In the city of Munich, the capital of state Bavaria, Gemany

 Ornamental beer mugs are often known as “Steins” abroad, though you won’t hear this word used much in the context of Oktoberfest. Instead, those drinking vessels are known as Maßkruge, or more commonly, Maß for short.

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(in the German state of Bavaria) Munich, the capital of Bavaria, is the state's third largest city, after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich lies about 30 miles (48 km) north of the edge of the Alps along the Isar River, which flows through the middle of the city.

+ Munich, or München (“Home of the Monks”), traces its origins to the Benedictine monastery at Tegernsee, which was founded around 750 CE. In 1157 Henry the Lion, duke of Bavaria, granted the monks the right to establish a market where the road from Salzburg met the Isar River.

+ In 1255 Munich became the home of the Wittelsbach family, which had succeeded to the duchy of Bavaria in 1180. For more than 700 years the Wittelsbachs would be connected with the town’s destiny. In the early 14th century, the first of the Wittelsbach line of Holy Roman emperors, Louis IV (Louis the Bavarian), expanded the town to the size at which it remained until the end of the 18th century. Under the Bavarian elector Maximilian I (1597–1651), Munich increased in wealth and size and prospered until the Thirty Years’ War. It was occupied by the Swedes in 1632, and in 1634 a plague epidemic resulted in the death of about one-third of its population.

+The city now has several of the largest breweries in Germany and is famous for its beer and its annual Oktoberfest celebration. A major tourist destination and a convention center, book publishing and printing and television production are also important. The city also has one of the largest wholesale markets in Europe for fruit, vegetables, and animal products. Beer fans should head for the Hofbräuhaus, which has been around since 1589. (The drinking is legendary here during Oktoberfest, which begins in late September.) The promenade of Marienplatz is great for people watching -- and gawking at the Glockenspiele of City Hall.

+ Before heading off to a pub, however, take time to savor the local art scene. The Kunstareal, Munich’s art quarter, is the place to start, with four major venues displaying everything from Dutch masters to 1960s design. The city also boasts some world-class museums focusing on topics as diverse as Oktoberfest, porcelain, and BMW cars. There are also royal palaces to be explored -- the legacy of 700 years of rule by a single family, the Wittelsbachs.

+ Munich’s various quirks might be what stick in the memory most. Whether it be the oompah band, that special knife for eating huge radishes, the Bavarians' dialect, the mad hat traditions of the Oktoberfest, or surfers on the Eisbach wave -- you are sure to discover some memorable aspect of everyday life in Munich, like the local garb (nowhere else in central Europe do the locals don their traditional costume [the famous Lederhosen and Dirndl] as readily as do Münchners.)