The area to the north of the city where soldiers once paraded and the world's first Zeppelin landed in 1909 found a new role in the 1960s as the Olympiapark. Built for the 1972 Olympic Summer Games, it has quite a small-scale feel, and some may be amazed that the games could once have been held at such a petite venue.
The complex draws people year-round with concerts, festivals and sporting events, and its swimming hall and ice-skating rink are open to the public.
A good first stop is the Info-Pavilion, which has information, maps, tour tickets and a model of the complex. Staff also rent out MP3 players for a self-guided audio tour.
Olympiapark has two famous eye-catchers: the 290m Olympiaturm and the warped Olympiastadion. Germans have a soft spot for the latter because it was on this hallowed turf in 1974 that the national soccer team – led by 'the Kaiser', Franz Beckenbauer – won the FIFA World Cup.
When the sky is clear, you'll quite literally have Munich at your feet against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alps from the top of the Olympiaturm.
