MUNICH , BAVARIA ’ S CAPITAL , was once best known for its raucous Oktoberfest celebrations , its neo-classic architecture and its glockenspiel , but there is much more to modern Munich than beer halls and frivolity . The city is the centre of one of Germany ’ s 11 metropolitan regions , with a total resident population of more than 6mn . It is the third-largest city in Germany and the 12th largest of the European Union .

Of its 1.47mn residents as of 2017 ,

Munich was home to more than 300,000 foreign nationals , many of them with roots to Turkey and various Balkan nations . Munich ’ s mayor represents the Social Democratic Party that has retained power since 1948 , except for a brief span of six years . The progressive political climates of Munich and Nuremberg , Bavaria ’ s second-largest city , run counter to the prevailing conservative orientation of the bulk of this unique German state .

80 June 2018