München
BEER HALLS, BEER GARDENS, AND BAVARIAN FOOD
▲▲▲DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP MEMORIAL (GEDENKSTÄTTE DACHAU)
Munich (“München” in German), often called Germany’s most livable city, is also one of its most historic, artistic, and entertaining. While another nickname is “Germany’s biggest village,” it’s big and growing, with a population of 1.5 million. Until 1871, it was the capital of an independent Bavaria. Its imperial palaces, jewels, and grand boulevards constantly remind visitors that Munich has long been a political and cultural powerhouse. Meanwhile, the concentration camp in nearby Dachau reminds us that eight decades ago, it provided a springboard for Nazism.
Orient yourself in Munich’s old center, with its colorful pedestrian zones. Immerse yourself in the city’s art and history—crown jewels, Baroque theater, Wittelsbach palaces, great paintings, and beautiful parks. Spend your Munich evenings in a frothy beer hall or outdoor Biergarten, prying big pretzels from buxom, no-nonsense beer maids amidst an oompah, bunny-hopping, and belching Bavarian atmosphere.
Munich is worth two days, including a half-day side-trip to Dachau (about an hour by public transportation from Munich). If all you have is one day, follow my “Munich City Walk” (visiting museums along the way), tour one of the royal palaces (the Residenz or Nymphenburg), and drink in the beer-hall culture for your evening’s entertainment. With a second day, choose from the following: Tour the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, rent a bike to enjoy the English Garden, or—if you’re into art—tour your choice of the city’s many fine art museums (especially the Alte Pinakothek). With numerous worthwhile sights and activities, the city could easily fill three days. And many visitors spend an entire day side-tripping south to “Mad” King Ludwig’s Castles (covered in the Bavaria & Tirol chapter). Salzburg, Austria (about 2 hours one-way by direct train) is also within day-trip distance.
The tourist’s Munich is circled by a ring road (site of the old town wall) marked by four old gates: Karlstor (near the main train station—the Hauptbahnhof), Sendlinger Tor, Isartor (near the river), and Odeonsplatz (no surviving gate, near the palace). Marienplatz marks the city’s center. A great pedestrian-only zone (Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauser Strasse) cuts this circle in half, running neatly from the Karlstor and the train station through Marienplatz to the Isartor. Orient yourself along this east-west axis. Ninety percent of the sights and hotels I recommend are within a 20-minute walk of Marienplatz and each other.
Despite its large population, Munich feels small. Its elegance stems from its determination to be pedestrian- and bike-friendly and because by law no building in the town center can be taller than the church spires.
Munich has two helpful city-run TIs (www.muenchen.de). One is in front of the main train station (with your back to the tracks, walk through the central hall, step outside, and turn right; Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-18:00, tel. 089/2339-6500). The other TI is on Munich’s main square, Marienplatz, below the glockenspiel (Mon-Fri 9:30-19:30, Sat 9:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-14:00).
At either TI, buy the city map (€0.50, better than free map in hotel lobbies—especially for public transit), and confirm your sightseeing plans. Pick up the Discovering Munich brochure, which describes transportation options, and the free, twice-monthly magazine In München, which lists movies and entertainment (in German, organized by date). If you’re interested in tours offered by Gray Line or Munich Walk, don’t buy your ticket at the TI; instead, purchase discounted tickets at EurAide (see next).
EurAide Train Assistance and Tour Discounts: At counter #1 in the train station’s main Reisezentrum (travel center, opposite track 21), the hardworking, eager-to-help EurAide desk is a godsend for Eurailers and budget travelers. Alan Wissenberg and his staff answer train-travel and day-trip questions in English. Paid by the German rail company to help you design your train travels, EurAide makes reservations and sells tickets and sleepers for the train at the same price you’d pay at the other counters (May-Oct Mon-Fri 8:30-20:00, Sat until 14:00, closed Sun; Nov-April Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00—except Jan-Feb 8:00-13:00, closed Sat-Sun). EurAide sells a €0.50 city map and offers a free newsletter, The Inside Track, packed with regional train travel information (also see www.euraide.com). As EurAide is a popular service, a line can build up; do your homework and have a list of questions ready.
EurAide sells cash-only tickets at a discount for travelers with this book for Munich Walk city walking tours and Gray Line city bus tours, as well as for Gray Line tours to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof castles (all described later, under “Tours in Munich”).
By Train: A complete renovation of Munich’s main train station—München Hauptbahnhof, a sight in itself—is in progress as the city builds a new €3.9 billion S-Bahn tunnel (see the architect’s futuristic renderings in front of track 17). The locations of some services mentioned here will likely change as construction progresses.
The Hauptbahnhof is a hive of activity, with a vast shopping mall stretching for blocks underground (open daily). Clean, high-tech, pay WCs and showers are downstairs near tracks 11 and 26. Check out the bright and modern food court or the Dean & David kiosk opposite track 14. For sandwiches and prepared meals to bring on board, I shop at Yorma’s (four branches: by track 26, by track 32, at street level next to the TI, and in Bahnhofplatz, the underground passageway).
You’ll find a city-run TI (out front of station and to the right) and lockers (opposite track 26 and near track 17). Press P & B Books (across from track 23) sells English-language books, newspapers, and magazines. Radius Tours (at track 32) rents bikes and organizes tours (see here and here).
Up the escalators opposite track 22 are car-rental agencies, a quiet, nonsmoking waiting room (Warteraum) that’s open to anybody, and the DB Lounge (limited to those with a first-class ticket issued by the Deutsche Bahn).
Subway lines, trams, and buses connect the station to the rest of the city (though many of my recommended hotels are within walking distance of the station). If you get lost in the underground maze of subway corridors while you’re trying to get to the train station, follow the signs for DB (Deutsche Bahn) to surface successfully. Watch out for the hallways with blue ticket-stamping machines in the middle—these lead to the subway, where you could be fined if nabbed without a validated ticket.
By Bus: Munich’s central bus station (ZOB) is by the Hackerbrücke S-Bahn station (from the train station, it’s one S-Bahn stop; www.muenchen-zob.de). The Romantic Road bus leaves from here, as do many buses to Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Upstairs you’ll find ticket offices, eateries, shops, and waiting areas (see here).
By Plane: For airport information, see here, under “Munich Connections.”
Museum Tips: Museums closed on Monday include the Alte Pinakothek, Egyptian Museum, Nazi Documentation Center, and the BMW Museum. The art museums are generally open late one night a week.
Half-Price Tickets: Your ticket to the Jewish History Museum, Munich City Museum, Nazi Documentation Center, Lenbachhaus, or Villa Stuck gets you half-price admission to any of the others (e.g., show your €5 Nazi Documentation Center ticket to get €5 off your €10 Lenbachhaus ticket).
Palace Sightseeing Passes: The Bavarian Palace Department offers a 14-day ticket (the Mehrtagesticket) that covers admission to Munich’s Residenz and Nymphenburg Palace complexes, as well as other castles and palaces in Bavaria (for details, see here; purchase at participating sights, www.schloesser.bayern.de). For avid castle-goers planning to visit castles beyond Munich, this can be a good deal.
Festivals: It’s hard to visit Munich without running into at least one festival. For a complete list, click on the “Events” tab on the TI website (www.muenchen.de), download the handy brochure einfach erleben before your arrival, or ask at the TI.
Oktoberfest lasts around two weeks (Sept 22-Oct 7 in 2018), usually ending on the first Sunday in October (www.oktoberfest.de). The same fairgrounds also host a Spring Festival (Frühlingsfest, two weeks in late April-early May, www.fruehlingsfest-muenchen.de). Tollwood, an artsy, multicultural event, happens twice a year—in summer (late June-July) and winter (alternative Christmas market, late Nov-Dec, www.tollwood.de).
Concerts: The München Ticket office sells concert and event tickets in the New Town Hall (Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat until 14:00, closed Sun, Dienerstrasse 20, next to Ratskeller restaurant, tel. 089/5481-8181, www.muenchenticket.de).
Wi-Fi: The city offers free Wi-Fi at many spots around town, including Marienplatz, Karlsplatz (known locally as Stachus), and the train station (connect to M-WLAN network, then click to accept terms).
WCs: Munich had outdoor urinals until the 1972 Olympics and then decided to beautify the city by doing away with them. What about the people’s needs? By law, any place serving beer must admit the public (whether or not they’re customers) to use the WCs.
Laundry: Waschcenter is a 10-minute walk from the train station (self-service daily 7:00-23:00; drop-off Mon-Fri 7:00-19:00, Sat 9:00-16:00; English instructions, Paul-Heyse-Strasse 21, near intersection with Landwehrstrasse, U-Bahn: Theresienwiese, mobile 0171-734-2094). Wash & Coffee is a better option if you’re staying near the city center (self-serve and drop-off service; Sat-Mon 9:00-20:00, Tue-Wed and Fri from 11:00, closed Thu; Klenzestrasse 1, near intersection with Zwingerstrasse, tel. 089/2166-7844). See the map on here for locations.
