During the days we must stay at home without matches to watch, let us start an online-travel to go into the most beautiful stadiums in the world and their attractive cities. Our 5th station is Bayern's home, Allianz Arena and the classical city, Munich.
Allianz Arena Stadium Tour
Following on from the Grünwald Stadium and later the Olympic Stadium, the stunning ground in the north of Munich is the third home venue in Bayern's long Bundesliga history, and certainly the most spectacular.
Europe's most modern stadium, with a capacity of 75,024, has already established itself in the collective conscience of football fans all over the world within a short timescale.
Construction of the Allianz Arena started in October 2002, with a total investment in the project of €340 million.
In addition to witnessing some of Bayern's most important Bundesliga matches, the Allianz Arena was a 2006 FIFA World Cup venue, even staging France's semi-final defeat of Portugal.
And also provided the backdrop to the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League final in which Bayern's dream of being crowned European champions on home soil was dashed by Chelsea.
Visitors could be particularly impressed by the facade. 2,760 diamond-shaped cushions form the world’s biggest membrane cladding covering an area of 66,500 m².
Even if it is not your first visit, it's hard to believe the evidence of your own eyes at night matches when the whole stadium appears to be red when viewed from the outside.
Originally only red, white and blue when the stadium first opened, the LEDs inside the Arena's 'cushion' exterior can now — since an upgrade ahead of the 2015/16 season — be illuminated in any of 16 million colours, including those of the rainbow as they celebrated Gay Pride in 2016.
The three-tier interior of the Allianz Arena has extraordinary acoustics that rapidly turn the stadium into a cauldron when hosting thrilling encounters.
The atmosphere in Allianz Arena is wonderful.
It is no surprise that the Allianz Arena is nearly always full to the rafters. Around two million fans visit the stadium every season with all 71,000 available seats and standing places being sold out for all 17 Bundesliga home games.
Since May 2012 there has been another compelling reason for fans and families to flock to the stadium in droves: the FCB Erlebniswelt, housed at the Allianz Arena and already established as a must–see attraction for thousands of the five million visitors to Munich every year.
Germany's biggest club museum tells the absorbing story of the club in an interactive installation covering more than 3,000 m².
The exhibition on Level 3 of the Allianz Arena features much more than countless fascinating exhibits, including trophies, and boots and shirts worn by Bayern greats past and present.
After experiencing the FCB Erlebniswelt, visitors enter the gigantic FC Bayern Megastore, now expanded and modernised, and an even more attractive proposition than ever before.
On non-matchdays, you can take an hour-long guided tour of the stadium, which will bring you to places usually only the likes of Lewandowski, Muller & Neuer get to see, including the dressing rooms and players' tunnel.
Bayern are now the sole shareholders in the Allianz Arena. TSV 1860 Munich, who were originally joint occupants of the stadium, are now tenants up to 30 June 2025.
Munich City Tour
Munich, the capital of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany, lies on the River Isar on the fringes of the Bavarian Alps. You can follow the lines of Munich's medieval walls in a ring of curving streets and see three of its impressive old city gates.
Munich is a fun-loving city, known for its seasonal festivals and rich cultural calendar, so along with visiting the beautiful churches and outstanding museums and palaces, you should spend some time enjoying life with the locals at a festival, a colorful market, or over a slice of one of Munich's famous cakes in a konditorei.
Here's a look at the top tourist attractions in Munich!
Marienplatz
Marienplatz is the most famous square in Munich. The city hall was built in the Gothic Revival style, and features most of the Wittelsbach rulers on the main façade while statues of four Bavarian kings are on a lower level.
This highly ornate building is a tourist magnet in itself, but what really draws the tourists to Marienplatz is the thrice-daily performance of the Glockenspiel.
Englischer Garten
The size of New York City’s Central Park pales in comparison to Munich's Englischer Garten, one of the world’s largest urban parks. The park, which stretches from the city center to northeast Munich, was established in 1789, but has been enlarged over the centuries.
It takes its name from the traditional English gardens that were popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The garden contains a Japanese teahouse, a meadow where nude sunbathing is permitted and an artificial wave used by surfboarders.
Hofbrauhaus
Munich residents do love their beer, celebrating it annually at Oktoberfest. Travelers who won’t be here then can still sip the suds at the Hofbrauhaus, one of the oldest breweries in town.
The Hofbrauhaus dates back to 1589 when it was founded by Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria, when it served as the official brewery for Munich’s royalty.
The brewery and the beer hall are among the most popular tourist attraction in Munich today.
Munich Frauenkirche
The church dates back to the 15th century when it was built in an astounding 20 years’ time, though completion of some features was postponed due to lack of money.
The Munich Frauenkirche serves as the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Munich and is home to the archbishop.
The cathedral was damaged during World War II, but has been restored It is famous for its bells and as the final resting place for the Dukes of Bavaria.
BMW Welt & Museum
What better place to learn more about BMW's fast cars and motorcycles than BMW Welt and the BMW museum? BMW Welt is a place to see and gain knowledge of the company’s latest product offerings.
The nearby BMW Museum has exhibits tracing the history of these famous two- and four-wheeled vehicles. Many old cars and motorcycles are on display along a spiral ramp that curls along the inside of the bowl-shaped building.
Oktoberfest
Munich Oktoberfest justly lays claim to being the world's largest folk festival.
Over the past decade it has attracted an average of around six million visitors a year, who between them consume almost seven million litres of beer and munch their way through thousands of grilled sausages, chickens, giant pretzels and wild oxen.
The festival, which spans just over two weeks, is held annually in a meadow just outside Munich’s city centre. In addition to eating, drinking and dancing, visitors can enjoy colourful parades, a variety of fairground rides, and for those not themselves in traditional Bavarian gear, admire those that are.
