Situated in the south of Germany, Munich stands in contrast to Berlin, the capital of cool, with its numerous art spaces, dazzling club scene and ever-strained economic situation. While Berlin is 'poor but sexy', as the city's mayor so aptly describes it, the quaint Bavarian capital represents considerable success in many fields; think BMW, Siemens or Bayern Munich, champions of the national football Bundesliga more often than not. It is perhaps unfair, then, that the average Munich resident is stereotypically seen as an overweight, beer-swilling, conservative frump.
During the annual, notoriously frenzied Oktoberfest - which this year starts next Saturday and ends on Reunification Day, October 3 - television crews from all over the world descend on the city to watch its inhabitants, dressed in dirndls (the traditional Bavarian dress) and lederhosn (leather shorts), do their best to live up to at least part of the stereotype. But don't be misled by the images; other than those two weeks of binge drinking, Munich offers an excellent quality of life. And, with its stunning views of the Alps, it's worth a visit at any time of the year.
For many locals, weekends begin at Schumann's - Munich's most famous bar. Complemented by austere chairs and bar stools in dark red leather, the interior, anchored by a two-storey wall adorned with green marble, is a cathedral of drinking. A long row of dramatic red Campari bottles build the altar; the stoical bartenders in white jackets and long white aprons are the priests. On a warm summer evening, however, you are better off sitting outside, where there is usually a soft, welcome breeze. Schumann's has a stunning backyard and an alfresco area at the front, on the historic Odeonsplatz, a large square named after a concert hall.
Amid the flamboyant ladies in huge sunglasses sipping glasses of champagne and designers, businessmen and intellectuals putting the world to rights over whiskey sour and steak, often circulates a tall, grey-haired gentleman. Charles, as everybody calls Mr Schumann, is the distinguished and multilingual patron. Ask him what he likes about his city and he'll reply, 'Munich can be quite international - on a good day. The weather is nice, Italy is not far. And you can walk everywhere.'
He has a point. If you stroll across the Odeonsplatz and past its old memorial hall, Feldherrnhalle, you can choose between two interconnected shopping boulevards. Theatinerstrasse leads to The Fuenf Hoefe - an inner city shopping mall with stunning ornamentation that is partly open air. The other boulevard leads to the upmarket Maximilianstrasse, one of the city's four royal avenues and supporting evidence for those Munich folk who like to describe their city as being in 'northernmost Italy'.
Built by King Maximilian II, who had a fondness for Italian renaissance architecture, many of the street's huge palaces, painted in yellow ochre or brick red, serve as galleries or flagship stores for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior.
Also on Maximilianstrasse, along with the National Theatre opera house, is Brenner, another evening hot spot. Eight years ago, the former royal stables were converted into a vast food hall with a bar, an open kitchen and grill stations. Up to 1,000 people eat here every day. The atmosphere is truly Italian; it's loud and hectic, but never boring.