Bikes and Pedestrians: Signs painted on the sidewalk or blue-and-white street signs show designated lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. The strip of pathway closest to the street is usually reserved for bikes. Pedestrians wandering into the bike path may hear the cheery ding-ding of a cyclist’s bell just before being knocked unconscious.
Taxi: Call 089/21610 for a taxi.
Private Driver: Johann Fayoumi is reliable and speaks English (€70/hour, mobile 0174-183-8473, www.firstclasslimousines.de, johannfayoumi@gmail.com).
Car Rental: Several car-rental agencies are located upstairs at the train station, opposite track 21 (open daily, hours vary).
Great Views in the Town Center: Downtown Munich’s best city viewpoints are from the towers of St. Peter’s Church (stairs only) and New Town Hall (elevator, fast and easy). The Frauenkirche towers usually make this list, but are closed for renovation.
What’s with Monaco? People walking around with guidebooks to Monaco aren’t lost. “Monaco di Baviera” means “Munich” in Italiano.
Much of Munich is walkable. But given that the city is laced by many trams, buses, and subways, it’s worth learning the system and considering getting a day pass. Public transit also makes it easy to access sights outside the historic core, such as Dachau or Nymphenburg Palace (see map on here). Taxis are honest and professional, but expensive (about €12 between the Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz) and generally unnecessary.
Subways are called U-Bahns and S-Bahns. (S-Bahns are commuter railways that run underground through the city and are covered by rail passes.) These transit lines are numbered (for example, S-3 or U-5). U-Bahn lines mainly run north-south, while S-Bahn lines are generally east-west.
The entire transit system (subway/bus/tram) uses the same tickets. There are four concentric zones—Zone 1 (inner zone where you’ll spend most of your time), Zone 2 (Dachau), Zone 3, and Zone 4 (airport).
Transit tickets are sold at booths in the subway and at any ticket machine that has an MVG (Munich Transit Corporation, blue machines) or DB (Deutsche Bahn, red machines) logo. Though operated by different companies, the machines work much the same way (and accept coins, bills, and credit cards). To minimize confusion, head straight to an MVG customer service center where real people are waiting to help (underground at the train station, Mon-Sat 7:00-23:00, Sun 9:00-20:00; and at Marienplatz, Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun; kiosks outside open long hours daily; tel. 0800-344-226-600, www.mvv-muenchen.de).
A one-zone regular ticket (Einzelfahrkarte) costs €2.70 and is good for three hours in one direction, including changes and stops. For short rides (four stops max, only two of which can be on the subway lines), buy the €1.40 short-stretch ticket (Kurzstrecke), good for one ride. The €6.60 all-day pass (Single-Tageskarte) for Zone 1 is a great deal for a single traveler. If you’re going to Dachau, buy the XXL version of the Single-Tageskarte, which also includes Zone 2 (€8.80); the airport-city day ticket (Flughafen) covers all four zones and gets you to the airport and other out-of-the-way destinations (€11.20/single ride; €12.80/all-day pass).
All-day small-group passes (Partner-Tageskarte) are an even better deal—they cover all public transportation for up to five adults (or up to two adults and six kids). A Partner-Tageskarte for Zone 1 costs €12.60. The XXL version, which includes Dachau, costs €15.90; and the airport-city day ticket (Flughafen) costs €23.90 and includes all four zones. These partner tickets—while seemingly impossibly cheap—are for real. Read it again and do the arithmetic. Even two people traveling together save money, and for groups, it’s a real steal. The only catch is that you’ve got to stay together.
For longer stays, consider a three-day ticket (€16.50/person, €29.10/partner ticket for the gang, Zone 1 only, does not include Dachau).
The City Tour Card, which covers public transportation and adds stingy discounts on a few sights and tours, costs a little more than a transit pass (Zone 1 single traveler-€11.90/1 day, €21.90/3 days; Zone 1 partner ticket-€19.90/1 day, €32.90/3 days; discounts include the Residenz and Nymphenburg Palace, plus tours offered by Gray Line, Radius, and Munich Walk; details at www.citytourcard-muenchen.com). The partner tickets are the best value—four adults can save money with just one visit to Nymphenburg Palace on public transit. For single travelers, the card usually isn’t worth it. Students, seniors, and readers of this book qualify for many of the same discounts without having to buy the card.
Pick up a transit map at the TI or transit station, use the journey planner at www.mvv-muenchen.de, or download the MVV app (also see map on here). To find the right platform, look for the name of the last station in the direction (Richtung) you want to travel. For example, Richtung: Marienplatz means that that particular subway, bus, or tram is traveling in the direction of Marienplatz. Know where you’re going relative to Marienplatz, the Hauptbahnhof, and Ostbahnhof, as these are often referred to as end points.
You must stamp tickets with the date and time prior to using them (for an all-day or multiday pass, you must stamp it only the first time you use it; some tickets bought at a machine come prestamped—check to be sure). For the subway, punch your ticket in the blue machine before going down to the platform. For buses and trams, stamp your ticket once on board. Plainclothes ticket checkers enforce this honor system, rewarding freeloaders with stiff €60 fines.
Handy Lines: Several subway lines, trams, and buses are especially convenient for tourists, but be aware that ongoing construction work might impact the use of some lines. All the main S-Bahn lines (S-1 through S-8) run east-west along the main tourist axis between the Hauptbahnhof, Marienplatz, and the Ostbahnhof. For travel within the city center, just find the platform for lines S-1 through S-8. One track (Gleis) will be headed east to the Ostbahnhof, the other west to the Hauptbahnhof. Hop on any train going your direction.
The U-3 goes to Olympic Park and the BMW sights, and the S-2 goes to Dachau. Bus #100 is useful for getting to the English Garden (from the train station) and to the Museum Quarter (from Odeonsplatz). Tram #17 goes to Nymphenburg Palace (from the train station and the Sendlinger Tor). Trams #16 and #18 whisk you from the Isartor to the Sendlinger Tor or the train station.
Level, compact, and with plenty of bike paths, Munich feels made for those on two wheels. When biking in Munich, follow these simple rules: You must walk your bike through pedestrian zones; you can take your bike on the subway, but not during rush hour (Mon-Fri 6:00-9:00 & 16:00-18:00) and only if you buy a €2.60 bike day pass; and cyclists are expected to follow the rules of the road, just like drivers.
You can rent bikes quickly and easily from the places listed below. Each has an extensive selection of bikes; provides helmets, maps, and route advice; and offers bike tours.
Radius Tours (Rad means “bike” in German) is in the train station in front of track 32 (3- to 7-speed city bikes-€4/hour, €14.50/day, €17/24 hours, €29/48 hours, ask about Rick Steves discount, fancier bikes cost more, credit-card number required for deposit, daily 8:30-19:00, May-Aug until 20:00, closed Nov-March, tel. 089/543-487-7730, www.radiustours.com).
Mike’s Bike Tours is conveniently located in central Munich (€10 includes first hour, €2/additional hour, €18/day, ask about Rick Steves discount; daily 10:00-19:30, shorter hours Oct-mid-April, closed mid-Nov-Feb; most of the year at Bräuhausstrasse 10—enter around corner on Hochbrückenstrasse; off-season at Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 14, near the Isartor; tel. 089/2554-3987, www.mikesbiketours.com).
Suggested Ride: For a great city ride, consider this day on a bike: Rent from Radius at the train station, and take the bike path along Arnulfstrasse, pedaling out to Nymphenburg Palace. Then head to Olympic Park and the BMW sights, and finish at the English Garden (for the late-afternoon or early-evening scene) before returning to the center. Or go for the Isar River bike ride described on here.
Munich’s two largest conventional tour companies, Radius Tours and Munich Walk, run comparable bike tours, walking tours, and day trips to Dachau, Neuschwanstein Castle, and other places. Radius Tours has a convenient office and meeting point in the main train station, in front of track 32 (run by Gaby Holder and her son Daniel, tel. 089/543-487-7740, www.radiustours.com). Munich Walk, run by Ralph Lünstroth, uses Marienplatz as its meeting point (tel. 089/2423-1767, www.munichwalktours.de). Each company’s website explains its ever-growing list of offerings.
There’s also Gray Line, which runs sightseeing buses around town and for day trips (tel. 089/5490-7560, www.stadtrundfahrten-muenchen.de). You can buy discounted cash-only tickets for Gray Line and Munich Walk tours at EurAide (see here).
“Free” Tours: Marienplatz is chaotic with “free” tour guides jockeying to gather their groups. You’ll encounter brochures advertising these “free” walking and biking tours. The tours aren’t really free—tips are expected, and the guides actually have to pay the company for each person who takes the tour—so unless you tip more than they owe the company, they don’t make a penny. The tours tend to be light on history, and the guides work hard to promote their company’s other tours (which are not free).
