SOUTHERN GERMANY - the land of Kraut and Beer!

Bavaria is one of Germany's most popular travel destinations.

MUNICH

• is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps
• offers a broad variety of locations and venues
• provides more than 45.000 beds, both modern and traditional
• is located in the heart of Europe with the second largest airport in Germany
• is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg
• has a rich culture and history with worldwide known museums
• is surrounded by lakes and the Bavarian Alps offering an impressive atmosphere
• its English garden is the biggest city park in the world
• welcomes more than 6 million guests every year for the “Oktoberfest”

The city of Munich offers a lot of attractions for all ages and tastes. Whether guests are interested in history, architecture or art; whether they enjoy strolling through parks, fancy attractions like a trip to the Bavaria film studios, guided tours or long for a visit to one of Munich's famous traditional beer gardens, they will always find something exciting in this multi-faceted city.

Munich organises over 40 trade fairs for capital goods, consumer goods and new technologies. More than 30,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries and more than two million visitors from more than 200 countries participate in fairs and exhibitions in Munich each year. The city has places for every type of traveller, there are luxury hotels for those who are looking for some luxurious and smart living as well as mid range places for visitors with a budget. Munich offers a diverse cuisine to its tourists and visitors. The city has a large number of restaurants scattered all over the place. You will find some of the best choices in dining while in Munich. The city serves the most traditional Bavarian cuisine, apart from traditional food; the city also has some of the finest international restaurants.

Oktoberfest – Munich’s 5th season: The Munich Oktoberfest – known by locals as the „Wiesn“– will take place for the 176th time in 2009. It is a sixteen day festival held each year in Munich, during late September and running to early October. It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world's largest fair, with about six million people attending every year, and is an enjoyable event with an important part of Bavarian culture.

Munich Culinary Tour: culinary tour leads you from Marienplatz to the famous “Viktualienmarkt” (Farmer’s Market) and on to the rooms of the traditional delicacy shop Dallmayr. The tour can be rounded off with lunch, a tour through Munich’s oldest mill, a cookery course or a wine tasting session.

Visit the Royal Palaces: No monarch has characterized Bavaria such as King Ludwig II. His castles are not only tourist attractions but also visited and admired by the locals. Beside the castle Neuschwanstein in Füssen, the castles of Linderhof, Nymphenburg and Herrenchiemsee are also popular sights.

Winter Experience: Situated at just one hour from the city of Munich, this magnificent skiing area is within reach. Below, you can find all well-known ski and winter sports areas in the Bavarian Alps: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grainau, Schwangau, Obergammerau, Reit im Winkl, Mittenwald, Lenggries/Brauneck/Jachnau, Spitzingsee/Schliersee, Ruhpolding/Inzell, Berchtesgadener Land, Oberaudorf.

Walking & Hiking Tour: Bavaria is famous for its beautiful lakes and mountains nearby. But not all the beautiful spots and corners are well known, to discover all the beauty Bavaria has to offer, the best way is to walk through the hills and feel and see it. Sturdy shoes, suitable clothing and pleasure, to explore the nature, are best conditions to go hiking. Together with a professional guide the participants can discover the multifaceted surrounding of Munich, and do something good for their own health and fitness.

Lakes: Munich's nearest lake, lake Starnberg, is extremely popular with city-dwellers seeking recreation. It offers a wide range of sporting activities and has boats for hire. Lake Tegernsee's awe-inspiring mountain setting makes it a magnet for nature lovers and amateur photographers. The quality of its drinking water and its iodine-sulphur springs make it a favourite with wellness visitors too

Garmisch Partenkirchen: With its location right in the middle of the Bavarian Alps at just a one-hour drive from Munich, Garmisch Partenkirchen enjoys great international fame and is a superb destination in the middle of Germany's best skiing areas, known for the world championship alpine skiing. Rafting, mountain biking, gliding, playing tennis or golf is also part of the many possibilities in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The village is located in the foothills of the country's highest mountain: the Zugspitze with a height of 2,964 metres.

...is the Capital of Bavaria with approximately 1.35 million inhabitants

WURZBURG 

• Wurzburg and the Franconia Wine Country offer a great combination of opposites that attract: cultural experiences like the Wurzburg Residence, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, day trips and meetings, Silvaner wine and seminars, wine festivals and scientific endeavours
• One can look forward to modern, high-tech conference venues in locations steeped in history and culture. There is a lot to do in the free time

Wine tastings: As Franconia is famous for its beautiful wine area and of course for its tasteful wine, wine tastings or a cellar tour with a walk through the world-famous appellation Würzburger Stein where the wine grows can be organized for a whole group followed by a nice dinner. Wine in all its varieties rules this town. This is the perfect place to enjoy a great wine, go hiking, take a winery tour and experience the wine culture, indulge in great food, or take leisure walks.

...is the capital of the state of Unterfranken in southern Germany

NUREMBERG

• offers thousand years of history that are still obvious in its cityscape
• as a city "of wit", where inventiveness and the researchers' curiosity have found a home
• boasts a unique mixture of tradition and modern times. Both people born here and people who moved here appreciate its extraordinary quality of life

Franconia Jura: Bizarre rock formations rise between the tree tops, a thin layer of fog lies over the silent valleys, and then the rays of the sun fight their way through the dense foliage. The Franconia Jura is known as an extremely varied natural landscape with a brittle and romantic charm. Apart from walks, this Franconia region has much to offer, for example many other sports such as paddling a kayak, flying a plane, golfing, mountain-biking and mainly rock-climbing. It offers varies possibilities for groups of all sizes. There are also ideal places for teambuilding activities.

Sightseeing: Nuremberg's many sights make sure that no visitor will be bored. From the Germanics National museum, Albrecht Dürer's House, the New Museum for Art and Design right through to the Documentation Centre Party Rally Grounds, over 30 museums offer exhibitions on a wide variety of topics. Private tours or a city rally can be organized.

...is a modern city with 500,000 inhabitants, and the centre of a prospering European metropolitan region with 2.5 million inhabitants

REGENSBURG

• is the large medieval center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• and the Dom (Cathedral) is a very interesting example of pure German Gothic and counts as the main work of Gothic architecture in Bavaria
• offers with its small streets and little bars and cafés nice places, promises an unforgettable stay

Visit of the old beer Spitalbrewery: Spitalbeer is a tradition in Regensburg since 750 years. The small an individual brewery can look back to a long tradition of the art of brewing. The guests are learning the process the brewery and of course have a beer tasting. At the end of this beery experience the guests can enjoy a Bavarian meal in the Spitalgarden.

...lies nearby the Bavarian Forest and is located at the confluence of the Danube and Regent rivers