Winter wunderland

It’s also the capital of Bavaria which, while still part of Germany, clearly thinks itself separate.

The legacy of the monarchy which was abolished in 1918 hangs over all its architecture, pillars, spires and colossal palaces, but new art galleries and businesses have brought the city into the 21st century.

Its churches, Theatinerkirche St Kajetan and Frauenkirche, are enormous and worth a visit. And interestingly, though much of the latter was destroyed during the Second World War, the Teufelsschritt, or Devil’s Footstep, remains. The footprint, which has a small tail at the heel was, according to legend, where the devil made his mark. Worryingly, my foot fitted perfectly...

A traditional Bavarian meal at Andechser am Dom welcomed me on my first day with pretzels, beer and a mouth-watering selection of meats and sausage before a litre of beer at the famous nearby Hofbrauhaus slipped down nicely, accompanied by the ubiquitous oompah band. Trust me, no visit to Munich is complete without it.

Obviously, winter sports are extremely popular in Germany and its citizens are understandably rallying behind Munich’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the venue for which will be announced in July.

The 1972 Olympic Park, retro stadium clock and all, which would be used in 2018, is open to visitors. It is a must-see, especially for football fans who can visit the stadium, formerly home to Bayern Munich, to see where England thrashed Germany 5-1 in 2001 (how could you resist?).

The more daring can slide on a zip-wire over the stadium which, fortunately for me with a fear of heights, was closed when I visited.

Visitors can also see a touching memorial to the Israeli athletes killed during the Palestinian terrorist attack in the nearby Olympic Village.

Over the adjacent autobahn is BMW HQ, where a museum tells the story of the iconic German motor.

The main building is effectively a gigantic showroom, worth a look for petrolheads, yet the main museum is worth a tour just to get the full story on one of the world’s top motor brands.

And, quite rightly, it wears its Mini badge with pride (there are plenty of displays to satisfy Oxford’s pride for the great motor).

The city’s Deutsches Museum also marks Germany’s considerable contribution to transport, from the first motor car and steam engine to a stunning 1950s BMW 507.

But my advice is take a short trip out of the city to the enormous Nymphenburg Palace, which reveals the splendour of Bavaria’s 17th century rulers, with gardens that stretch out to the horizon and chandeliers that simply defy gravity. Let me tell you, the Bavarian monarchy didn’t do things by halves (after all, the palace dwarfs our own Buckingham Palace).

Now assuming you’re not short of a few bob, you could do a lot worse to stay at the five-star Bayerischer in Munich city centre.

A guided tour tantalisingly showed me rooms little shy of £3,000 a night, including one with three balconies.

The rooftop bar, complete with hot toddies, blankets and heated lamps, is open to the public and offers stunning views over the city.

Intrigued, I took a 60-mile bus journey out to Garmisch for the women’s FIS Alpine World Ski Championships which proved an eye-opener for the non-skiier.

A jubilant crowd, warmed up by mulled wine and lots of good food, cheered contestants as they hurtled down the track.

It is also worth visiting the town’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a fascinating exhibition on its 1936 Winter Olympics and how the Nazis used it as a propaganda vehicle.

Original memorabilia including the wooden Olympic rings and medals bring home what was then a symbol of Germany’s organisation and peace but is now a chilling foretelling of the war to come.

The wood-clad Olympia Eissport Zentrum stadium nearby also remains.

A three-hour drive took me deeper into Bavaria, to Ruhpolding, where a creepy walk into the woods is made magical by burning fackel torches.

A six-minute cable car also took me up the 1,671m (5,482ft) Rauschberg the next day. The sight at the top was breathtaking and the standout moment of the trip – snow-topped mountains breaking above the cloud as far as they eye could see. Wow.

And you can dine there too; veal and venison are choice dishes in Bavaria, washed down with strong beer, so just be sure to take a strong head and stomach. And get a table by a window too if you can – there’s few better sights for dining than rows of mountains.

Visitors I understand typically make the half-hour drive to Berchtesgaden for the Salzbergwerk salt mines, a fascinating network of passages telling the story of the centuries old industry.

Though the mini-train ride through claustrophobic tunnels may be unnerving, it does open onto a vast hall of glistening salt rock, and, most thrillingly, a slide deeper underground (there’s another one too later on though the less daring can take the stairs).

Interactive displays and film tells the industry’s story though the best is saved for last. You are taken onto a platform where you look down at a myriad of rocks. Then the platform moves and the ground ripples. Suddenly its dawns on you that you are in fact on a boat and, as it glides towards the exit, the lights dim and lazers and tiny lights illuminate the walls. Trust me, a truly magical experience.

The area is also home to Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s mountain top retreat, which opens to the public during the spring and summer.

But I wanted to visit the women’s world bobsleigh championships next to the Königssee lake.

It’s a truly breathtaking thing to watch, and all the more exciting as there are no barriers between spectators and the track. And television, even in 3D cannot begin to replicate the speed - go if you can.

Bavaria is essentially a country within a country and worth exploring as one. Check the train timetables or hire a car and find one of Europe’s hidden pleasures.