To sightsee on your own, download my free Munich City Walk audio tour (see sidebar on here for details). It’s similar to the city walk in this book, but you can listen and enjoy rather than read.
Munich Walk offers two daytime tours: a daily city walk (€12, year-round at 10:45, May-Oct also daily at 14:45, 2 hours) and “Third Reich in Munich” (€15, daily year-round at 10:15, 2.5 hours, extended €24 six-hour version Mon and Sat only). Their “Beer and Brewery” tour is more mature than your typical hard-partying pub crawl. You visit Paulaner, Munich’s oldest brewery, to learn, eat, and drink in the city that made beer famous. The price includes two beers in the brewery; afterward, the tour ends at the Hofbräuhaus (€30, May-mid-Sept Mon, Wed, and Fri-Sat at 18:15, less-frequent and at 17:30 off-season, 3.5 hours). All Munich Walk tours depart from in front of the TI on Marienplatz. You don’t need to reserve—just show up (ask for Rick Steves discount on any tour).
Radius Tours runs two city walking tours with reliably good guides: a daily city tour (€14, at 10:15, 2 hours) and “Birthplace of the Third Reich” (€16, April-mid-Oct daily at 15:00, off-season daily at 11:30; 2.5 hours). They also offer an educational “Bavarian Beer and Food” tour (€33; April-mid-Oct Mon-Sat 18:00, off-season Tue, Thu, and Sat at 18:00; 3.5 hours; no tours during Oktoberfest except their Oktoberfest tour, which must be reserved well in advance—see here, www.radiustours.com). All tours depart from the Radius office in front of track 32 at the train station. No need to reserve; just show up (ask for Rick Steves discount, or if booking online, use the “student rate”).
The Size Matters Beer Tour, run by Kenyan-German-American Tim and his associate John, stops at the Augustiner Biergarten, Löwenbräu, and Park Café. Depart from Euro Youth Hotel, near the train station, at Senefelderstrasse 5 (€16 if booked online, otherwise €20—ask for Rick Steves discount to get online rate, daily at 18:45, less frequent in winter, www.sizemattersbeertour.de).
A guide can be a great value—especially if you assemble a small group. Six people splitting the cost can make the luxury of a private guide affordable. I’ve had great days with two good guides: Georg Reichlmayr, who has helped me generously with this chapter (€180/3 hours, tel. 08131/86800, mobile 0170-341-6384, program explained on his website, www.muenchen-stadtfuehrung.de, info@muenchen-stadtfuehrung.de), and Birgit Stempfle (€180/3 hours, mobile 0171-718-1465, www.sightseeing-munich.de, info@sightseeing-munich.de).
Munich lends itself to bike touring. The following outfits fit the bill and offer similar discounts to my readers. You don’t need to reserve ahead—just show up—but do confirm times. Prices include bike rental (you’ll pick up your bike after meeting your guide).
Munich Walk offers 3.5-hour bike tours around Munich (€25, April-Oct Sat-Sun only at 10:45, no tours off-season, depart from Marienplatz TI). Confirm times at www.munichwalktours.de.
Radius Tours has similar 3-hour bike tours (€28, April-mid-Oct daily at 10:00, no tours off-season). Tours leave from the Radius office at track 32 in the train station (confirm times at www.radiustours.com).
Mike’s Bike Tours packs four hours of “edutainment” on wheels into their “Classic” bike tour (€31, €21 for students, 1-hour break in Chinese Tower beer garden, daily March-mid-Nov at 11:30, mid-April-Sept also at 16:00, more tour options in summer, meet under tower of Old Town Hall at east end of Marienplatz—near toy museum at Marienplatz 15, tel. 089/2554-3987, www.mikesbiketours.com).
Gray Line Tours has hop-on, hop-off bus tours that leave from in front of the Karstadt department store at Bahnhofplatz, directly across from the train station. Choose from a basic, one-hour “Express Circle” that heads past the Pinakotheks, Marienplatz, and Karlsplatz (3/hour, 9:40-18:00); or the more extensive “Grand Circle” that lasts 2.5 hours and also includes Nymphenburg Palace and BMW-Welt/Museum (2/hour, 9:40-16:00). If you plan on visiting Nymphenburg and the BMW center, this is a very efficient way to see both—just plan your visits to these sights around the tour schedule (bus generally leaves from Nymphenburg at :30 past the hour, and from BMW at :45 past). The tour is actually very worthwhile: Sitting upstairs on the topless double-decker bus, you’ll see lots of things missed by the typical visitor wandering around the center. It complements the information in this book, though the live narration (in German and English) is delivered as stiffly as a recording. Just show up and pay the driver (€17 Express tour—valid 24 hours, €22/€27 Grand tour—valid 24/48 hours, daily in season, tel. 089/5490-7560, www.stadtrundfahrten-muenchen.de). You’ll get a €1-2 discount by buying your ticket in advance on their website or at EurAide (cash only, see here).
While you can do many day trips from Munich on your own by train (see “Day Trips from Munich,” at the end of this chapter), going as part of an organized group can be convenient. Many of the companies offering tours in Munich also have options for getting to Dachau (see here for details), Neuschwanstein, Nürnberg, Salzburg, and other destinations.
An organized bus tour can be especially convenient for getting to Neuschwanstein. Though they’re a little more expensive, I prefer the guided private bus tours (as opposed to the escorted tours by public transportation)—you’re guaranteed a seat (public transport to Neuschwanstein is routinely standing-room only in summer), and you get to see more. All these tours can sell out, especially in summer, so it’s wise to buy your ticket in advance. Gray Line Tours offers rushed all-day bus tours of Neuschwanstein that also include Ludwig’s Linderhof Castle and 30 minutes in Oberammergau (€54, does not include castle admissions, €7 Rick Steves discount if you buy your ticket at EurAide—cash only, daily at 8:30, meets across from main train station in front of Karstadt department store, www.stadtrundfahrten-muenchen.de). Munich Walk advertises a tour that sounds similar—because they’re simply selling tickets for this Gray Line trip. A luxury version from Gray Line offers a smaller group and more amenities (€139, includes castle admission, daily Jan-Oct at 8:30, www.sightseeing-munich.com).
Bus Bavaria (run by Mike’s Bike Tours) offers a private bus tour for the able-bodied with a focus on the outdoors—a bike ride, hike, and short swim near Neuschwanstein are included (€69, €4 Rick Steves discount, does not include castle admission or lunch—bring cash; daily mid-May-Sept, meet at 8:30 at Mike’s Bike Tours office near Hofbräuhaus, Bräuhausstrasse 10—enter around corner on Hochbrückenstrasse, tel. 089/2554-3987, mobile 0172-852-0660, www.mikesbiketours.com).
Radius Tours runs all-day tours to Neuschwanstein using public transportation. Your guide will escort you onto the train to Füssen and then the bus from there to the castle, and help you into the castle for the standard tour that’s included with any admission ticket (€45, €38 with rail pass, use “student rate” online for Rick Steves discount, does not include castle admission; daily April-Dec at 9:30, also May-mid-Oct at 10:30; Jan-March tours run Mon, Wed, and Fri-Sun at 9:30; smart to reserve ahead online, departs from the Radius office near track 32 in the train station, www.radiustours.com). The 10:30 tour is the same as the 9:30 but comes with less-crowded trains.
5 Munich City Museum (Münchner Stadtmuseum)
8 St. Michael’s Church (Michaelskirche)
11 Marienhof
13 Platzl
14 Hofbräuhaus
18 Odeonsplatz
20 Hofgarten
(See “Munich City Walk” map, here.)
Munich is big and modern, with a million and a half citizens, but, with its pedestrian-friendly historic core, it feels a lot like an easygoing Bavarian town. On this self-guided walk, rated ▲▲▲, we’ll start in the central square, see its famous glockenspiel, stroll through a thriving open-air market, and visit historic churches with lavish Baroque decor. We’ll sample chocolates at a venerable gourmet deli and take a spin through the world’s most famous beer hall. Allow two or three hours for this walk through a thousand years of Munich’s history (use the map on here to help find your way). Allow extra time if you want to take a break from the walk to tour the museums—details on visiting the sights are given later, under “Sights in Munich.”
Download my free Munich City Walk audio tour.
• Begin your walk at the heart of the old city, with a stroll through...
Riding the escalator out of the subway into sunlit Marienplatz (mah-REE-en-platz, “Mary’s Square,” rated ▲▲) gives you a fine first look at the glory of Munich: great buildings, outdoor cafés, and people bustling and lingering like the birds and breeze with which they share this square.
The square is both old and new: For a thousand years, it’s been the center of Munich. It was the town’s marketplace and public forum, standing at a crossroads along the Salt Road, which ran between Salzburg and Augsburg.
