hall with its imposing facade and the sound of the delightful carillon in the town hall tower. Close by are some of Munich's most exclusive shopping streets, markets and beer gardens, as well as the trio of famous city gates – Isartor, Sendlinger Tor and Karlstor.

A truly unmissable Bavarian experience awaits at the famous Hofbräuhaus beer hall at Am Platzl in the old quarter. Originally a brewery, today it is an internationally acclaimed 'beer temple'. Locals can be seen dressed in traditional costume, drinking Munich beer from the famous Mass, a one-litre tankard, and enjoying traditional hearty specialities served up with a good dose of Bavarian hospitality. Probably the largest beer hall in the world serving some 30,000 guests every day, it is always noisy and full of beer-fuelled cheer.

The Wittelsbach residence in the city centre is a blend of Renaissance, baroque, rococo and classicist styles. It was once Munich's main palace and the home of Bavarian dukes, electors and kings. Originally built in 1385 as a moated castle, it was transformed into a magnificent royal residence reflecting the House of Wittelsbach's political ambitions and fondness for the arts. The extensive palace has been open to the public as a museum since 1920. The complex consists of ten courtyards, and there are 130 authentically furnished rooms to discover in one of the finest palace museums in Europe.

With a prime location close to the BMW corporate headquarters, museum and factory, BMW Welt is not just for car buffs and lovers of all things technical. It also offers a wide range of activities and regular special exhibitions, combining engineering, design and innovation with lifestyle, enterprise and culture, in a stunning, state-of-the-art building. Read more

Nymphenburg Palace was built in 1664 for the Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria as a gift to his wife Adelheid von Savoyen on the birth of the much longed-for heir to his throne, Max Emanuel. Once the summer residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty, it now forms a harmonious ensemble with the magnificent palace park and gardens and splendid smaller buildings such as Amalienburg hunting lodge and Badeburg House, and ranks among the foremost royal palaces in Europe. The state rooms, banqueting hall, Gallery of Beauties and palace park, one of the largest and most influential examples of landscape art in Germany, can still be seen today. Read more

Munich is Germany's beer capital – and the Oktoberfest is a byword for beer all over the world. When the first Oktoberfest was held back in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, nobody could have dreamt it would go on to become such a famous event. Since that time, the world's biggest beer festival has been held every year in September/October on the Theresienwiese grounds, bringing smiles to people's faces in classic Bavarian style with oompah bands, beer fresh from the barrel and plenty of good cheer. Anyone interested in the history of the festival can find out more on a guided tour of the famous Wies'n site, available since 1995 in several languages.

Nowhere else in Munich city centre offers a more exclusive and varied selection of specialities than the huge Viktualienmarkt. Visitors will find a whole host of stalls selling spices, game, fish, local and exotic fruit, flowers and plants, and much more. And it all looks as good as it tastes. Viktualienmarkt is also home to the city's most central beer garden where you can enjoy local beer and traditional Bavarian fare together with people from all walks of life. A number of traditional events such as the raising of the maypole, the brewer's day, summer festival and the 'Dance of the Market Women' are also held here.

The area between Müllerstrasse, Frauenstrasse, Thalkirchnerstrasse and the river Isar, which also includes the Gärtnerplatzviertel, is known as the Isarvorstadt. This is Munich's trendiest district with its artists, alternative lifestyle, gay and lesbian community and music scene – everything is done differently in this über-cool part of the city. Munich's funnest district has something to suit all tastes and budgets – from rock to house music and from chill-out zone to party, with bars and clubs lined up one after another.

With three exhibition levels, the Jewish Museum offers wide-ranging insights into Jewish life and culture in Munich. Also geared towards younger audiences and providing in-depth information on Jewish heritage and religion, the museum makes it easier for visitors to find answers to even the most difficult questions. The permanent exhibition entitled 'Voices Places Times' focuses on Jewish history and culture in Munich. Seven installations featuring the voices of contemporary eyewitnesses, locations, pictures and objects open up new perspectives and trace the foundations of Jewish identity through to the present day.

Its paintings, sculptures and installations offer an aesthetic experience that few other collections can match: 700 milestones from the world of art since 1945 are on display in three exhibition spaces with an average floor-to-ceiling height of nine metres. Among the items on display are works by Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, Damien Hirst, Sigmar Polke and Bruce Nauman.

It's not only sporting events that take place on the 850,000m² site. Lots of cultural and community events, such as open-air concerts and flea markets, feature regularly on the calendar. The Olympic Park is also a focal point for all kinds of recreational sport. There's even a beer garden, and SeaLife Munich is there too.

With more than 50 themed areas, the German Museum provides inquisitive minds of every age with countless opportunities to explore the fascinating world of science and technology. It's got everything – artificial lightning measuring one million volts, aeroplane exhibits, a planetarium and an old mining tunnel, to name but a few examples.

Opening times:

daily 9am-5pm

The original house was built in the 19th century for the 'painter prince' Franz von Lenbach. The gallery's collection of works by the Blue Rider artist group of Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter, Franz Marc, August Macke and Paul Klee is famed around the world. Masterpieces of 19th century painting and an extensive collection of international contemporary art are on display in the converted artist house and the new extension.

Opening times:

winter: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm, Monday closed; summer: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-8pm, Monday closed

The majority of the paintings on display are from the Renaissance period and the Dutch baroque movement. The collection includes masterpieces such as Dürer and Rembrandt's self-portraits, Altdorfer's 'The Battle of Alexander at Issus', Leonardo da Vinci's 'Madonna of the Carnation' and Tintoretto's humorous interpretation of Venus's adultery.

Opening times:

Wednesday-Sunday 10am-6pm, Tuesday 10am-8pm, Monday closed

Today the gallery's collection contains masterpieces from the late 18th century to the early 20th century, including famous paintings by Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.

Opening times:

Thursday-Monday 10am-6pm, Wednesday 10am-8pm, Tuesday closed

There's plenty to keep younger art enthusiasts entertained too. Art teachers and artists lead various workshops and fun interactive tours, which allow children to show their creative side.

Opening times:

Monday-Sunday 10am-8pm,Thursday 10am-10pm

The Munich Residence was the residential and government seat of the Bavarian dukes, prince-electors and kings from 1508 to 1918. Over the centuries the princes transformed a castle in the northeast corner of the fortification ("Neuveste", 1385) into a splendid seat of power and extended courtyards and gardens out into the city. Rooms and art collections from the Renaissance, early Baroque and Rococo eras through to Weimar Classicism stand as a testimony to the love of art and the political pretensions of the house of Wittelsbach. Today the Residence, together with the museums of the Bavarian Palace Department (Residence Museum, Treasury, Cuvilliés Theatre, Court Church) and various other cultural institutions, forms one of the largest museum complexes in Bavaria.

With its onion-shaped towers, their green domes, the Devil´s Footstep and the view of the Alps, the imposing Late Gothic landmark at the Marienplatz in Munich is unparalleled. The cathedral was built by the Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1468–1494. Despite its capacity for 20,000 people, the place of worship shows an unusual “less is more” attitude. The 3 aisle brick construction, with choir stalls that are quintuple-cornered, houses the family vault of the Wittelsbach Elector family. It is not only the 100-metre onion domes, the numerous chapels and the precious artistic treasures that make this beautiful yet modest church special. Included among its legendary attractions are the Devil’s Footstep near the entrance and the fantastic view of Munich all the way to the Alps, which is available to anyone who climbs the southern tower.