Munich

The grand central square, dominated by the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, whose famous Glockenspiel clock sets 32 painted figures dancing and jousting on the hour. Climb the tower for a rooftop view, watch the show at 11am, and soak up the heart of the city; the beginning of any Munich visit.

One of the world's largest urban parks — bigger than New York's Central Park — a vast green sweep of meadows, streams and beer gardens where locals sunbathe (often nude), and, improbably, surfers ride a permanent standing wave on the Eisbach river at its edge. Watch the surfers, then stroll to a beer garden.

The full Bavarian experience — a cavernous, roaring beer hall like the famous Hofbräuhaus, where an oompah band plays, litre steins (Maß) clink, and waiters in dirndls ferry pork knuckle and pretzels through the crowds. Touristy at the Hofbräuhaus, but enormous fun; find a spot at a long table and join in.

The city's beloved open-air food market just off Marienplatz — 140 stalls of Bavarian cheese, sausage, bread, flowers and produce, with a maypole and its own beer garden at the heart, shaded by chestnut trees. Graze the stalls, grab a weisswurst or a beer, and take the pulse of eating Munich.

The vast baroque summer palace of the Bavarian kings on the western edge of the city — a grand painted 'Hall of Mirrors', the famous 'Gallery of Beauties', and huge formal gardens and canals to wander. A magnificent, less-crowded royal day out; the park alone is a lovely stroll.

Munich's cluster of great art museums in Maxvorstadt — the Alte Pinakothek's Old Masters (Dürer, Rubens, Rembrandt), the Neue Pinakothek's 19th-century works, and the Pinakothek der Moderne's design and modern art. A world-class art district; pick one, or gallery-hop, and note Sunday's €1 entry to the Altes.

The soul of Munich summer — hundreds of chestnut-shaded tables under the trees, where you buy a litre of beer and a pretzel, and are welcome to bring your own picnic to the self-service benches. The Chinese Tower garden in the English Garden is the classic; a gloriously relaxed, sociable Bavarian ritual.

The great brick Gothic cathedral whose twin onion-domed towers are the symbol of Munich, visible across the city. Step inside to the soaring, austere nave and find the legendary 'Devil's Footprint' in the entrance; climb a tower for the view (when open). A quietly powerful landmark in the old town.

One of the world's oldest and largest science-and-technology museums, on an island in the Isar — a vast, hands-on romp through everything from mining tunnels and historic aircraft to space capsules and a lightning show. Brilliant for all ages and endlessly absorbing; give it a good half-day.

The enormous former royal palace of the Bavarian rulers in the heart of the old town — over a hundred opulent rooms and courtyards, a jaw-dropping shell-encrusted grotto, an ornate rococo theatre and a dazzling treasury of crowns and jewels. A vast, sumptuous glimpse of royal Bavaria; give it a couple of hours.

By the Olympic Park, the futuristic BMW Welt showroom and the bowl-shaped museum next door tell the story of the Munich carmaker — gleaming vintage and concept cars, motorbikes and design, plus the striking 1972 Olympiapark to explore alongside. A fun, free-to-enter (museum ticketed) hit for petrolheads and architecture fans.

The classic Munich breakfast — a pair of white veal sausages gently simmered, eaten (traditionally before noon) with sweet mustard, a soft pretzel and a wheat beer. Peel off the skin, and don't be shy about the morning beer; it's tradition. A tasty, only-in-Bavaria ritual best had at a market or old inn.

A monumental neoclassical square framed by Greek-temple-style museums of antiquities, built as Munich's 'Athens on the Isar' — grand and calm by day, and a chilling place too, as a former Nazi parade ground, with a nearby documentation centre. Striking architecture and layered history, in the museum quarter.

The great meadow that hosts Oktoberfest, empty and windswept the rest of the year — presided over by the colossal bronze Bavaria statue, whose head you can climb inside for a view over the fairground. Come to picture the madness of the festival, climb the statue, and see the site behind the world's biggest party.

Beyond the beer halls, Munich's real nightlife is in the Glockenbachviertel — cocktail bars, cellar clubs, LGBTQ+ haunts and buzzing restaurants in a hip, laid-back quarter by the river. The place to go out like a local rather than a tourist; bar-hop the streets and see where the night takes you.