Allianz Arena and FC Bayern Museum

The Allianz Arena, in Froettmaning on the northern edge of Munich, is one of the most recognisable stadiums in the world: a huge rubber-boat-shaped bowl wrapped in inflated plastic panels that can be lit from within, glowing red on FC Bayern Munich match nights and visible for miles across the flat fields north of the city. Opened in 2005 for the following year's World Cup, it is the home of FC Bayern, Germany's most successful club, and has hosted a Champions League final and games at the European Championship. Even if you are not a football fan, the building is worth seeing; if you are, it is a pilgrimage. On non-match days there are several ways to visit. The Arena View ticket combines a self-guided visit to the lower tier of the North Stand, with background information through an audio guide in the Allianz Arena app, and entry to the FC Bayern Museum, the club's own museum, which tells its story through trophies, shirts, films and interactive displays, with the trophy displays among the highlights. The club's published prices for this combination are around nineteen euros for adults, eleven for children aged six to thirteen and forty-seven for a family, with children under six free but still needing a booking; check the official ticket shop for current prices, as it advises. Allow about two hours in total. Guided arena tours take you further into the stadium, sometimes including the dressing rooms and the players' tunnel, and the Tiqets option linked here bundles a guided Munich city bus tour with an Allianz Arena tour in a four-hour package, with a live guide in English and German. Online booking is strongly recommended, as tours often sell out on the day.

Match days and opening times: on non-match days the museum opens from 10am to 6pm, with last entry at 5:15pm, and the Arena View from 10am to 5:30pm. On match days, museum visits and tours are available only to holders of a match ticket, the Arena View is not offered before Champions League games, and special matches can have different hours, so check the calendar before you travel out. Getting a ticket for an FC Bayern game itself is difficult, as the club has a huge membership and season ticket base; official resale through the club is the safe route, and you should avoid unofficial touts.

Getting there: take the U6 underground north to Froettmaning, then walk about fifteen minutes across the esplanade to the stadium; on match days the trains are packed and the walk becomes a sea of red. The bus tour package collects you in the city centre. From the U-Bahn station, the stadium's scale becomes clear as you approach, and the view back from the esplanade, with the facade lit at dusk, is the classic photograph.

Combining your day: the arena pairs naturally with BMW Welt and the Olympic Park, which are on the U3 line in the north of the city, and with a beer hall evening back in the centre. Families with young football fans should allow plenty of time in the museum, which has interactive elements for children, and the club shop, which is large and, inevitably, irresistible. The audio guide notes that ongoing renovation work can mean small changes to the route, which is normal in a busy stadium. If you only want the photograph, come out at dusk on a match night or any evening the facade is lit, when the arena glows against the dark fields and the walk from the station is at its most dramatic.