Map of Bayern
Bayern is a first-level division of Germany. Its largest mapped city is Munich, with about 1.27 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Bayern, and the tables list its 11 mapped cities along with the mountains, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 11
- Largest City
- Munich
- Country
- Germany
- Highest Point Mapped
- 2,963 m
Interactive Map of Bayern
About Bayern
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a landlocked state of Germany. It borders the states of Baden-Württemberg to the west, Hesse to the north-west, and Thuringia and Saxony to the north, as well as the countries of Switzerland and Austria to the south and the Czech Republic to the east. The state's capital and largest city is Munich; other major cities include Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg, and Ingolstadt. With an area of 70,550 square kilometres (27,249 sq mi), it is the largest German state, and with 13.08 million inhabitants, the second-most populous.
The history of Bavaria begins with the settlement of Celtic tribes during the Iron Age. The territory was then ruled by the Roman Empire and incorporated into the provinces of Raetia and Noricum in the first century AD. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Duchy of Bavaria was created in Francia in 555 AD. It later became part of East Francia and controlled territory in modern-day Austria, Slovenia and Italy. Within the Holy Roman Empire it gained elector status in 1623 during the Thirty Years' War, eventually becoming the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. Following the Unification of Germany, Bavaria remained a kingdom within the German Empire until the end of World War I. The modern state of Bavaria was established in 1945 and became part of West Germany in 1949.
The culture of Bavaria is heavily influenced by its Catholic heritage. The Bavarian language is a group of German dialects in both Bavaria and Austria with around 12 million speakers, making it the largest German dialect. Other major cultural influences of Bavaria include its cuisine, consisting of foods such as Weißwurst and Leberkäse, its architecture, largely focused on Alpine symbolism in southern Alpine regions, and its major festivals such as the Oktoberfest in Munich.
Modern Bavaria's borders consist of Altbayern as well as parts of the historical regions of Franconia and Swabia.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Bavaria (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Bayern in Depth
History
Though Bavaria has been occupied by humans since the Paleolithic era, Celtic tribes of the Bronze Age, such as the Boii were the first documented inhabitants of the Bavarian Alps. In June 2023, archeologists discovered a bronze sword, dated to the 14th century BC, in a former Celtic village; its workmanship so well-preserved "it almost shines." During the early modern era, these peoples were retrospectively romanticized as the most ancient culture of Bavaria, even though the Indo-European languages were relative newcomers to the region. Evidence of the ancient Straubing culture, Únětice culture and La Tène culture may be found in what is Bavaria today.
Archeologists know of a large Celtic Iron Age settlement which was founded in Feldmoching-Hasenbergl north of suburban Munich.
Geography
Bavaria shares international borders with Austria (Salzburg, Tyrol, Upper Austria and Vorarlberg) and the Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary, Plzeň and South Bohemian Regions), as well as with Switzerland (across Lake Constance to the Canton of St. Gallen).
Neighboring states within Germany are Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia, and Saxony. Two major rivers flow through the state: the Danube (Donau) and the Main. The Bavarian Forest and the Bohemian Forest form the vast majority of the frontier with the Czech Republic and Bohemia.
The geographic center of the European Union is located in the northwestern corner of Bavaria.
At lower elevations the climate is classified according to Köppen's guide as "Cfb" or "Dfb". At higher altitudes the climate becomes "Dfc" and "ET".
Economy
Bavaria has one of the largest economies in Germany and the European Union as a whole, with a GDP of €824.243 billion ($963.47 billion) in 2025, the second highest of the 16 German states behind only North Rhine-Westphalia, which had a GDP of €909.411 billion ($1.062 trillion) in 2025. Bavaria had a GDP per capita of €53,768 ($56,456) in 2022, the third highest in Germany behind Bremen (second) and Hamburg (first). One of Bavaria's largest and most developed industries is the automotive industry, with the state housing four BMW and two Audi manufacturing plants while also headquartering both companies. Bavaria has the second-most employees (207,829) in the automotive industry of all German states after Baden-Württemberg as of 2018.
Demographics
Bavaria has a population of approximately 13.1 million inhabitants (2020). Eight of the 80 largest cities in Germany are located within Bavaria with Munich being the largest (1,484,226 inhabitants, approximately 6.1 million when including the broader metropolitan area), followed by Nuremberg (518,370 inhabitants, approximately 3.6 million when including the broader metropolitan area), Augsburg (296,582 inhabitants) and Regensburg (153,094 inhabitants).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Bavaria (CC BY-SA 4.0).
History of Bayern: Empires and States
The atlas records 30 polities whose mapped territory included part of Bayern, from The Roman Empire in 14 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
Historical Maps of Bayern
Bayern on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Bayern
Bavaria (German: Bayern) is the largest federal state (Bundesland) of Germany, situated in the south-east of the country. Spanning an area of 70,540 km² with 13.2 million inhabitants, it extends from the middle German hills down into the Alps. Bavarian folk culture has significantly influenced the international perception of Germany.
Paradoxically, much of the region shares closer cultural affinities with its southern neighbours, Austria and Switzerland, than with other parts of Germany. Common stereotypes associated with Bavaria often focus on traditional leather breeches (Lederhosen), various types of sausages, and a significant beer-drinking culture.
Nevertheless, the federal state provides a diverse range of attractions and heritage for visitors that extends far beyond these traditional tropes. Along with the Rhineland and Berlin, it is Germany's most popular tourist destination, so expect long lines and high prices, especially in summer and in ski resorts in winter.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Bavaria (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Bayern
11 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Munich | 1.27 million | Bayern | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Nürnberg | 737,304 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 3 | Augsburg | 358,989 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 4 | Fürth | 237,844 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 5 | Würzburg | 168,561 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 6 | Regensburg | 164,359 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 7 | Ingolstadt | 163,325 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 8 | Rosenheim | 92,809 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 9 | Coburg | 61,054 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 10 | Hof | 56,153 | Bayern | Populated place |
| 11 | Passau | 50,560 | Bayern | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Bayern
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zugspitze | 2,963 m | 9,721 ft | Europe |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bayern
11 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square | 1981 | Cultural | (i) (iv) |
| 2 | Wieskirche | 1983 | Cultural | (i) (iii) |
| 3 | Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau | 1996 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) (vi) |
| 4 | Classical Weimar | 1998 | Cultural | (iii) (vi) |
| 5 | Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof | 2006 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 6 | Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe | 2007 | Natural | (ix) |
| 7 | Margravial Opera House | 2012 | Cultural | (i) (iv) |
| 8 | Ore Mountain Mining Region | 2019 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 9 | Water Management System of Augsburg | 2019 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) (v) |
| 10 | Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt | 2023 | Cultural | (iv) |
| 11 | The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee | 2025 | Cultural | (iv) |
Bayern: Quick Answers
- Where is Bayern?
- Bayern is a first-level division of Germany, in Europe. Its mapped cities centre on 49.0911° N, 11.5028° E.
- What is the largest city in Bayern?
- Munich is the largest city mapped in Bayern, with a metropolitan population of about 1.27 million.
- How many cities are in Bayern?
- YearMaps maps 11 cities and towns in Bayern, with a combined metropolitan population of about 3.37 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Bayern?
- The highest summit mapped in Bayern is Zugspitze at 2,963 m.