Lining one entire side of the square is the impressive facade of the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), with its soaring 280-foot spire. The structure looks medieval, but it was actually built in the late 1800s (1867-1908). The style is “Neo”-Gothic—pointed arches over the doorways and a roofline bristling with prickly spires. The 40 statues look like medieval saints, but they’re from around 1900, depicting more recent Bavarian kings and nobles. This medieval-looking style was all the rage in the 19th century as Germans were rediscovering their historical roots and uniting as a modern nation.
The New Town Hall is famous for its glockenspiel. A carillon in the tower chimes a tune while colorful figurines come out on the balcony to spin and dance. It happens daily at 11:00 and 12:00 all year (also at 17:00 March-Oct) and lasts about 10 minutes. The Spiel of the glockenspiel tells the story of a noble wedding that actually took place on the market square in 1568. You see the wedding procession and the friendly joust of knights on horseback. The duke and his bride watch the action as the groom’s Bavarian family (in Bavarian white and blue) joyfully jousts with the bride’s French family (in red and white). Below, the barrelmakers—famous for being the first to dance in the streets after a deadly plague lifted—do their popular jig. Finally, the solitary cock crows.
At the very top of the New Town Hall is a statue of a child with outstretched arms, dressed in monk’s garb and holding a book in its left hand. This is the Münchner Kindl, the symbol of Munich. The town got its name from the people who first settled here: the monks (Mönchen). You’ll spot this mini monk all over town, on everything from the city’s coat of arms to souvenir shot glasses to ad campaigns (often holding not a book, but maybe a beer or a smartphone). The city symbol was originally depicted as a grown man, wearing a gold-lined black cloak and red shoes. By the 19th century, artists were representing him as a young boy, then a gender-neutral child, and, more recently, a young girl. These days, a teenage girl dressed as the Kindl kicks off the annual Oktoberfest by leading the opening parade on horseback, and then serves as the mascot throughout the festivities.
New Town Hall Tower Views: Enter the New Town Hall and take an elevator to the fourth floor (where you purchase your ticket), then ride another elevator to the top of the New Town Hall tower—where, from a small perch, you can enjoy a commanding 360-degree city view (€2.50, elevator located under glockenspiel; May-Sept daily 10:00-19:00; Oct-April Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, closed Sat-Sun).
The golden statue at the top of the column in the center of Marienplatz honors the square’s namesake, the Virgin Mary. Sculpted in 1590, it was a rallying point in the religious wars of the Reformation. Back then, Munich was a bastion of southern-German Catholicism against the heresies of Martin Luther to the north. Notice how, at the four corners of the statue, cherubs fight the four great biblical enemies of civilization: the dragon of war, the lion of hunger, the rooster-headed monster of plague and disease, and the serpent. The serpent represents heresy—namely, Protestants. Bavaria is still Catholic country, and Protestants weren’t allowed to worship openly here until about 1800.
To the right of the New Town Hall, the gray pointy building with the green spires is the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus). On its adjoining bell tower, find the city seal. It has the Münchner Kindl (symbolizing the first monks), a castle (representing the first fortifications), and a lion (representing the first ruler—Henry the Lion, who built them).
As you look around, keep in mind that the Allies bombed Marienplatz and much of Munich during World War II. Most of the buildings had to be rebuilt; the question was whether to do so in a way that matched their original design or in a modern style. The Old Town Hall looks newer now because it was completely destroyed by bombs and had to be rebuilt after the war. The New Town Hall survived the bombs, and it served as the US military headquarters after the Americans occupied Munich in 1945.
Orientation Spin: Back on the ground, before moving on, face the New Town Hall one more time and get oriented. Straight ahead is north. To the left is the pedestrian shopping street called Kaufingerstrasse, which leads to the old gate called Karlstor and the train station. To the right, the street leads to the Isartor gate and the Deutsches Museum. This east-west axis cuts through the historic core of Munich.
• Turn around and notice the small street to the left leading a short block to St. Peter’s Church, with its steeple poking up above a row of buildings.
The oldest church in town, St. Peter’s stands on the hill where Munich’s original monks probably settled—perhaps as far back as the ninth century (though the city marks its official birthday as 1158). Today’s church (from 1368) replaced the original monastery church.
St. Peter’s (“Old Peter” to locals) is part of the soul of the city. There’s even a popular song about it that goes, “Munich is not Munich without St. Peter’s.”
Cost and Hours: Church-free, tower-€2, Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat-Sun from 10:00, off-season daily until 18:00.
Visiting the Church: On the outside of the church, notice the 16th- and 17th-century tombstones plastered onto the wall. Originally, people were buried in the holy ground around the church. But in the Napoleonic age, the cemeteries were dug up and relocated outside the city walls for hygienic and space reasons. They kept a few tombstones here as a reminder.
Step inside. (If there’s a Mass in progress, visitors are welcome, but stay in the back. If there’s no Mass, feel free to explore.) Typical of so many Bavarian churches, it’s whitewashed and light-filled, with highlights in pastel pinks and blues framed by gold curlicues. The ceiling painting opens up to the heavens, where Peter is crucified upside down.
Some photos (on a pillar near the entrance) show how St. Peter’s was badly damaged in World War II—the roof caved in, and the tower was demolished during an air raid. But the beloved church was rebuilt and restored, thanks to donations—half from the Augustiner brewery, the rest from private donors. (The accuracy of the restoration was possible thanks to Nazi catalog photos—see “The History of Munich” sidebar on here.) For decades after World War II, the bells played a popular tune that stopped before the last note, reminding locals that the church still needed money to rebuild.
Explore further. The nave is lined with bronze statues of the apostles, and the altar shows a statue of St. Peter being adored by four Church fathers. The finely crafted, gray iron fences that line the nave were donated after World War II by the local blacksmiths of the national railway. The precious and fragile sandstone Gothic chapel altar (to the left of the main altar) survived the war only because it was buried in sandbags.
Find the second chapel from the back on the left side. Now there’s something you don’t see every day: a skeleton in a box. As the red Latin inscription says, this is St. Munditia. In the fourth century, she was beheaded by the Romans for her Christian faith. Munich has more relics of saints than any city outside Rome. That’s because it was the Pope’s Catholic bastion against the rising tide of Protestantism in northern Europe during the Reformation. In 1675, St. Munditia’s remains were given to Munich by the Pope as thanks for the city’s devoted service. It was also a vivid reminder to the faithful that those who die for the cause of the Roman Church go directly to heaven without waiting for Judgment Day.
It’s a long climb to the top of the spire (306 steps, no elevator)—much of it with two-way traffic on a one-lane staircase—but the view is dynamite. Try to be two flights from the top when the bells ring at the top of the hour. Then, when your friends back home ask you about your trip, you’ll say, “What?”
• Leave St. Peter’s out the door opposite the one you entered and head downhill to join the busy commotion of the...
The market (rated ▲▲, closed Sun) is a lively world of produce stands and budget eateries. Browse your way through the stalls and pavilions, as you make your way to the market’s main landmark, the blue-and-white striped maypole. Early in the morning, you can still feel small-town Munich here. Remember, Munich has been a market town since its earliest days as a stop on the salt-trade crossroads. By the 1400s, the market bustled, most likely beneath a traditional maypole, just like you see today.
Besides salt, Munich gained a reputation for beer. By the 15th century, more than 30 breweries pumped out the golden liquid, brewed by monks, who were licensed to sell it. They stored their beer in cellars under courtyards kept cool by the shade of bushy chestnut trees—a tradition Munich’s breweries still stick to.
The market’s centerpiece seems to be its beer garden (daily 10:00-22:00, weather permitting). Its picnic tables are filled with hungry and thirsty locals, all in the shade of the traditional chestnut trees.
As this beer garden is city-owned and needs to be equitable, the beverage selection rotates week to week to feature beer from six leading brewers. Step up to the beer kiosk where you’ll see a sign explaining which beer is on tap.
Shoppers often pause here for a late-morning snack of Weisswurst—white sausage—served with mustard, a pretzel, and a beer. Here, you can order just a half-liter—unlike some other beer gardens that only sell by the full liter. This is handy for shoppers who want just a quick sip. As is the tradition at all the city’s beer gardens, some tables—those without tablecloths—are set aside for patrons who bring their own food; they’re welcome here as long as they buy a drink. The Viktualienmarkt is ideal for a light meal (see here).
Now make your way to the towering maypole. Throughout Bavaria, colorfully ornamented maypoles decorate town squares. Many are painted, like this one, in Bavaria’s colors, white and blue. The decorations are festively replaced every year on the first of May. Traditionally, rival communities try to steal each other’s maypole. Locals guard their new pole day and night as May Day approaches. Stolen poles are ransomed only with lots of beer for the clever thieves.
