Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [258]
If you’re looking to keep the kids amused (and can stomach the budget-busting admission), SeaLife (Map; 450 000; adult/child 3-14yr €14.90/9.95; 10am-7pm) is the place to head. Reef sharks, moray eels and magical sea horses are among the 10,000 creatures on display, all presented in realistic aquariums with recessed glass viewing ports. Tunnel walkways lead you right through some tanks – the next best thing to scuba diving.
BMW MUSEUM
Redesigned from scratch and reopened in 2008, the BMW Museum (Map; 0180-211 8822; www.bmw-museum.com; Am Olympiapark 2; adult/child €12/6; 9am-6pm Tue-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat & Sun) is like no other car museum on the planet. The seven themed ‘houses’ examine the development of BMW’s product line and include sections on motorcycles and motor racing. However, the interior design of this truly unique building, with its curvy retro feel, futuristic bridges, squares and huge backlit wall screens, almost upstages the exhibits.
An undulating bridge leads from the museum to BMW’s architectural showpiece, the cloud-shaped BMW Welt (Am Olympiapark 1; admission free; 9am-8pm). Here you’ll find interactive exhibits, the latest high-powered cars and motorbikes, a restaurant and a BMW ‘lifestyle accessories’ shop. This is also the place to arrange a factory tour (adult/child €6/3; 8.30am-8pm Mon-Fri), which demonstrates just how a ‘Beamer’ is born.
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South of the Altstadt
You could spend days exploring the Deutsches Museum (Map; 217 91; www.deutsches-museum.de; Museumsinsel 1; adult/concession/family €8.50/7/17, child under 6yr free; 9am-5pm), said to be the world’s largest science and technology collection. This vast museum occupies its own island southeast of Isartor (Isar Gate) and features just about anything ever invented. Interactive displays (including glass blowing and paper making), model coal and salt mines, and wonderful sections on musical instruments, caves, geodesy, micro-electronics and astronomy are just some of the delights on offer. Demonstrations take place throughout the day; a popular one is in the power hall where a staff member is raised in the insulated Faraday Cage and zapped with a 220,000V bolt of lightning.
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West of the Altstadt
THERESIENWIESE
About 1.5km west of the old town, the gigantic, ear-shaped Theresienwiese (Theresa Meadow; Map) is the venue for the annual Oktoberfest (see boxed text, opposite) and other events. On the western flank looms the classical Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame; Map; admission free), an open gallery of famous Bavarians whose busts adorn the wall like hunting trophies. The hall curls horseshoe-like around the green-tinged Bavaria statue (Map; adult/under 18yr with parents/concession €2.50/free/1.50; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct). Climb up to the head cavity to get a great view from her hollow eyes of the ‘Wies’n’, as the locals call the festival grounds.
VERKEHRSZENTRUM
Sheltered in an historic trade fair complex, the Verkehrszentrum (Transport & Mobility Centre; Map; 500 806 762; Theresienhöhe 14a; adult/child €6/3; 9am-5pm) features some fascinating exhibits, with hands-on displays about pioneering research and famous inventions, plus cars, boats and trains, and the history of car racing. Another section shows off the Deutsche Museum’s entire vehicle collection, ranging from the first motorcars to high-speed ICE trains.
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Schloss Nymphenburg
Commanding Schloss Nymphenburg (Map; 179 080; combined ticket to everything adult/concession €10/8) and its lavish gardens sprawl about 5km northwest of the Altstadt. Begun in 1664 as a villa for Electress Adelaide of Savoy, the palace and gardens were expanded over the next century to create the royal