Bavaria is the most southern state, and – with an area as large as Benelux – also the largest state in Germany. This province is a popular holiday destination thanks to its mountainous landscape. The capital of Bavaria, Munich, is Germany's third largest city, and its successful football team and Oktoberfest celebrations mean many Flemish people are familiar with it.
Together with North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria has a GDP of almost 500 billion euros, making it one of the German economic powerhouses. Bavaria is home to well-known multinationals like Audi, BMW, Siemens and Adidas. Industrial activity has mainly developed around the three major cities of Nuremberg, Augsburg and Munich. In addition to these large multinationals, more than 600,000 SMEs that are established throughout the region contribute to the economic strength of Bavaria. Despite its rural image, Bavaria is also highly specialised in technological sectors such as mechanical engineering, information technology, biotechnology and aerospace technology. The financial sector is also strong. After Frankfurt, Munich is the financial centre of Germany.
As one of the German Länder that are viewed as a priority by Flanders, a comprehensive overview of the status of political relations is also important. This is why Minister-president Bourgeois attended the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau at the beginning of May 2015. Under the leadership of President Stamm, the Praesidium of the Bavarian Landtag visited Flanders at the end of June 2016. The Office of the Flemish Parliament, headed by chairman Peumans, visited Munich in April 2017.
Bavaria is also no stranger to the cultural sphere of Flanders with, among other things, the 2012 Festival of Dance, dedicated entirely to dance and theatre from Flanders, and the two-day colloquium on Cipriani Di Rore in Munich in 2014.
There are no figures for trade between Flanders and Bavaira. These are included in the global figures for trade with Germany.
24 EU regions seek participation in post-COVID recovery Frankfurter Buchmesse great success for Flanders and the Netherlands Strengthening the ties with German Länder 13th Flanders Inspires International Visitors Programme starts Minister-president Bourgeois attends commemoration of Dachau Liberation