Where would you go if you only had 10 hours in one of the world's nicest cities?

The following pictures are a photo diary of my day trip to Munich, the capital of Bavaria and one of the most beautiful and cheerful places in Germany. The third largest city in the country after Berlin and Hamburg, Munich has a flair of its own mainly because of its perfect location close to the Alps.

Munich is popular thanks to Oktoberfest and the Bayern München football team, but there is more to this city than just that. For an instance, you could easily spend a week visiting all the world-class museums this city has to offer like the German Museum (Deutsches Museum), located on an island in the river Isar; for art lovers there's the Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne, among so many galleries.

If you prefer historical places, Nymphenburg palace is a nice place to go. It is where I started my day trip, since I have been in the city before and I already know the museums. Built in Baroque style, Nymphenburg was the summer residence of the former rulers of Bavaria of the house of Wittelsbach. As with many other palaces in Europe, there are always funny aspects that reveal the ideals and values of the ruling class. For example, in Nymphenburg there's an entire room called "the room of pretty girls", which is full of portraits of the prettiest women in the city during those times.

If you're into beer, then Munich is the right place for you. You can enjoy the large variety of beers from the 6 breweries of the city in a Biergarten, if the weather allows, or any restaurant. Munich is also the place to try Bavarian delicacies like the Weißwurst (sausage made from veal), freshly baked Brezn (pretzels), Leberkäs ( sausage loaf), Schweinebraten (pork roast) with a side of Knödel (dumplings made from potatoes or white bread), the list goes on and on.

 Munich is also a city of heroes like the members of the White Rose, a non-violent intellectual resistance group during Nazi Germany. All its members were students at the University of Munich. Six of them were arrested by the Gestapo and beheaded in 1943. Among the executed were siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, prominent and active participants of the group. They were motivated by ethical considerations and almost everyone came from a different religious background.

If your trip is like mine and you don't have enough time to fully appreciate everything this city has to offer, don't worry. Take a stroll around the city centre starting at the Stachus, eat delicious food, take a look at the Frauenkirche or just wander around aimlessly. That'll do! 

Full of culture and history, Munich is a fabulous city. As soon as you arrive you'll be immersed in the Bavarian lifestyle and joie de vivre. I love it here and I'm sure you'd love it too.

Nymphenburg Palace.

Nymphenburg Palace.

Nymphenburg Palace.

Nymphenburg Palace.

Nymphenburg Palace.

Nymphenburg Palace.

Olympiahalle.

Charming summer atmosphere in the Bavarian capital.

Stachus.

Viktualienmarkt.

Maibaum.

Tough decisions at the Viktualienmarkt: rye or multi-grain?

On the streets of Munich. Peterskirche in the background.

On the streets of Munich.

On the streets of Munich.

Neues Rathaus.

Music makes everything better.

Every time I come to Munich I take a picture of this dragon at the Rathaus. It's my ritual.

Frauenkirche, the symbol of the city.