The largest German federal state, Bavaria, offers a landscape diversity like few others: from the peaks of the Bavarian Alps to the rugged elevations of the Rhön, one can find the pre-Alpine region dotted with numerous lakes, the river valleys of the Isar and Danube, and the Bavarian Forest with its pristine nature. In the Main Valley, fine wine is cultivated, and in the Franconian Switzerland, with its picturesque dolomite rocks and fairy-tale stalactite caves, most of Germany's private breweries are located. Numerous castles, palaces, churches, and monasteries tell the rich history of the regions. Munich is not only world-famous for Oktoberfest and the Hofbräuhaus; the state capital has always been a center of art and culture.