Munich, Germany

Munich is the wealthiest city in Germany and it runs the polished version of the German night — beer culture treated as a legitimate social institution, money that does not need advertising, and a party scene that is better dressed than Berlin's. Glockenbachviertel is the nightlife and LGBTQ centre with the bars and the clubs, Schwabing is the student and university quarter, Maxvorstadt is the museum-and-gallery district, and the English Garden is the enormous city park where the population surfs a river wave and sunbathes with genuine European indifference to clothing.

The city's character is Bavarian conservative on the surface and considerably looser underneath: Münchners are more reserved than Berliners, but the beer halls create a social culture that is genuinely communal, and Oktoberfest is a fortnight when the entire city's decorum is suspended with the world's enthusiastic participation. The Alps are on the horizon and everyone skis.

Expect beer-hall social energy, real Oktoberfest content, and a city that is more fun than its manners suggest.

Nearby: Stuttgart Frankfurt Berlin Dresden