Harry's road to the Max Planck Institute in Munich leads him through Bavaria, the birthplace of various clichés about Germany. Lederhosen, sauerkraut, pork knuckles, romantic castles, picturesque landscapes – all of these can be found in Bavaria. Although the state is considered very conservative, it has undergone a transformation from an agricultural to a technological region. The automotive industry and machine construction are among the most important sectors of the state's economy. In 2021, Bavaria was the state with the second-highest gross domestic product (GDP) and the lowest unemployment rate in Germany. But people still like to foster traditions here, including, for example, the Bavarian dialect and, of course, the "Krachlederne," i.e., lederhosen.

Culturally, Bavaria is more diverse than the clichés would have you believe. The Franconian region, for example, was politically independent for centuries. Even though it has been politically part of Bavaria for the most part since the beginning of the 19th century, Franconians do not necessarily identify with Bavaria. Quite a few differences are still perceptible today. Middle Franconia, for instance, is strongly Protestant, unlike the Catholic-dominated Old Bavaria. And even though Bavaria is typically associated with beer – probably because of the famous Oktoberfest – Franconia is a wine-growing region with a centuries-old tradition