Traffic Routes
Traffic and trade routes have always passed through Bavaria, and
because of this the upkeep and also construction of major roads has
always been very important. Ever since the fall of the Iron Curtain,
Bavaria has become a centre of international traffic. Today the
airports of Munich, Nuremberg and Augsburg offer fast international
connections.
The major rivers, especially the Danube, connect Central Europe with
the East. During the Middle Ages Regensburg became a centre of trade
with the East. In 1992 the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal was completed,
creating a river transit route as far as the North Sea and the Black
Sea. Bavaria thus has direct access to international harbours.
Tourist shipping on the Danube is also growing in importance.
The Alps were crossed more than 2000 years ago by the Romans. Ever
since, there has been a brisk exchange between north and south - on
foot, by mule, or horse and cart. To this day, the Brenner and
Reschen Passes have remained the main trading and tourism routes
between Germany and Italy. The Bavarian roads serving these passes
are thus correspondingly overcrowded.