Your essential guide to Munich

Mandarin Oriental, Munich is perfectly located on the edge of the historic Altstadt (Old Town), just a few hundred metres away from the twin-towered, 15th-century Frauenkirche, and Marienplatz, the beating heart of the city. Even closer is the world’s most famous Wirtshaus, the cavernous Hofbräuhaus beer cellar.

With a collection amassed over the centuries by Munich’s dukes, electors and kings, the Bavarian capital has a reputation for world-class art. The most renowned venues are the three Pinakothek museums (up there with the best in Europe) and Museum Brandhorst. All four are located together in Maxvorstadt, around 20 minutes away by foot from Mandarin Oriental, Munich, and all are packed with masterworks, from Albrecht Dürer and Gustav Klimt to Pablo Picasso and Cy Twombly. Meanwhile, former royal palace, the Residenz, is just five minutes’ walk from Mandarin Oriental, Munich, and provides an insight into the life of the Wittelsbach royal family over centuries. Marienplatz is home to the late 19th-century neo-gothic Rathaus-Glockenspiel, with the city’s Stadtmuseum (City Museum) charting the ups and downs of Munich’s history.

Munich’s Maximilianstrasse, a few minutes’ walk away from Mandarin Oriental, Munich, is one of Europe’s best high-end shopping streets, where local boutiques compete with some of the world’s most exclusive brands. As well as the city-centre Kaufingerstrasse (the so-called ‘shopping mile’) with the usual high-street stores, head across to Schwabing, Haidhausen and Glockenbachviertel (all quarters on the periphery of the Altstadt) for many more (often local) designer stores.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa chose the Mandarin Oriental for his first restaurant in Germany, Matsuhisa Munich, and it has proved hugely successful. Meanwhile, Tantris in the north of the city, has been a big name on the dining scene here for decades. Its two Michelin-starred cuisine combined with its retro interior architecture make it one of the best places to dine in Germany.