Where Is Bavaria?

Linderhof Palace, Bavaria, built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

If you have ever heard of Bavarian cuisine, the Bavarian language, or even Bavarian cream, you may well have wondered where in the world Bavaria is. Looking at a map of the world or of Europe is not likely to be enlightening. This is because Bavaria is not a country, but rather the largest of the 16 states in Germany.

With an area of 70,548 square kilometres (27,200 sq mi), Bavaria is by far the largest German state by area, forming almost 20 percent of the total land area of Germany. Bavaria is Germany's second most populous state (after North Rhine Westphalia) with almost 12.5 million inhabitants, more than any of the three sovereign states on its borders. Bavaria's capital is Munich.

Munich sits at the co-ordinates 48 8' 0? N, 11 34' 0?E, putting it at a similar longitude to Paris in France, Quebec in Canada, Seattle in the USA, Ulan Bator in Mongolia and Vienna in Austria.