WITH more than 77,949 arrivals and upwards of 270,891 overnight stays in 2009, Munich is once more the favourite destination in Germany for travellers from the Gulf region.
Last year arrivals increased by 22 per cent in comparison to 2008.
Gulf visitors particularly enjoy the great shopping opportunities, the historical architecture and the inviting parks and gardens of the city.
And not only do plenty of luxury hotels employ Arabic-speaking staff but many also offer special menus and reserve entire floors for their regular visitors from the Gulf region.
The safe and family-friendly atmosphere is one important reason to return regularly during the summer. Others include relaxing visits to the English Garden and the city’s plentiful welcoming street cafés which are full of other Gulf tourists.
Families travelling with children are sure to visit places such as Westpark, with its several playgrounds, and the well-known Botanical Garden and in Bavaria Filmstadt, Germany’s Film City, visitors can take a look behind the scenes of the film business.
With the Alps just a stone’s throw away, there are many possibilities for outdoor sports, such as paragliding, hiking, mountain climbing or mountain biking during the summer months.
And Neuschwanstein Castle, also near Munich, towers 200 meters above the river valley. The fairytale castle of King Ludwig II draws more than a million visitors a year.