As was standard in any village, the decorations that line each side of the pole explain which merchants are doing business in the market. Munich’s maypole gives prominence (on the bottom level) to a horse-drawn wagon bringing in beer barrels. And you can’t have a kegger without coopers—find the merry barrelmakers, the four cute guys dancing. Today, traditional barrel making is enjoying a comeback as top breweries like to have real wooden kegs.
The bottom of the pole celebrates the world’s oldest food law. The German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) of 1487 actually originated here in Munich, was later adopted in Bavaria, and eventually spread throughout the rest of Germany. It stipulated that beer could consist only of three ingredients: barley, hops, and water, with no additives. (Later they realized that a fourth ingredient, yeast, is always present in fermentation.) Why was beer so treasured? Back in the Middle Ages, it was considered liquid food.
From the maypole, take in the bustling scene around you. The market was modernized in the 1800s as the city grew. Old buildings were torn down, replaced with stalls and modern market halls. Now, in the 21st century, it’s a wonder such a traditional place survives—especially because it sits on the most expensive real estate in town. But locals love their market, so the city protects these old-time shops, charging them only a small percentage of their gross income, enabling them to carry on. The city also bans most fast-food chains. This keeps the market classy and authentic. Münchners consider the produce here to be top quality, if on the expensive side.
• At the far end of the Viktualienmarkt, across the street and to the right of Der Pschorr, spot Café Frischhut with its colorful old-time sign hanging out front (at Prälat-Zistl-Strasse 8). This is Munich’s favorite place to stop for a fresh Schmalznudel—pop in to pick up one of these traditional fried-dough treats (best enjoyed warm with a sprinkling of sugar).
Continue straight to a modern glass-and-iron building, the Schrannenhalle. This 1800s grain exchange has been renovated into a high-end paradise for foodies, especially those seeking Italian edibles. Stroll through Eataly, past enticing bottles of olive oil and delectable pasta, making your way to the far end, where chocoholics and wine connoisseurs could detour downstairs for tasty chocolate samples and a vast wine collection (and a good WC).
When you’re ready to move on, exit the Schrannenhalle midway down on the right-hand side. You’ll spill out into Sebastiansplatz, a small square lined with healthy eateries (see page 124). Continue through Sebastiansplatz and veer left, where you’ll see a cube-shaped building, the...
This modern synagogue anchors a revitalized Jewish quarter. In the 1930s, about 10,000 Jews lived in Munich, and the main synagogue stood near here. Then, in 1938, Hitler demanded that the synagogue be torn down. By the end of World War II, Munich’s Jewish community was gone. But thanks to Germany’s acceptance of religious refugees from former Soviet states, the Jewish population has now reached its prewar size. The new synagogue was built in 2006. There’s also a kindergarten and day school, playground, fine kosher restaurant (at #18), and bookstore. Notice the low-key but efficient security.
While the synagogue is shut tight to nonworshippers, its architecture is striking from the outside. Lower stones of travertine evoke the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, while an upper section represents the tent that held important religious wares during the 40 years of wandering through the desert. The synagogue’s door features the first 10 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, symbolizing the Ten Commandments.
The cube-shaped Jewish History Museum (behind the cube-shaped synagogue) is stark, windowless, and as inviting as a bomb shelter. While the museum’s small permanent collection is disappointing, good temporary exhibits might justify the entry fee (€6; ticket gets you half-price admission to Munich City Museum, Nazi Documentation Center, Lenbachhaus, or Villa Stuck—or use any of those tickets to get half-price admission here; Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, St.-Jakobs-Platz 16, tel. 089/2339-6096, www.juedisches-museum-muenchen.de).
• Facing the synagogue, on the same square, is the...
The highs and lows of Munich’s history are covered in this surprisingly honest municipal museum (rated ▲). It covers the cultural upheavals of the early 1900s, Munich’s role as the birthplace of the Nazis, and the city’s renaissance during Germany’s postwar “economic miracle.” There’s scant information posted in English, but an included audioguide can fill in the gaps.
• You can stop and tour the museum now (see listing on page 78). Otherwise, continue through the synagogue’s square, past the fountain, across the street, and one block farther to the pedestrianized Sendlinger Strasse. Take a left and walk 100 yards until you see a fancy facade on your right (at #62), which marks the...
This tiny church (rated ▲) is a slice of heaven on earth—a gooey, drippy Baroque-concentrate masterpiece by Bavaria’s top two Rococonuts—the Asam brothers. Just 30 feet wide, it was built in 1740 to fit within this row of homes. Originally, it was a private chapel where these two brother-architects could show off their work (on their own land, next to their home and business headquarters—to the left), but it’s now a public place of worship.
Cost and Hours: Free, Sat-Thu 9:00-18:00, Fri from 13:00, tel. 089/2368-7989. The church is small, so visitors are asked not to enter during Mass.
Visiting the Church: This place of worship served as a promotional brochure to woo clients, and is packed with every architectural trick in the books. Imagine approaching the church not as a worshipper, but as a shopper representing your church’s building committee. First stand outside: Hmmm, the look of those foundation stones really packs a punch. And the legs hanging over the portico...nice effect. Those starbursts on the door would be a hit back home, too.
Then step inside: I’ll take a set of those over-the-top golden capitals, please. We’d also like to order the gilded garlands draping the church in jubilation, and the twin cupids capping the confessional. And how about some fancy stucco work, too? (Molded-and-painted plaster was clearly an Asam brothers specialty.) Check out the illusion of a dome painted on the flat ceiling—that’ll save us lots of money. The yellow glass above the altar has the effect of the thin-sliced alabaster at St. Peter’s in Rome, but it’s within our budget! And, tapping the “marble” pilasters to determine that they are just painted fakes, we decide to take that, too. Crammed between two buildings, light inside this narrow church is limited, so there’s a big, clear window in the back for maximum illumination—we’ll order one to cut back on our electricity bill.
Born from Salt and Beer (1100-1500): Munich began in the 12th century, when Henry the Lion (Heinrich der Löwe) established a lucrative salt trade near a monastery of “monks”—München. After Henry’s death, an ambitious merchant family, the Wittelsbachs, took over. By the 1400s, Munich’s maypole-studded market bustled with trade in salt and beer, the twin-domed Frauenkirche drew pilgrims, and the Wittelsbachs made their home in the Residenz. When the various regions of Bavaria united in 1506, Munich (pop. 14,000) was the natural capital.
Religious Wars, Plagues, Decline (1500-1800): While Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation raged in northern Germany, Munich became the ultra-Catholic heart of the Counter-Reformation, decorated in the ornate Baroque and Rococo style of its Italian Catholic allies. The religious wars and periodic plagues left the city weakened. Now the Wittelsbachs took their cultural cues from more-powerful France (Nymphenburg Palace is a miniature Versailles), England (the English Garden), and Italy (the Pitti Palace-inspired Residenz). While the rest of Europe modernized, Munich remained behind the times.
The Golden Age of Kings (1806-1886): When Napoleon invaded, the Wittelsbach dukes surrendered hospitably, and were promptly rewarded with an even grander title: King of Bavaria. Munich boomed. Maximilian I (r. 1806-1825, see here), a.k.a. Max Joseph, rebuilt in Neoclassical style—grand columned buildings connected by broad boulevards. Ludwig I (r. 1825-1848) turned Munich into a modern railroad hub, budding industrial city, and fitting capital (pop. 90,000). But the skirt-chasing Ludwig was brought down in a sex scandal with the notorious Irish dancer Lola Montez. His son Maximilian II (r. 1848-1864) continued Ludwig’s modernization program, while studiously avoiding dancers. In 1864, 18-year-old Ludwig II (r. 1864-1886) became king. Ludwig didn’t much like Munich, preferring to build castles in the Bavarian countryside. (For more on Ludwig, see here.)
End of the Wittelsbachs (1886-1918): When Bavaria became part of the newly united Germany, Berlin overtook Munich as Germany’s power center. Turn-of-the-century Munich was culturally rich, giving birth to the abstract art of the Blue Rider group. But World War I devastated Munich. After the war, mobs of poor, hungry, disillusioned, and angry Münchners roamed the streets. In 1918, they drove the last Bavarian king out, ending 700 years of Wittelsbach rule.
Nazis, World War II, and Munich Bombed (1918-1945): In the power vacuum, a fringe group emerged—the Nazi party, headed by charismatic war veteran Adolf Hitler. Hitler rallied the Nazis in a Munich beer hall, leading a failed coup d’état known as the Beer Hall Putsch (1923). When the Nazis eventually took power in Berlin, they remembered their roots, dubbing Munich “Capital of the Movement.” In World War II, nearly half the city was leveled by Allied air raids. The once-grand city lay in waste.
