With an area of over 70,000 square kilometers, Bavaria is the largest federal state in Germany. The proportion of forests is one of the highest in the country.
Munich – Weißwurst, beer, FC Bayern – there are many things that people think of when they think of Bayern. But Bavaria is above all one thing: the largest federal state in Germany. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, the entire Free State extends over more than 70,500 square kilometers. This makes Bavaria even bigger than Ireland. In addition to nature, Bavaria also has some beautiful places to offer that are worth visiting.
Bavaria is the largest federal state in Germany - and almost twice as big as Baden-Württemberg
The total area of Bavaria is equivalent to almost ten million football fields and accounts for around 20 percent of Germany's total area. With its almost 70,550 square meters, Bavaria is just larger than Ireland. The island state in northwest Europe is spread over an area of almost 70,275 square kilometers.
If you look at the areas of the other federal states in Germany, Bavaria leads the size ranking by a wide margin. Lower Saxony, as the second largest federal state, only has an area of just under 48,000 square kilometers. Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia come in third and fourth place with a total area of around 35,000 square meters each.
More than 35 percent of Bavaria is forest - there are also lakes and rivers
If you take a closer look at Bavaria's area, one thing stands out in particular: at more than 35 percent, more than every third square kilometer of the Free State is forest. Nationwide, only the forest areas in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse have a higher proportion of the total area. Bavaria has two very well-known forest areas: the Bavarian Forest and Berchtesgaden National Parks. These are also very popular with tourists. Finally, there are a number of hiking and cycling trails in both the Bavarian Forest and Berchtesgaden that invite you to go on excursions into nature.
There are also some lakes and rivers in Bavaria. For example the Chiemsee and the Tegernsee. Two of Germany's largest rivers, the Danube and the Isar, flow through Bavaria.
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Sights in Bavaria: Munich Frauenkirche, Christmas market and Co.
In addition to the abundance of nature, there are also some special places to discover in Bavaria. These include, among others, the Frauenkirche and Marienplatz in Munich. There are also some charming old towns in Bavaria, such as the old town of Bamberg. Munich Airport is also Germany's second largest airport in Bavaria. Almost 37 million passengers fly there every year. The Nuremberg Christmas market, on the other hand, attracts many visitors every year during the Christmas season.