Munich is the capital of the Free State of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany. Munich, or München (“home of the monks”), derives its name from theBenedictine monasteryfounded in the area, which is believed to have been established around the year 750. Although there is evidence of settlements in the area dating back to the Neolithic period, and the wider region of Bavaria has a history intertwined with the Roman Empire,Munich was first mentioned in a document in 1158, and this date is generally accepted as its foundation.Henry the Lion, one of the most powerful German princes of his time, gave the benedictine monks the right to establish a market on the Salt Road andbuilt a bridge over the Isar Riverto reach it, demolishing the previously built bridge.In 1175 Munich received the status of a cityand a fortified wall was built around it. History has also left very beautiful memories of Munich, such as:

The Marienplatz.It is the heart of Munich. It is a square in the city center from the time when Munich was founded by Henry the Lion in 1158. It was the place where all the main streets of the city crossed and for centuries it was the center of life in Munich. Even today, between Isartor and Karlsplatz-Stachus, Odeonsplatz and Sendlinger Tor, Marienplatz is the main meeting place, the beginning of the pedestrian zone and thepoint from which distances in the city are measured.

Nymphenburg Palaceowes its establishment as a summer residence to the birth of the long-awaited heir to the throne,Max Emanuel, who was born in 1662. The son of Prince Ferdinand and his wife Henrietta Adelaide of Savoy, after ten years of marriage. The pavilion, now the central part of the palace,was completed in 1675.Maximilian Emanuele IIhimself greatly enlarged the castle, and laterhis son Charles VIIAlbert added the baroque palace known as theCavalier’s House. Today, the palace’s pavilions are rented for banquets and receptions for distinguished guests from Italy and abroad, and the annual Nymphenburg Summer Concerts of classical music are famous.

The English gardenis also one of the pearls that adorn Munich andis one of the largest parks in the world,even larger than New York’s Central Park. The word England was given solely because of the garden style in which it was carved, which was popular in England at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century.After the death of the ruler of Bavaria Maximilian Jozef III in 1777, who had no descendants,his throne went toArchduke Charles Theodore.Theodore decided to improve the city by demolishing the city walls, which allowed for the creation of magnificent English gardens.In 1789, construction began on the gardens,which were initially used by Tomson’s soldiers, but a few years later, the gardens were opened to the public and all residents could use them.Today it is a paradise for tourists, but also for Munich residents who want to relax and escape the noise of the city.

The small central market on Marienplatzused to be the center of activity in Munich. However, as the city continued to grow in the early nineteenth century, there was a need for a larger market where residents could buy the food they needed for daily life.King Maximiliandecided to build the market,so the buildings of the charitable Heiliggeist Hospice were demolished and the market was built. The new market was originally called Marktplatz and later Viktualienmarkt. As the city expanded and urbanized, so did the market, and today there are as many as 140 shops.