Munich Rebuilds (1945-Present): After the war, with generous American aid, Münchners rebuilt. Nazi authorities had taken care during the early war years to create a photographic archive of historic sights, which now came in handy. The city faced a choice—rebuild in the old style or go with modern skyscrapers. Munich chose to preserve the low-rise, medieval feel, but with a modern infrastructure. For the 1972 Olympic Games, they built a futuristic stadium, a sleek new subway system, and one of Europe’s first pedestrian-only zones—Kaufingerstrasse. In 1990, when Germany reunited, Berlin once again became the country’s focal point, relegating Munich to the role of sleepy Second City.
These days, Munich seems to be comfortable just being itself rather than trying to keep up with Berlin. Though rich and modern—home to BMW and Siemens, and a producer of software, books, movies, and the latest fashions—it remains safe, clean, and cultured. It’s a university town, built on a human scale, and close to the beauties of nature.
Visiting the Asam Church, you can see why the Asam brothers were so prolific and successful. (You’ll find black-and-white portraits of the two Asams in oval frames flanking the altar.) On the way out, say good-bye to the gilded grim reaper in the narthex (left side as you’re leaving) as he cuts the thread of life—reminding all who visit of our mortality...and, by the way, that shrouds have no pockets.
• Leaving the church, look to your right, noticing the Sendlinger Tor at the end of the street—part of the fortified town wall that circled Munich in the 14th century. Then turn left and walk straight up Sendlinger Strasse. Walk toward the Münchner Kindl, still capping the spire of the New Town Hall in the distance, and then up (pedestrian-only) Rosenstrasse, until you hit Marienplatz and the big, busy...
This car-free street leads you through a great shopping district, past cheap department stores, carnivals of street entertainers, and good old-fashioned slicers and dicers. As far back as the 12th century, this was the town’s main commercial street. Traders from Salzburg and Augsburg would enter the town through the fortified Karlstor. This street led past the Augustiner beer hall (opposite St. Michael’s Church to this day), right to the main square and cathedral.
Up until the 1970s, the street was jammed with car traffic. Then, for the 1972 Olympics, it was turned into one of Europe’s first pedestrian zones. At first, shopkeepers were afraid that would ruin business. Now it’s Munich’s living room. Nearly 9,000 shoppers pass through it each hour. Merchants nearby are begging for their streets to become traffic-free, too. Imagine this street in Hometown, USA.
The 1972 Olympics transformed this part of Munich—the whole area around Marienplatz was pedestrianized and the transit system expanded. Since then, Munich has become one of the globe’s greenest cities. Skyscrapers have been banished to the suburbs, and the nearby Frauenkirche is still the tallest building in the center.
• Stroll a few blocks away from Marienplatz toward the Karlstor, until you arrive at the imposing church on the right.
This is one of the first great Renaissance buildings north of the Alps. The ornate facade, with its sloped roofline, was inspired by the Gesù Church in Rome—home of the Jesuit order. Jesuits saw themselves as the intellectual defenders of Catholicism. St. Michael’s was built in the late 1500s—at the height of the Protestant Reformation—to serve as the northern outpost of the Jesuits. Appropriately, the facade features a statue of Michael fighting a Protestant demon.
Cost and Hours: Church—free, generally daily 8:00-19:00, closes later on Sun and summer evenings; crypt—€2, Mon-Fri 9:30-16:30, Sat until 14:30, closed Sun; frequent concerts—check schedule posted outside; tel. 089/231-7060.
Visiting the Church: Inside, admire the ornate Baroque interior, topped with a barrel vault, the largest of its day. Stroll up the nave to the ornate pulpit, where Jesuit priests would hammer away at Reformation heresy. The church’s acoustics are spectacular, and the choir—famous in Munich—sounds heavenly singing from the organ loft high in the rear.
The crypt (Fürstengruft, down the stairs to the right by the altar) contains 40 stark, somewhat forlorn tombs of Bavaria’s ruling family, the Wittelsbachs.
The most ornate tomb (center of back wall, facing altar) holds the illustrious Ludwig II, known for his fairy-tale castle at Neuschwanstein. Ludwig didn’t care much for Munich. He escaped to the Bavarian countryside where he spent his days building castles, listening to music, and dreaming about knights of old. His excesses earned him the nickname “Mad” King Ludwig. But of all the Wittelsbachs, it’s his tomb that’s decorated with flowers—placed here by romantics still mad about their “mad” king.
Also on the back wall is the tomb of Wilhelm V (right), who built this church, and Maximilian I (left), who saved Munich from Swedish invaders during the Thirty Years’ War.
Finally (center of right wall as you enter) there’s Otto, who went insane and was deposed in 1916, virtually bringing the Wittelsbachs’ seven-century reign to an end.
• Our next stop, the Frauenkirche, is a few hundred yards away. Backtrack a couple of blocks up Kaufingerstrasse to the wild boar statue, which marks the German Hunting and Fishing Museum. This place has outdoorsy regalia, kid-friendly exhibits, and the infamous Wolpertinger—a German “jackalope” created by very creative local taxidermists. At the boar statue, turn left on Augustinerstrasse, which leads to Munich’s towering, twin-domed cathedral.
These twin onion domes are the symbol of the city. They’re unusual in that most Gothic churches have either pointed steeples or square towers. Some say Crusaders, inspired by the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, brought home the idea. Or it may be that, due to money problems, the towers weren’t completed until Renaissance times, when domes were popular. Whatever the reason, the Frauenkirche’s domes may be the inspiration for the characteristic domed church spires that mark villages all over Bavaria.
Cost and Hours: Free, open daily generally 7:00-20:30, tel. 089/290-0820.
Restorations: The church towers are under restoration and may not be open for climbing during your visit.
Visiting the Church: The church was built in just 22 years, from 1466 to 1488. Note that it’s made of brick, not quarried stone—easy to make locally, and cheaper and faster to build with than stone. Construction was partly funded with the sale of indulgences (which let sinners bypass purgatory on the way to heaven). It’s dedicated to the Virgin—Our Lady (Frau)—and has been the city’s cathedral since 1821.
Step inside, and remember that much of this church was destroyed during World War II. The towers survived, and the rest was rebuilt essentially from scratch.
Near the entrance is a big, black, ornate, tomb-like monument honoring Ludwig IV the Bavarian (1282-1347), who was elected Holy Roman Emperor—a big deal. The Frauenkirche was built a century later with the express purpose of honoring his memory. His monument was originally situated in front at the high altar, right near Christ. Those Wittelsbachs—always trying to be associated with God. This alliance was instilled in people through the prayers they were forced to recite: “Virgin Mary, mother of our duke, please protect us.”
Nearby, a relief (over the back pew on the left) honors one of Munich’s more recent citizens. Joseph Ratzinger was born in Bavaria in 1927, became archbishop of the Frauenkirche (1977-1982), then moved to the Vatican where he later served as Pope Benedict XVI (2005-2013).
Now walk slowly up the main aisle, enjoying stained glass right and left. This glass is obviously modern, having replaced the original glass that was shattered in World War II. Ahead is the high altar, under a huge hanging crucifix. Find the throne—the ceremonial seat of the local bishop. From here, look up to the tops of the columns, and notice the tiny painted portraits. They’re the craftsmen from five centuries ago who helped build the church.
Now walk behind the altar to the apse, where the three tall windows still have their original 15th-century glass. To survive the bombs of 1944, each pane was lovingly removed and stored safely away.
• Our next stop is Promenadeplatz, just 400 yards north of here. Facing the altar, take the left side exit and walk straight 50 yards until you see a door marking a tiny but well-signed passageway (on the left) called the Aufhauser Passage. Follow it through a modern building, where you’ll emerge at a little park called Promenadeplatz. Detour a few steps left into the park, where you’ll find a colorful modern memorial. (If the Aufhauser Passage is closed, use the map on here to circle around the block to the next stop.)
When Michael Jackson was in town, he’d stay at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, like many VIPs. Fans would gather in the park waiting for him to appear at his window. He’d sometimes oblige (but his infamous baby-dangling incident happened in Berlin, not here). When Jackson died in 2009, devotees created this memorial by taking over a statue of Renaissance composer Orlando di Lasso. They still visit daily, leave a memento, and keep it tidy.
• Now backtrack and turn left. Walk down Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse, lined with former 18th-century mansions that have since become offices and bank buildings. At #11, turn right and enter a modern shopping mall called the Fünf Höfe Passage. The place takes your basic shopping mall and gives it more class. It’s divided into five connecting courtyards (the “fünf Höfe”), spruced up with bubbling fountains, exotic plants, and a hanging garden.
Emerging on a busy pedestrian street, turn right, and head down the street (noticing the Münchner Kindl again high above), to a big green square: Marienhof, with the most aristocratic grocery store in all of Germany.
This square, tucked behind the New Town Hall, was left as a green island after the 1945 bombings. If you find that the square’s all dug up, it’s because Munich has finally started building an additional subway tunnel here. With virtually the entire underground system converging on nearby Marienplatz, this new tunnel will provide a huge relief to the city’s congested subterranean infrastructure.
