The spectacular interior of this museum is dominated by a huge dome, spreading natural light throughout the soft white galleries over four floors. On display a survey of 20th-century art, plus design, sculpture, photography and video. Sources include the Bavarian royal family and the State Graphics Collection of 400,000 drawings, prints and engravings.

Germany's biggest collection of modern art, the Pinakathek der Moderne contains oils and prints by household names such as Picasso, Dali, Klee, Kandinsky and Warhol, mostly lesser-known works that will be fresh to many visitors. One notable signature work is Joseph Beuys' End Of The 20th Century, comprising 44 columns of basalt strewn about an otherwise blank chamber.

The basement covers the evolution of design from the industrial revolution to today. VW Beetles, Eames chairs and early Apple Macs stand alongside more obscure items such as AEG's latest electric kettles in 1909.

Visit Marienplatz on a sunny day and you'll find the world and its dog enjoying this expanse of cafes at the heart and soul of the Altstadt. The spikes and turrets of the 19th-century neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus grace the square's northern border, while the spruced-up remains of the original town hall, the Altes Rathaus (1470), squat at its eastern end.

The obvious photo opportunity is the Glockenspiel in the centre of the Neues Rathaus; the marvellous figures spring into action four times daily. Take a lift to the top of the ridiculously spindly spire for more pics. The nearby Fishbrunnen (Fish Fountain) harks back to medieval market days, when fish were kept alive in the fountain before being sold. Dip your purse in on Ash Wednesday and it will always be full - and if you believe that, you deserve to have a soggy wallet.

If the Föhn (a warm, dry wind) is blowing you can see the Alps in all their glory from the top of the Gothic St Peterskirche, and the rococo ceiling of the Heiliggeistkirche is just as gob-smacking. The other church you can see to the northwest is the city's trademark Frauenkirche - those oxidised copper onion domes are reproduced on everything from beer steins to tea towels.

Ludwig the Bavarian is buried here. To the north there's Ludwig's Alter Hof, home of the Wittelsbachs before they moved to the Residenz; it received its severe neo-Gothic facelift during 19th-century renovations. Follow the raucous racket of cheers and oompah-music to the nearby Hofbräuhaus. Hitler's National Socialists first met here in 1920, and today the lovely old building is filled to the brim with beer-guzzling sightseers.

Near the Sendlinger Tor, a 14th-century gate, you'll come upon the pint-sized St Johann Nepomuk church, better known as the Asamkirche (1733-46). It was designed and built in the 18th century as a private chapel by the Asam brothers, who lived next door.

The jaw-dropping interior shows a harmonious unity of architecture, painting and sculpture, with scarcely a single unembellished surface. As you enter, note the golden skeleton of Death trying to cut the string of Life. More of the younger Asam's masterful frescoes can be viewed in the ornate Damenstiftskirche just north of Sendlingerstrasse.

The vast Deutsches Museum, said to be the world's largest science and technology museum, is spread out along 16km (8mi) of corridors on eight floors. There are loads of interactive displays (including glass blowing and paper making), model coal and salt mines, and wonderful sections on musical instruments, caves, geodesy, microelectronics and astronomy.

Demonstrations take place throughout the day (consult the noticeboards by the ticket booths). A popular one is in the electricity section where a staff member is raised in the insulated 'Faraday Cage', which is then zapped with a 220,000-volt lightning bolt. There's usually a staff musician playing one of the ancient keyboards in the instrument section, which makes for a relaxing interlude from the hordes of visitors elsewhere in the museum.

The roof affords a nice view west over the Isar towards the Altstadt.

If the Residenz hasn't satisfied your passion for palaces, visit the amazing Schloss (Palace) Nymphenburg. Begun in 1664 as a villa for Electress Adelaide of Savoy, the amazing palace and gardens were continually expanded and built upon over the next century to create the royal family's summer residence.

The main palace building consists of a main villa and two wings. The rooms are all sumptuous, but one of the most majestic is the Schönheitengalerie (Gallery of Beauties) in the south wing, formerly the apartments of Queen Caroline. It's now the home of 36 portraits of beautiful women chosen by an admiring King Ludwig I.

