Munich lies on the elevated plains of Upper Bavaria, only about 50 km north of the northern edge of the Alps. The capital of the German state of Bavaria is Germany's third largest city with population of about 1.3 million.

Munich is a green city with numerous parks with several architectural pearls within the inner city. The Frauenkirche - Cathedral of Our Lady - is the most famous building in the city and serves as cathedral for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The nearby Michaelskirche is the largest renaissance church north of the Alps, while the Theatinerkirche is a basilica in Italian high baroque, which had a major influence on Southern German baroque architecture.