On the far side of Marienhof, the stately yellow building is 12 Dallmayr Delicatessen. When the king called out for dinner, he called Alois Dallmayr. This place became famous for its exotic and luxurious food items: tropical fruits, seafood, chocolates, fine wines, and coffee (there are meat and cheese counters, too). As you enter, read the black plaque with the royal seal by the door: Königlich Bayerischer Hof-Lieferant (“Deliverer for the King of Bavaria and his Court”). Catering to royal and aristocratic tastes (and budgets) since 1700, it’s still the choice of Munich’s old rich. Today, it’s most famous for its sweets, chocolates, and coffee—dispensed from fine hand-painted Nymphenburg porcelain jugs (Mon-Sat 9:30-19:00, closed Sun; Dienerstrasse 13, www.dallmayr.com). Imagine picking up a royal picnic to munch in the grassy park out front.
• Leaving Dallmayr, turn right and then right again to continue along Hofgraben. Walk straight three blocks, gently downhill, to Platzl—“small square.” (If you get turned around, just ask any local to point you toward the Hofbräuhaus.)
As you stand here—admiring classic facades in the heart of medieval Munich—recall that everything around you was flattened in World War II. Here on Platzl, reconstruction happened in stages: From 1945 to 1950, they removed 12 million tons of bricks and replaced roofs to make buildings weather-tight. From 1950 to 1972, they redid the exteriors. From 1972 to 2000, they refurbished the interiors. Today, the rebuilt Platzl sports new—but old-looking—facades.
Officials estimate that hundreds of unexploded bombs still lie buried under Munich. As recently as 2012, a 550-pound bomb was found in Schwabing, a neighborhood just north of the old city center. They had to evacuate the neighborhood and detonate the bomb, which created a huge fireball—a stark reminder of Munich’s scary past.
Today’s Platzl hosts a lively mix of places to eat and drink—chains like Starbucks and Hard Rock Café alongside local spots like Schuhbecks Eissalon, a favorite for ice cream (Pfisterstrasse 11).
• At the bottom of the square (#9), you can experience the venerable...
The world’s most famous beer hall (rated ▲▲) is a trip. Whether or not you slide your lederhosen on its polished benches, it’s a great experience just to walk through the place in all its rowdy glory (with its own gift shop).
Cost and Hours: Free to enter, daily 9:00-23:30, live oompah music at lunch and dinner; a 5-minute walk northeast of Marienplatz at Platzl 9, tel. 089/2901-3610, www.hofbraeuhaus.de. For details on eating here, see here.
Visiting the Hofbräuhaus: Before going in, check out the huge arches at the entrance and the crown logo. The original brewery was built here in 1589. As the crown suggests, it was the Wittelsbachs’ personal brewery, to make the “court brew” (Hof Brau). In 1880, the brewery moved out, and this 5,000-seat food-and-beer palace was built in its place. After being bombed in World War II, the Hofbräuhaus was one of the first places to be rebuilt (German priorities).
Now, take a deep breath and go on in. Dive headlong into the sudsy Hofbräu mosh pit. Don’t be shy. Everyone’s drunk anyway. The atmosphere is thick with the sounds of oompah music, played here every night of the year.
You’ll see locals stuffed into lederhosen and dirndls, giant gingerbread cookies that sport romantic messages, and kiosks selling postcards of the German (and apparently beer-drinking) ex-pope. Notice the quirky 1950s-style painted ceiling, with Bavarian colors, grapes, chestnuts, and fun “eat, drink, and be merry” themes. You’ll see signs on some tables reading Stammtisch, meaning they’re reserved for regulars, and their racks of old beer steins made of pottery and pewter. Beer halls like the Hofbräuhaus sell beer only by the liter mug, called a Mass (mahs). You can get it light (helles) or dark (dunkles). A slogan on the ceiling above the band reads, Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh—“Thirst is worse than homesickness.”
You can explore upstairs, too. Next to the entrance, a grand staircase leads up to the big folk-show hall on the top floor. There, at the far end of the hall is a balcony with a humble little (free) Hofbräuhaus museum.
• Leaving the Hofbräuhaus, turn right and walk two blocks, then turn left when you reach the street called...
This broad east-west boulevard, lined with grand buildings and exclusive shops, introduces us to Munich’s golden age of the 1800s. In that period, Bavaria was ruled by three important kings: Max Joseph, Ludwig I, and Ludwig II. They transformed Munich from a cluster of medieval lanes to a modern city of spacious squares, Neoclassical monuments, and wide boulevards. At the east end of this boulevard is the palatial home of the Bavarian parliament.
The street was purposely designed for people and for shopping, not military parades. And to this day, Maximilianstrasse is busy with shoppers browsing Munich’s most exclusive shops. Many are wealthy visitors from the Middle East, places like Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. These families often come here for medical treatment. And they make a vacation out of it, bringing the whole family and often even their own car and driver. The shopping is great, there’s no stress (like they might feel in a more frenetic city, like London), security is excellent, the weather is cool, and they’re free of the societal constraints that keep them on the straight and narrow back home. Germans just politely provide the services, happy to make back some of the money that pours eastward every time they pull up to a gas station.
• Maximilianstrasse leads to a big square—Max-Joseph-Platz.
The square is fronted by two big buildings: the National Theater (with its columns) and the Residenz (with its intimidating stone facade).
The Residenz, the former “residence” of the royal Wittelsbach family, started as a crude castle (c. 1385). Over the centuries, it evolved into one of Europe’s most opulent palaces. The facade takes its cue from Pitti Palace in Florence. Today, you can visit the Residenz for its lavish Rococo interior, its crown jewels, and exquisite Cuvilliés Theater (all described under “Sights in Munich”; see here).
The 1810 marriage reception of King Ludwig I was such a success that it turned into an annual bash. These days, the Oktoberfest lasts just over two weeks, starting on a Saturday in September and usually ending on the first Sunday in October (www.oktoberfest.de).
Oktoberfest is held at the Theresienwiese fairground south of the main train station, in a meadow known as the “Wies’n” (VEE-zen). Huge tents are set up that together can seat nearly 120,000 beer drinkers. The festivities kick off with an opening parade of about 9,500 participants. Then, for the next two weeks, it’s a frenzy of drinking, dancing, music, and food. There’s a huge Ferris wheel, and the triple-loop roller coaster must be the wildest on earth (best before the beer-drinking). Total strangers stroll arm-in-arm down rows of picnic tables amid a carnival of beer, pretzels, and wurst, drawing visitors from all over the globe. A million gallons of beer later, they roast the last ox.
If you’ll be here during the festivities, it’s best to reserve a room early, but if you arrive in the morning (except Fri or Sat) and haven’t called ahead, the TI may be able to help. During the fair, the city functions even better than normal, but is admittedly more expensive and crowded. It’s a good time to sightsee, even if beer-hall rowdiness isn’t your cup of tea.
Even though the beer tents are enormous, they’re often full, especially on weekends—if possible, avoid going on a Friday or Saturday night. If you find yourself inside a tent with nowhere to sit, be bold—find an underused table and ask some potential new friends to scoot (or at least keep your elbows sharp). For some cultural background with your Wies’n visit, consider hiring a local guide (see here) or going with a group (Radius Tours, for example, offers a €130 tour that includes two beers, half a chicken, and guaranteed seating, Sun-Fri at 10:00, no tours on Sat, reserve ahead, www.radiustours.com; Size Matters Beer Tour runs one for €159 that includes breakfast, lunch, four beers, and reserved seating, www.sizemattersbeertour.de).
If you’re not visiting while the party’s on, don’t worry: You can still dance to oompah bands, munch huge pretzels, and show off your stein-hoisting skills any time of year at Munich’s classic beer halls, including the venerable Hofbräuhaus (for descriptions of my favorite beer halls, see here).
In the city center, the humble Beer and Oktoberfest Museum (Bier- und Oktoberfestmuseum) offers a low-tech and underwhelming take on beer history. Exhibits and artifacts outline the centuries-old quest for the perfect beer (apparently achieved in Munich) and the origins of the city’s Oktoberfest celebration (€4, Tue-Sat 13:00-18:00, closed Sun-Mon, between the Isartor and Viktualienmarkt at Sterneckerstrasse 2, tel. 089/2423-1607, www.bier-und-oktoberfestmuseum.de).
The centerpiece of the square is a grand statue of Maximilian I—a.k.a. Max Joseph. In 1806, Max was the city’s duke, serving in the long tradition of his Wittelsbach family...until Napoleon invaded and deposed the duke. But then Napoleon—eager to marry into the aristocracy—agreed to reinstate Max, with one condition: that his daughter marry Napoleon’s stepson. Max Joseph agreed, and was quickly crowned not duke but king of Bavaria.