Also in the south wing are the coaches and riding gear of the royal families, suitably displayed in the Marstallmuseum (Royal Stables Museum). Ludwig II's over-the-top sleigh fitted with oil lamps for his nocturnal outings is not to be missed.

The north wing is occupied by the Museum Mensch und Natur (Museum of Humankind & Nature). This is a fun place to bring children for the interactive, if aged, displays on the animal kingdom, planet earth and the mysteries of the human body (German only).

This Italian-style art palace commissioned by King Ludwig I contains a treasure trove of works of European masters between the 14th and 18th centuries. The collection reflects the rather eclectic tastes of the Wittelsbachs over four centuries, and are sorted by schools over two sprawling floors.

Major displays include Albrecht Dürer's Christ-like Self-Portrait and his Four Apostles; Rogier van der Weyden's Adoration of the Magi; Botticelli's Pietà; and Peter Paul Rubens' two-storey-high Judgement Day. This museum houses, in fact, one of the world's most comprehensive Rubens collections.

Near the Olympic tower stands the temporary BMW Museum (Bayerische Motoren Werke). You can see highlights from its splendid car and motorcycle collection parked in a globe-like tent. From summer 2007 exhibits will move into a sleek, newly revamped museum at the company headquarters to the east, underneath the famous towers shaped like automobile pistons.

Visitors will also be able to take tours of the firm's architectural showpiece, the cloud-shaped BMW Welt, a car delivery and events centre just north of the Olympiapark.

A highlight of Munich's museum scene, the Bavarian National Museum is chock-full of exhibits illustrating the art, folklore and cultural history of southern Germany and Bavaria in particular. The ground floor has treasures from the early Middle Ages to the rococo period, including evocative sculptures by Erasmus Grasser and Tilman Riemenschneider.

Upstairs, there are 19th-century highlights including Nymphenburg porcelain, precious glass and an exquisite collection of Jugendstil (Art Deco) items. Also here is a celebrated collection of cots from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

In the age of high-tech hotels, this place is one of a dying breed: a classic German pension - frill-free, functional and run by an elderly woman with an inimitable blend of exuberant warmth and eccentricity. Spread over multiple floors of a late 19th-century townhouse, it offers a curious look back to the 1950s.

The spirit of the tough postwar period still emanates from every nick in the wooden floors, every stain in the faded curtains, and every peeling edge of wallpaper. Rooms don't skimp on size but only six of the 44 have en suite bathrooms, although some have in-room sinks. The TV gets only a few channels and the phone requires manual connection and thus can only be used if staff are around. Rates include a basic breakfast but the room where it's served is matchbox-sized, which is why most people prefer to take their bread and jam back to their rooms. This no-frills approach is not for everybody, to be sure, but there's an odd charm to the place that'll appeal to those with a sense of history and humour.

Take a top location, mix with a generous dose of style, stir in a touch of trendiness and you'll get one killer cocktail of a hotel. One of Munich's few designer abodes, the Anna is a hit with urban sophisticates. Its swank restaurant-bar is a beehive of activity at all hours.

Most rooms feature a look that might be termed 'edgy traditional'. The classy Donghia furniture is dressed in a regal palette of gold, black and burgundy fabrics so rich that you just want to run your hands over them. The elegant, sensuous ambience extends to the bathroom where you'll be drenched both by daylight and water gushing from a 'rainforest' shower. Boundary-pushing details include a little box filled with such thoughtful essentials as a sewing kit and a condom, while wi-fi and beer and soda in the minibar are surprise freebies. The half-moon-shaped Turmzimmer (tower rooms) have awesome views of the Frauenkirche and other landmarks. If you prefer a more cutting-edge look, book a room on the upper two floors. The minimalist feel is tempered by a bevy of exquisite materials - teakwood, marble, frosted glass and iridescent mosaics.

If the slogan 'We try harder' wasn't already in use by that big car rental agency, it could just as easily apply to the Reim family, who have run this quaint little hotel near the Theresienwiese Oktoberfest grounds for over half a century. Inside a stately neo-Renaissance villa, it radiates intangible qualities that are so often lacking elsewhere: an embracing warmth and unpretentious kindness.

