Bavaria

Regensburg, with its cathedral, by the Danube
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Regensburg_08_2006_2.jpg
Author: Karsten Dörre


Bavaria introduces the largest state in the Federal Republic of Germany. Bavaria covers an area of 70,548 sq km (27,200 sq mi). The state is known in German as Bayern.

Bavaria has a population of 12.5 million people. It is bordered by Baden-Württemberg to the west, Hesse to the northwest, Thuringia to the north, Saxony to the northeast, the Czech Republic to the east, Austria to the southeast and a small part of Switzerland, across Lake Constance, to the southwest. The capital of Bavaria is the city of Munich.

Bavaria is one of the oldest states of Europe. It can trace its history back to the first millennium. It the 17th century, its dukes were the Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. Bavaria was a kingdom between 1806 and 1918, then the short lived Bavarian Socialist Republic after that. It became part of the Weimar Republic (known in German as Deutsches Reich and in English as simply Germany) in 1919.

The rise of the Nazis to power saw the dissolution of the Bavarian parliament without new elections in 1933. Upon gaining power, the Nazis dissolved all other parties in Bavaria (as well as elsewhere in Germany). Bavaria was split into five regionsm called Reichsgaue, namely Schwaben, München-Oberbayern, Bayrische Ostmark, Franken and Main-Franken.

Following the Second World War, Bavaria was under American occupation. It was then reestablished as a state on 19 September, 1945, and integrated into the Federal Republic of Germany.

Today Bavaria has one of the largest and healthiest economies in Germany. Its GDP in 2007 stands at US$600 billion (€434 billion) and its per capita GDP is €33,200.

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Going to Bavaria

The Munich International Airport is the main gateway for flights to Bavaria, connected with many cities in Germany and across Europe. You can also take the ICE high speed train from Frankfurt, Nuremberg and other cities in Germany to Munich.

Landscape of Upper Franconia in winter
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baumundnebel.JPG
Author: Tian.chris


Oktoberfest in Munich
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oktoberfest_bierzelt.JPG
Author: Gutsul


Pottenstein, Bavaria
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TRS_030524_029.jpg
Author: Trond Strandsberg

Major Cities in Bavaria

World Heritage Sites in Bavaria

Tourist Destinations in Bavaria

Administrative Districts of Bavaria

Spa Towns of Bavaria

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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