by Eliza Humphreys

Created on: September 23, 2008

Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is perhaps best known for its festive beer halls. But the city is equally prized for its Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque-styled buildings, its royal boulevards and outdoor markets. The city's motto is "Munich Likes You." And you'll like Munich. Here's why.

The inner city is home to several churches and squares that show off the vast architectural styles of this city founded in the 1100s. The center of the action is Marienplatz, home of the famous Glockenspiel, an ornate cuckoo clock of sorts comprised of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. Every day at 11 a.m. the glockenspiel entertains throngs of tourists as it plays out two tiers' worth of German history. The upper tier tells the story of the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V; the lower tier relates the dance of the barrel makers, celebrating the end of the plague in the 16th century.

Close to Marienplatz is Peterskirche (St. Peter's church), the oldest church, also known as Alter Peter (or Old Peter). You can climb its 306 steps for a 360 degree view of the city. The centerpiece of this church is its high altar and the figure of St. Peter. Perhaps most interesting is that the church spans architectural styles, having been constructed in the Romanesque style, expanded in the Gothic and topped off with a Renaissance steepletop and Baroque choir.

Equally as famous, and viewable from St. Peter's, is Frauenkirche, or Cathedral Church of Our Lady, seat of the archdiocese. Constructed of red brick in the late Gothic style, its two domes were modeled after the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and serve as an emblem of the city. At the entrance to the church is a footprint cast in the flooring, known as the Devil's footstep. The legend of the footprint is that the Devil left his mark there after being tricked by the church's builder, who had designed windows for the church that couldn't be viewed from the Devil's vantage point after promising the Devil that he would design a church without windows. Inside the church you also won't want to miss the tomb monument of Louis IV, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Connecting the inner city with the suburbs are four royal boulevards: Prinzregentenstrasse, Maximilianstrasse (home of the state parliament), Ludwigstrasse, and Briennerstrasse. Briennerstrasse is close to one of the most significant museums of interior design, Residenz, the former royal palace complex of the Bavarian monarchs. Another one of the world's great museums calling Munich home is Alte Pinakothek,

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