The Uhland has for decades been on the radar screen of Munich regulars who like their hotel to feel like a home away from home. But rather than rest on their laurels, the three generations of family members are constantly finding ways to improve their guests' experience. Grandpa is in charge of all things technological, such as installing wi-fi, bathroom phones and hallway light sensors. Grandma teams up with her granddaughter to work on the decor, resulting in a harmonious mix of traditional and trendy. Mom, meanwhile, can often be found behind the reception desk greeting guests with a big smile and fluent English. Free coffee and ice cubes, a big breakfast with mix-your-own muesli, bike rentals, rooms with heated waterbeds, free parking and lots of other thoughtful services make this place an enduring favourite.

The office makes reservations, sells tickets for DB trains and a variety of tours and helps you locate accommodation. EurAide's free newsletter, the Inside Track, is packed with practical info about the city and surroundings, and gives discounts on changing money.

The best laundry close to the centre.

Pharmacy.

This place is decked out like a Prohibition-era bar and comes with a cocktail menu as long and confusing as a Dostoevsky novel. Happy hour is from 17:00 to 20:00 and all night Sunday.

This watering hole has good jazz, a reasonable menu and an arthouse vibe. Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse were among the writers and artists that used to meet here in the early 20th century. Charming old covers of the satirical magazine Simplicissimus adorn the walls.

This sprawling place has a less raucous atmosphere than most and better food. Altogether it's a much more authentic example of an old-style Munich beer hall, complete with secluded courtyards and hunting trophies.

Munich's major cultural centre opened in 1985 and is home to the renowned Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Richard Strauss Conservatory, the Municipal Library and two live-theatre spaces. The orchestra performs in the Philharmonic Hall, while regular theatre performances take place either in the Carl Orff Hall or the more intimate Black Box.

You can buy tickets from the Glashalle on the ground floor (closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday).

This enormous place, about 500m (1640ft) west of the Hauptbahnhof, is a giant leafy beer garden buzzing with life and good cheer from the first hint of springtime. It's one of the oldest and biggest beer gardens in Munich with space for 5000 and a playground for children. The spot is beautiful and the atmosphere laid-back - ideal for leisurely drinking.

A stomping ground for the chic and the intellectual, the Dukatz serves up designer sandwiches and latte macchiato in its cafe section, and stratospherically priced but impressive mains in its restaurant.

This relaxed cafe has gloriously high ceilings, chandeliers and a dark, refined ambiance that would make Beethoven proud. The breakfast selections are named after famous composers and the divine evening meals are accompanied by live jazz or classical music.

Cosy panelling and a vaulted brick ceiling set the tone of this traditional chow house, where dishes have a Franconian twist. A plate of six Nuremberg sausages with sauerkraut costs next to nix - and really hits the spot.

This hill-top Benedictine monastery was rebuilt in rococo style in 1675 after being ruined during the Thirty Years' War. These days the pilgrims are beer-lovers rather than religious types, drawn here by the delicious beers the Andechs monks have been brewing for 500 years or so. Eat on the terrace if possible.

Considered by many to be Munich's best vegetarian restaurant, this spacious, trendy haunt has an impressive Italian- and Asian-influenced menu including some macrobiotic choices. If you just want a light snack half portions are available.

The Christkindlmarkt in December is a well-stocked fulfiller of traditional Christmas wishes. Crèche scenes, 'smoking figures' carved in the Erzgebirge and spicy-sweet Lebkuchen (gingerbread) are some of the favourites. Flea markets are held on the square at other times of year.

Hugendubel is a heavyweight among German booksellers - few rivals can match its astounding selection. The cultural, English-language and travel sections, in particular, are unsurpassed in Munich. There are several branches in the city.

One of Europe's great food markets, where deep-pocketed travellers can put together a gourmet picnic of breads, cheeses and salad for a jaunt to the Englischer Garten. In summer it's transformed into one of the finest and beer gardens around, while in winter there's warmth and schnapps in small pubs around the square.