GERMANY WORLD CUP 2006
Munich
Munich, literally meaning "home of the monks", came into being when friars settled there in the eighth century. It was the monks who began the brewing tradition for which the city has become famous. Every year, some six million people visit the Oktoberfest beer festival, consuming more than 5.5m litres of the amber nectar in two weeks. Bavaria's capital has plenty to offer aside from beer, however.
Second only to Berlin as Germany's most popular city to visit, Munich is packed with designer bars, top-notch restaurants and some leading art collections. Head into the beautiful square known as Marienplatz to watch the daily clockwork performance of the Glockenspiel on the façade of the gothic New Town Hall. Or escape the city to the nearby Bavarian Alps. Munich has close links with sports of all kinds, having hosted the 1972 Olympic Games, 1974 World Cup final, the Euro 1988 final and the UEFA Champions League final in 1997. The 2006 World Cup will kick off in the city's new AllianzArena.
Munich's most famous footballing son is Franz Beckenbauer, or "The Kaiser" - the only man to have won the World Cup both as a player and as manager. In 1974, the entire World Cup was broadcast on television in colour for the first time, culminating in the final at Munich's Olympic Stadium, where viewers watched home-boy Franz Beckenbauer excel.
Getting there
By air
Munich's International Airport (MUC) is located 17 miles northeast of the city. There is an airport bus every 20 minutes to and from Arnulfstrasse, on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station). It takes about 45 minutes.
By rail
There are international rail links from some of Europe's main cities to Germany's gateway cities of Aachen and Cologne.
Links :
Deutsche Bahn
European Rail
By road
All main German cities are serviced by Eurlolines and tickets can be purchased at Deutsche Bahn (representative agents), which you'll find in main railway stations. If travelling by private car, you'll find information on the German motorway network at autobahn-online.de.
Accomodation
The most central place to find a room is Fifaworldcup.com. The majority of listed hotels are located close to the venue which will save you a lot of time on match day. Searching for the right place to stay is made simple for bookers - just name which team you are supporting and a list of hotels will appear for you to select in each city that they will play in.
The stadium
The Allianz Arena is home to both of Munich's Bundesliga clubs (FC Bayern and TSV 1860) and during league games the stadium's exterior changes colour according to which team is playing (red for Bayern and blue for 1860).
Getting there : From the Hauptbahnhof, take the underground U6 to "Fröttmaning".
Official website
If you don't get a ticket
There is an Australian bar called The Arc Pub and it is where sports fans gather to watch events.
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