Welcome to your first stop: Munich, Germany

Germany's most popular tourist destination, Munich, is also—according to opinion polls—the city that native Germans would most like to live in. Its popularity is easy to understand. Located within eyeshot of the snow-capped Alps, Munich is sophisticated, wealthy and elegant, a city of broad boulevards and baroque facades; a thriving media and high-tech metropolis, but with a small-town flair and endearing rustic charm. It is also home to the raucous Oktoberfest, the colorful Fasching carnival and a vivacious way of life which is best savored in one of its many beer gardens, beer cellars or just out and about on the town.

The city's motto is "München mag dich" (Munich loves you). Its native name, München, is derived from the Old High German "Munichen", meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat of arms. Black and gold—the colors of the Holy Roman Empire—have been the city's official colors since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian.

Top 10 Munich Facts:

1. Fun fact:  Not one part of the movie "Munich" was filmed in Munich.

2. One family, the Wittelsbachs, ruled the country of Bavaria, with Munich as its capital, for 738 years.

3. Munich is home to the Bavarian Film Studios which are the biggest and most famous film production studios in Europe.

4. Munich has the strongest economy of any German city and also the lowest unemployment rate.

5. Weird fact: The local name for Munich is "Minga" although the proper high German name is München.

6. The major streets of the old town of Munich were pedestrianized for the Olympics in 1972 and have stayed pedestrian only ever since.

7. Most of the Oktoberfest is held in September.  The Oktoberfest ends the first weekend in October.

8. Weißwürste (white sausage) is a breakfast sausage that is the traditional breakfast of Munich, and is the only sausage from the area.

9. Munich's most famous soccer team, FC Bayern München, is also the most successful club in German soccer.

10. Random fact:  Munich is Germany's 3rd largest city behind Berlin and Hamburg.

picture courtesy of www.atpworldtour.com