Bavaria's capital and one of Germany's biggest cities, MUNICH is a city of art and culture. Munich is also host to the world famous annual beer festival, the Oktoberfest. The heart of the city is Marienplatz, surrounded by all the city's major department stores, the central market, the royal palace and the most important churches. Munich is rich in its many museums and art galleries. West of the Marienplatz-Schwabing axis is the main museum quarter, with many of Munich's museums, including the famous Alte Pinakothek with over 800 masterpieces by European artists from the Middle Ages to the end of the Rococo period.