7 August: Bavaria

Today is the feast day of St Cajetan, a patron saint of Bavaria. 10 things you might not know about Bavaria.

1. Bavaria is the largest state in Germany, encompassing the south east of the country.

2. There are more than 300 cities and towns in Bavaria. Munich is the largest, other places include Bamberg, Bayreuth, Nuremberg and Augsburg.

3. Bavaria is landlocked: bounded to the north by the states of Thuringia and Saxony, to the east by the Czech Republic, to the south and southeast by Austria, and to the west by the states of Baden-Württemberg and Hessen.

4. The modern state of Bavaria was established in 1945 and became part of West Germany in 1949. Before that, it was a kingdom, a duchy and part of the Roman Empire, although the earliest known inhabitants were the Celts.

5. It’s highest point is the Zugspitze, 9,718 ft above sea level and also the highest mountain in Germany. It has three large glaciers and a ski resort.

6. Bavaria has two official flags – one is white and blue stripes and the other is white and blue diamond-shaped lozenges. Either can be used. The coat of arms includes several lions, a crown and a blue Pantier, which is a mythical creature from French heraldry. This one has a flame instead of a tongue.

7. Bavaria has traditional costumes which people wear on special occasions. These include Lederhosen for males and Dirndl for females. As a whole, the traditional costumes are known as Tracht.

8. Bavarian culture also includes competitive whipcracking, known as Aperschnalzen, which takes place at the end of January and early February. It involves the rhythmic snapping and cracking of a whip up to 4 metres long. It possibly began as a pagan tradition for driving winter away. The word "aper" means "area free of snow" in the Bavarian language.

9. Tourism is an important industry here. As well as the afore mentioned ski resort, there are summer resorts, health spas, and medicinal springs here, and the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. UNESCO has designated several World Heritage sites in the state including the Residence in Würzburg, a Baroque palace, some medieval towns and the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth. And there’s Oktoberfest in Munich.

10. Famous people from Bavaria include Pope Benedict XVI, Levi Strauss, artist Albrecht Dürer and the scientist Georg Ohm.

I also write novels and short stories. If you like superheroes, psychic detectives and general weirdness you might enjoy them. 

Check out my works of fiction at https://juliehowlinauthor.wordpress.com/my-books/