Olympiapark Munich

The area to the north of the city where soldiers once paraded and the world's first Zeppelin landed in 1909 found a new role in the 1960s as the Olympiapark. Built for the 1972 Olympic Summer Games, it has quite a small-scale feel, and some may be amazed that the games could once have been held at such a petite venue. The complex draws people year-round with concerts, festivals and sporting events, and its swimming hall and ice-skating rink are open to the public.A good first stop is the Info-Pavilion, which has information, maps, tour tickets and a model of the complex. Staff also rent out MP3 players for a self-guided audio tour.Olympiapark has two famous eye-catchers: the 290m Olympiaturm and the warped Olympiastadion. Germans have a soft spot for the latter because it was on this hallowed turf in 1974 that the national soccer team – led by 'the Kaiser', Franz Beckenbauer – won the FIFA World Cup.When the sky is clear, you'll quite literally have Munich at your feet against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alps from the top of the Olympiaturm.