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It’s just regional rivalry and a joke. Like the problem with France being the French people ( to be clear, that’s a joke.)
I feel most at home in Bavaria, as well as in Tyrol in Austria.
The Bavarians are sometimes called the Italians of Germany. Singing their words, louder, laughing more, etc. Plus, Bavaria has more Italian influence, being situated closer to Italy, and being predominantly Catholic.
I’ve got second cousins spread out throughout Germany. Several in or outside Munich, a few near Aachen, a few near Cologne, a few in Nurnberg, a few near Dresden and a few north of Berlin. All of them were displaced or are descended from people displaced from former Austro-Hungarian provinces, so no bona fide Bavarians, although Bavaria once extended through much of present day Czech Republic, so I suppose the concept of who is included under the Bavarian label can change.
No - they are the rednecks of Germany 
(And we up north are the Saupreuss for them)
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I always refer to Bavaria as the TX of Germany to non-natives. I wonder what that makes Hamburg, Bremen or Schleswig-Holstein? CT?
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Hilarious and perfectly describes my relatives in Hamburg. And me TBH…
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I see Munich as Germany’s Calgary. Same kind of weather systems, similar migraines caused by quick changes in air pressure, close to the mountains.
Oktoberfest is to Munich what the Calgary Stampede is to Calgary.
Southern Alberta is like Canada’s Texas.
The “uniquess” of Bavaria isn’t so much about the weather etc but about their very conservative leaning political direction for many decades. (This has changed a bit after the reunification but not because they got more left leaning but some eastern states are even more right leaning)
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I wont speak to german politics but bavaria is a traditional region in a number of dimensions which makes (to us) an appealing and rewarding place to visit as cultural, food and nature tourists. Munich has a lot of diversity and a variety of neighborhoods, immigrants and scenes which defy easy generalizations.
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well, harking back to the OP. . . .
who anticipates spending (most?) time in small cities - obtw ueber highly recommended…-
the question was what ‘big cities’ should one include…
“big cities” offer museums - of varied fame, substance and content . . .
viewer discretion advised , , ,
historic “sights/things” - like the Cologne Cathedral - okay, why not the Ulmer Dom - highest spire, birth place of Einstein . . .
my view point is pretty dang simple: all the big cities have “something” to offer - pick your preferences.,
otoh - smaller cities / villages offer a whale of a lot more exposure to ‘the real country’
from 1980 to 2022, I did mega European business trips … on a seriously ‘no leash’ basis.
I avoided big cities. I took rental cars, I did ‘the scenic route’
did not make hotel reservations - did the “Zimmer Frei” thing.
okay, fluent in German, but saw/experienced/ super ultra more “real” stuff than arranged “tourist trips.”
using CompuServe email, , , and alligator clips, , , I only once got totally stumped accessing my email in a really mini-small town - that had a switchboard that defeated all my attempts . . .
going for “small town” experiences is absolutely the best approach.
for “doing a big city” - pick those on something you actually want to see.
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Stuttgart has the Porsche factory, if that kind of thing appeals to you.
(It does to me!)
Also, if you’re there during the season, try to see a football (soccer) match. They’re great fun, even more so if the teams are lower division, because the fans are super passionate which tends to create a party atmosphere.
Fans of VfB Hilden, a semi-pro(?) team arriving in Mallorca. Oddly, they’re singing a chant celebrating brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure, neither of whom ever played for Hilden:
“Helping” a substitute warm up:
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I guess it depends on where you want to find the uniqueness.
I realize Bavaria is more conservative politically. I guess - because I don’t live there, I don’t vote, I have relatives there, and I visit often, how most locals vote or which party is in power isn’t on my mind when I visit.
I also don’t seek out war history when I visit Europe, Japan, Hawaii or anywhere else. I don’t do car tours or watch sports, either.
I think what makes a city or region unique to each visitor or local or expat, is going to vary a lot.
I lived in Calgary, and suffered the from the headaches brought on by Chinook winds. I think that’s quite unique that Munich also gets similar headaches from pressure changes. (I couldn’t remember the German word. It’s Föhn for reference)
Even mid-sized cities like Cologne and Bonn have excellent opera and museums, especially compared to cities the same size in Canada and most parts of the US.
Cologne, Bonn, Stuttgart and Frankfurt are still pretty big cities to me.
There are smaller towns that are charming, for people who don’t want to visit busy cities.
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That’s why I go.
It’s also where I pickup my car for my ED trip.
Regensburg. Picturesque city along the Danube and……A Dachshund Museum!!
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I guess we have missed this phenomenon, visiting in June-July timeframe! I guess we have to settle for strawberries, asparagus, pfifferlinge, nude bathing in the river (not us!) and pleasant hours under the lindens in beer gardens.
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How to shock non-Germans 101 (a first visit to a sauna in Germany is also often quite amusing 
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It helps to have some history! also lots of noble families to collect paintings, hire house composers, build palaces, endow churches etc. We dont have quite as many years under our belt yet in NA.
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I love the drift. Thanks everyone for providing so much flavor!
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I guess it depends on which history you want to learn about during a visit.
I’m an art history major. I hit the museums in Germany. I visit the graveyards. I visit the churches. I take pictures of the architecture.
I lost family members in both Wars. Some relatives walked from Lviv to Germany with wagons behind them.
I’m all for people learning about history, on their own terms.
I’m Jewish and also lost family in the war and holocaust . The last thing I want to do in Germany tbh is learn about war history.
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