A Quick Guide to Bavaria - Research in Bavaria

Community, family, innovation, nature, tradition, equality, identity—Bavaria is representative of all of these things and more. It is a wonderful place to live and work, and the Bavarian way of life is rich and rewarding. Get ready to call Bavaria “home.”

Quick Facts

Munich is the capital of Bavaria. 37% of Bavaria’s state territory are wooded areas. Augsburg is the oldest Bavarian city. More than 60 dialects are spoken in Bavaria. 12% of Bavaria’s citizens are expats. Weihenstephan is home to the oldest brewery in the world. King Ludwig II built four fairy tale castles. Bavaria (70,555km²) is 0.2 times as big as Germany. The Zugspitze (2,962m) is the highest elevation in Germany and Bavaria.

University Cities

Regardless of where you choose to settle, there will be no shortage of things for you to see and do. Bavaria’s cities are filled with iconic architecture and monuments that speak of each city’s fascinating history—histories that you’ll encounter every day as you go about life in your new home.

Augsburg

Augsburg is Bavaria’s oldest town (and the second oldest in Germany) and boasts a range of significant Renaissance and Baroque architecture: Fuggerei, Perlach Tower and Weberhaus, with beautiful façade artwork. Every summer, Augsburg celebrates a youth pop culture gala, the folk festival Plärrer, and hosts the Mozart Festival.

The Old Town Hall in the middle of the river Regnitz.

Bamberg

Bamberg's entire Altstadt is a Unesco World Heritage Site with its beautiful historic town bisected by rivers and canals. Also referred to as ‘Franconian Rome’, because like Rome, Bamberg was built on seven hills. There is no other region worldwide that can boast a higher brewery density than Upper Franconia.

Bayreuth

The Richard Wagner Festival with more than 60,000 opera devotees every year is omnipresent in Bayreuth. Outside festival time, Bayreuth is rich in cultural offerings like the Margravial Opera House, the Hermitage, as well as its streets of sandstone baroque architecture, beautiful gardens and impressive palaces.

Eichstätt

No other university city in Bavaria radiates such a personal and intimate atmosphere as Eichstätt. The small town is a gem of Baroque architecture and the perfect start for excursions: The Altmühltal Nature Park for example is only a stone's throw away. For those who prefer city trips you can take advantage of the fast connections to Ingolstadt, Munich or Nuremberg.

Bird's eye view of theTiergärtnertor Square in Nürnberg.

Erlangen and Nuremberg

The Erlangen-Nuremberg region is a small metropolis: It is home to an ever-growing start-up scene harmoniously embedded in a strong economic region and the Medical Valley. In the student city of Erlangen, all sights can be easily reached by bike. In Nuremberg the annual Christmas market ("Christkindlesmarkt"), is renowned all over the world.

Munich

The capital of Bavaria and third largest city in Germany lies to the north of the Alps. The metropolis straddles the line between being a strong centre for electronic, high-tech and automotive industries, while at the same time being a symbol for Gemütlichkeit: summer beer gardens, surfers on the Eisbach wave in the English Garden, and tradition-steeped Oktoberfest.

Passau

Close to the border of Austria lies the Bavarian town of Passau, whose cityscape is largely shaped by its three rivers - the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. The narrow lanes, tunnels and archways of the historic city centre exude an almost Italian charm and it is the perfect start for excursions to the forests of Bohemia and Upper Austria.

Regensburg

The historic city centre with its countless picturesque alleys is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the most important sights of Regensburg are not just the heart of the city, St. Peter's Cathedral, but also Regensburg's secret landmark: The Stone Bridge, the oldest surviving bridge in Germany and a hotspot to hang out at during summer.

Würzburg

Nestled among scenic vineyards lies Würzburg, in the northwest of Bavaria and close to Frankfurt. The hip cafés and clubs of this cosy, lively student town contrast starkly with imposing buildings such as the magnificent Residence. Würzburg is home to an arty cultural scene and, of course, the omnipresent wine culture.

Speak like a Bavarian

Greetings

Whilst "Grüss Gott" is our most usual form of greeting, "Servus" is also a very traditional, common and flexible word that can be used either as "hi" or as "goodbye".

