The city where the Alps appear on good days

Munich is flat — the Bavarian Alps begin about 70 kilometers to the south and are visible from the city on clear days between October and April when the foehn wind clears the haze. The Olympiaturm (291 meters, built for the 1972 Olympics) has an observation deck with the city's best panorama and, on rare clear mornings, views to the Alps. The two Frauenkirche domes (99 meters) and the Neues Rathaus tower on Marienplatz anchor the city skyline — best photographed from the Viktualienmarkt looking north. The English Garden (Englischer Garten), 3.7 square kilometers, has a Chinese Pagoda beer garden and the Eisbach river wave where surfers ride a standing wave year-round. The Isar river runs north through the city with clear alpine water; the gravel banks near the Reichenbach Bridge are a low-key local photography spot.