Munich

The best nights out in the Bavarian metropolis come in the form of cosy traditional taverns and huge summer beer gardens, some capable of seating thousands of drinkers. Oompah bands, Dirndl-wearing waitresses and monster portions of food come as standard, as do red-faced revelry and a good-natured atmosphere. The beer hall that sets the standard for all the others is the Hofbräuhaus in the Altstadt, but there are literally hundreds of others across the city with a similar vibe.

Over the last two decades Munich's arts quarter has emerged as the south's leading arts destination with four world-class galleries and several smaller venues attracting millions of visitors each year. The high-brow quartet is made up of the Alte Pinakothek (old European masters), the Museum Brandhorst (pop art and contemporary), the Neue Pinakothek (19th- and early-20th-century paintings and sculpture) and the Pinakothek der Moderne (modern art and design). You could spend days exploring the Kunstareal – many try to manage it all on a Sunday when €1 admission applies.

Aristocratic pad for Bavaria's first family, the Wittelsbachs, whose dukedom then kingdom was ruled from the Residenz for 700 years. Expanded and embellished by almost every duke and king, the huge complex occupies a hefty chunk of the Altstadt and constitutes its main attraction. Highlights include the Antiquarium, a barrel-vaulted hall and the finest Renaissance interior north of the Alps; the Reiche Zimmer apartments; and the highly decorative Reichekapelle. The tour usually includes a peek inside the rococo Cuvilliés-Theater and the Treasury.

Getting under the high-octane hood of the iconic German car manufacturer is one of the most intriguing aspects of a visit to the Bavarian capital. BMW Welt is a car showroom like no other – here you can get behind the wheel of high-powered models, learn about how Beamers are made and eat in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Next door, the BMW Museum brims with angular models of yesteryear. Head to the nearby factory to see how today's X6s and i3s are produced on a fascinating plant tour.

Strolling through the vast meadows of Munich's sprawling city park is the way the good folk of Munich escape the hullaballoo of the 21st century. The English Garden is one of the largest urban parks in the world, Munich's Hyde or Central Park. Dodge the joggers and high-speed cyclists to discover a tranquil world of woodland, bird song and students swotting up in the sun. At the end of the day retire to one of the beer gardens such as the weird-and-wonderful Chinesischer Turm set around a faux Chinese pagoda.

Social barriers evaporate, strangers become friends and everybody sings too loudly, drinks in excess and has way too much fun at the world's biggest beer bash in Munich. The event lures a global posse of hedonists, but there’s a quieter, folksier side, with less raucous beer tents and time-honoured traditions teleporting visitors back to its early 19th-century beginnings. So squeeze into your Lederhosen or Dirndl and get on down to the Theresienwiese – it’s an experience you won’t forget, if you can remember it at all, that is.

Some wicked cities leave their Olympic venues to rot when the athletes move on, but not Munich. The Bavarian capital has been making marks and euros out of its Olympiapark since the closing ceremony, adding new attractions along the way. Top billing here goes to the Olympiastadion where you can take a walk on the undulating roof structure. The Olympiaturm provides photogenic city vistas, the Alps lurking temptingly beyond, and the skating and swimming venues can still be used for the purposes for which they were built.

A six-pack of breweries, hundreds of taverns and beer gardens (including Europe's biggest), Oktoberfest, a beer museum and a hop-infused tradition going back at least seven centuries – beer is to Munich what pizza is to Naples and tea is to the English. And don't imagine it's all barely alcoholic golden lager – the region's breweries cook up hundreds of different types of dark, wheat and unfiltered ale, some with up to 8% alcoholic content. Sample the last in the list during Lent's Starkbierzeit (Strong Beer Time).

The city's top palace, Schloss Nymphenburg, can be found on Munich's western outskirts, just a tram ride from the city centre. Originally a villa for Electress Adelaide of Savoy, this stately pile was extended over the years and served as the royal summer residence of the Wittelsbach family. The definite highlight is the Schönheitengalerie, the Gallery of the Beauties, consisting of 38 portraits of attractive females chosen by King Ludwig I. Out in the grounds, the Amalienburg is Munich's finest folly.

In the heart of the Old Town, Marienplatz bustles with life round the clock. Friends meet up by the Fischbrunnen, walking tour groups set out on their city walks, office workers dash across its cobbles towards lunch and gossip, and tourists mill around looking for the S-Bahn station, all in the shadow of the imposing neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus, whose tower you can climb to survey the scene. For newcomers it's the ideal spot from which to get your bearings, as all Munich starts here.