Bavarian Highlights

With its idyllic mountain setting, Neuschwanstein castle attracts more than one million visitors from all over the world each year. Built by the "fairy tale king" Ludwig II in the 19th century, is rumoured to be the inspiration for a variety of Disney castles.
The Drachenstich (or Spearing the Dragon) is the oldest traditional folk spectacle in Germany. Dating back 500 years, the event includes a re-enactment of the slaying of a dragon, which threatened the town of Furth im Wald in the Middle Ages. The steel dragon is 15.5 meters long and four meters tall—making it the largest four-legged walking robot in the world.
For most Bavarians, a cold winter day is just as enjoyable as a warm summer evening—thanks to the wide range of winter activities in Bavaria. But sledging down a toboggan run is definitely one of the best ways to take in the winter breeze.
Bavaria is home to the purity law, to the oldest brewery and the biggest beer festival. But did you know that the highest density of breweries in the world can be found in Upper Franconia?
The Franconian city of Bayreuth is an El Dorado for classical music lovers: The world-famous Richard Wagner Opera Festival and the baroque Margravial Opera House—a UNESCO world heritage site—are absolute must sees when visiting Bayreuth.
Beer festivals and travelling fun fairs are an important part of the Bavarian culture. From the famous "Oktoberfest" in Munich, the "Bergkirchweih" in Erlangen, the "Herbstfest" in Rosenheim to "Gäubodenfest" in Straubing—these festivals attract visitors from all over the world.
Hiking is a very popular activity in Bavaria. In every region, you will find great places to enjoy the beauty of nature, such as in the Bavarian Forest National Park.

Local Specialties

Bavarian food is hearty and delicious, with many excellent meat and potato-based dishes. Vegetarians will especially love the different types of dumplings, white asparagus, cheese from the Alps, wild mushrooms, and the many sweet dishes the region is renowned for. The best place for a good traditional meal is Bräuerei or Wirtshaus (pub), or a beer garden. Below is a small selection of foods that it would be a shame not to try.

Breze

These are soft pretzels covered in large salt grains. When fresh, they are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and wonderfully yeasty and savory. While they are an excellent accompaniment to a cold beer (a beer garden classic), people commonly eat them on the go for breakfast with a good smear of butter. Ask for a Butterbreze from any bakery.

Obadzda

Another beer garden favorite, this is an indulgent cheese dip consisting of cream cheese, butter, and a soft cheese (usually brie or camembert). It is served with thinly sliced raw red onion and traditionally eaten with a Breze.

Three Nuremberg sausages in a bread roll.

Nürnberger Rostbratwurst

If you're visiting Nuremberg, you must try the Nuremberg Bratwurst. You can enjoy them in many different ways, such as pan fried, boiled or as a meal to go, known as “Drei im Weggla”. For this hearty snack three small freshly-roasted Nuremberg sausages are placed in a hard roll ("Weggla") that has been cut in half.

Bread dumpling served with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Knödel

Dumplings are such a staple of Bavarian cuisine that you can have them for dinner and dessert. There are potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel) and bread dumplings (Semmelknödel), which are often served with a roasted pork belly (Braten), or a pork knuckle (Haxn).

Topfenknödel

Sweet dumpling varieties include Germknödel (large yeasted dumplings filled with plum jam and served with poppy seeds and vanilla sauce) and Marillenknödel, which are filled with a Mirabelle plum and rolled in powdered sugar and breadcrumbs.

Käsespätzle

Käsespätzle are a type of pasta (a bit like very small gnocchi but made of egg noodle rather than potato), made with a generous quantity of cheese and served with crispy fried onions.

White sausages served in a bowl with sweet mustard, pretzels and a wheet beer.

Weißwurst

This white sausage, served with sweet, grainy mustard and a Breze, is a traditional Bavarian breakfast. These veal sausages might not look appetizing, floating in a tureen of hot water, but they are very good. We’d encourage you to have an accompanying glass of wheat beer (Weißbier)—it’s traditional. Many university and work canteens offer Weißwurst as a Friday breakfast option—and they disappear quickly!

Display full of different kinds of ginger bread at a Christmas market.

Lebkuchen

At Christmas time, people often make their own Christmas cookies. Lebkuchen (gingerbread) is amongst the most well-known and popular biscuits—you’ll frequently find them at the Christmas markets. Nuremberg is traditionally known as the original home of Lebkuchen.

Leberkässemmel

Leberkäse Semmel: the ultimate lunch on the go, this is a thick slice of sausage meat on a crusty roll with spicy mustard. It may not sound glamorous, but it is a really great option when you want something quick and delicious.