Bavaria (Ger.Bayern), is in area the largest of the Laender of the German Federal Republic with a population of approx. 12.1 Million. It is bordered by Austria on the south, the Czech Republic on the east, Thuringia and Saxony on the north, Hessen on the northwest and Baden-Wuerttemberg on the west. Bavaria lies at the northern foot of the central Alps, and is bordered on the south by the Allgaeu and the Bavarian Alps, which rise to the Zugspitze, (9721 ft-2963 mtr.), Germany's highest peak. Bavaria was a kingdom until 1918 when the Wittelsbach dynasty, one of Europe's oldest, was replaced by the proclamation of the Bavarian Republic, with it's own constitution, laws and an Army Corps. The constitution was overturned in March 1933 and Bavaria became a part of the German Reich. Tourists have flocked to Bavaria for it's grandiose scenery, it's fun-loving people, good food and, of course, it's good beer. The mighty mountains of the Alps and the valleys with their picturesque, quaint villages and typical Bavarian beamed houses make one appreciate such lovely sights. Take a little tour of only a small part of this wonderful area of Germany.