Max Joseph and his heirs ruled as constitutional monarchs. Now a king, Max Joseph was popular; he emancipated Protestants and Jews, revamped the Viktualienmarkt, and graced Munich with grand buildings like the National Theater. This Neoclassical building, opened in 1818, celebrated Bavaria’s strong culture, deep roots, and legitimacy as a nation; four of Richard Wagner’s operas were first performed here. It’s now where the Bavarian State Opera and the Bavarian State Orchestra perform. (The Roman numerals MCMLXIII in the frieze mark the year the theater reopened after WWII bombing restoration—1963.)
• Leave Max-Joseph-Platz opposite where you entered, walking alongside the Residenz on Residenzstrasse for about 100 yards to the next grand square. But before you get to Odeonsplatz, pause at the first corner on the left and look down Viscardigasse at the gold-cobbled swoosh in the pavement.
The cobbles in Viscardigasse recall one of Munich’s most dramatic moments: It was 1923, and Munich was in chaos. World War I had left Germany in shambles. Angry mobs roamed the streets. Out of the fury rose a new and frightening movement—Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. On November 8, Hitler launched a coup, later known as the Beer Hall Putsch, to try to topple the German government. It started with a fiery speech by Hitler in a beer hall a few blocks from here (the beer hall no longer exists). The next day, Hitler and his mob of Nazis marched up Residenzstrasse. A block ahead, where Residenzstrasse spills into Odeonsplatz, stood a hundred government police. Shots were fired. Hitler was injured, and 16 Nazis were killed, along with four policemen. The coup was put down, and Hitler was sent to a prison outside Munich. During his nine months there, he wrote down his twisted ideas in his book Mein Kampf.
Ten years later, when Hitler finally came to power, he made a memorial at Odeonsplatz to honor the “first martyrs of the Third Reich.” Germans were required to raise their arms in a Sieg Heil salute as they entered the square. The only way to avoid the indignity of saluting Nazism was to turn left down Viscardigasse instead. That stream of shiny cobbles marks the detour taken by those brave dissenters.
• But now that Hitler’s odious memorial is long gone, you can continue to...
This square links Munich’s illustrious past with the Munich of today. It was laid out by the Wittelsbach kings in the 1800s. They incorporated the much older (yellow) church that was already on the square, the Theatinerkirche. This church contains about half of the Wittelsbach tombs. The church’s twin towers and 230-foot-high dome are classic Italian Baroque, reflecting Munich’s strong Catholic bent in the 1600s.
Overlooking the square from the south is an arcaded loggia filled with statues. In the 1800s the Wittelsbachs commissioned this Hall of Heroes to honor Bavarian generals. It was modeled after the famous Renaissance loggia in Florence. Odeonsplatz was part of the Wittelsbachs’ grand vision of modern urban planning, designed to connect the historic core with the expanding metropolis.
At the far end of the square, several wide boulevards lead away from here. Look west (left) down 19 Brienner Strasse (watch out for bikes). In the distance, and just out of sight, a black obelisk commemorates the 30,000 Bavarians who marched with Napoleon to Moscow and never returned. Beyond the obelisk is the grand Königsplatz, or “King’s Square,” with its Neoclassical buildings. Back in the 1930s, Königsplatz was the center of the Nazi party. Remember, Munich was the cradle of Nazism. (For more on the Nazi sights in Königsplatz, see here). Today, the Nazi shadow has largely lifted from that square (only two buildings from that era remain) and Königsplatz is home to Munich’s cluster of great art museums. A few miles beyond Königsplatz is the Wittelsbachs’ impressive summer home, Nymphenburg Palace.
Now turn your attention 90 degrees to the right. The boulevard heading north from Odeonsplatz is Ludwigstrasse. It stretches a full mile, flanked by an impressive line of uniform 60-foot-tall buildings in the Neo-Gothic style. In the far distance is the city’s Triumphal Arch, capped with a figure of Bavaria, a goddess riding a lion-drawn chariot. She’s looking out, away from the city, to welcome home returning soldiers. The street is named for the great Wittelsbach builder-king Ludwig I, the grandfather of “Mad” King Ludwig. It was Ludwig I who truly made Munich into a grand capital. (“I won’t rest,” he famously swore, “until Munich looks like Athens.”) The street that bears his name, Ludwigstrasse, was used for big parades and processions, as it leads to that Roman-style arch.
Beyond the arch—and beyond what you can see—lie the suburbs of modern Munich, including the city’s modern skyscrapers, Olympic Park, and the famous BMW headquarters.
As you enjoy the busy scene on Odeonsplatz, let’s bring Munich’s 850-year history up to the present. Munich today, with a population of 1.5 million, is Germany’s third-largest city, after Berlin and Hamburg. It’s the capital of the independent-minded German state of Bavaria, and proudly waves two flags: the white-and-blue diamonds of Bavaria and the black-and-gold of the city of Munich. Munich is home to more banks and financial firms than any German city besides Frankfurt. It’s a center for book publishing and hosts two TV networks. Information technology is big, as well—it’s home to electronics giant Siemens and the German branch of Microsoft. And, of course, Munich is home to makers of some of the world’s finest cars—BMW (for “Bayerische Motoren Werke”—Bavarian Motor Works). Yes, Munich is a major metropolis, but you’d hardly know it by walking through its pleasant streets and parks.
• We’ll finish our walk in the pleasant Hofgarten. Its formal gate is to your right as you’re facing up Ludwigstrasse. Step through the gate and enter the...
The elegant “garden of the royal court” is a delight. Built by the Wittelsbachs as their own private backyard to the Residenz palace, it’s now open to everyone. Just inside the gate is an arcade decorated with murals commissioned by Ludwig I in the early 1800s. While faded, they still tell the glorious story of Bavaria from 1155 until 1688. The garden’s 400-year-old centerpiece is a Renaissance-style temple with great acoustics. (There’s often a musician performing here for tips.) It’s decorated with the same shell decor as was popular inside the Residenz.
• With this city walk completed, you’ve seen the essential Munich. From here, a path leads to the government offices of Bavaria (Bayerischen Staatskanzlei), housed in an impressive Neoclassical building flanked by modern glass halls. Look for the war memorial in front, which honors the “fallen heroes” of World War I, but only the “fallen” of World War II. To reach the English Garden, angle downhill to the northeast, walk under a bridge, and then make your way to the main street—Von-der-Tann Strasse—that runs just north of the Hofgarten. Along the way, you pass the stern Haus der Kunst (a rare fascist building surviving in Munich) and a happy place where locals surf in the river—the gateway into Munich’s sprawling English Garden, described later.
From the Hofgarten you’re within easy reach of Munich’s top sights. You could make the quick walk back to tour the museum and treasury at the Residenz; or descend into the U-Bahn from the Odeonsplatz stop for points elsewhere (the BMW Museum/Olympic Park is just a few stops away on this line). If you’re ready to eat, you have several choices. Café Luitpold (best for coffee and cake) and the elegant Spatenhaus are nearby (see “Eating in Munich,” later).
Residenz Treasury (Schatzkammer)
Residenz Museum (Residenzmuseum)
▲Munich City Museum (Münchner Stadtmuseum)
MUNICH’S MUSEUM QUARTER (KUNSTAREAL)
▲▲Egyptian Museum (Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst)
▲▲Nazi Documentation Center (NS-Dokumentationszentrum München)
▲English Garden (Englischer Garten)
Bavarian National Museum (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum)
▲Deutsches Museum (Main Branch)
SIGHTS OUTSIDE THE CITY CENTER
▲Museum of Transportation (Verkehrszentrum)
Flight Museum (Flugwerft Schleissheim)
Royal Stables Museum (Marstallmuseum)
Other Sights Outside the Center
Olympic Park (Olympiapark München) and TV Tower (Olympiaturm)
The other top sights in the city center are covered earlier, on my self-guided walk.
For 500 years, this was the palatial “residence” and seat of power of the ruling Wittelsbach family. It began (1385) as a crude castle with a moat around it. The main building was built from 1550 to 1650, and decorated in Rococo style during the 18th century. The final touch (under Ludwig I) was the grand south facade modeled after Florence’s Pitti Palace. In March 1944, Allied air raids left the Residenz in shambles, so much of what we see today—like much of historic Munich—is a reconstruction.
The vast Residenz complex is divided into three sections: The Residenz Museum is a long hike through 90 lavishly decorated rooms. The Residenz Treasury shows off the Wittelsbach crown jewels. The Cuvilliés Theater is an ornate Rococo opera house. While each has its own admission, I’d just get the combo-ticket and see them all.
If you’re unsure about which of Munich’s top two palaces to visit, the Residenz is more central and has the best interior, while Nymphenburg (described on here) has the finest garden, grounds, and outdoor views.
Planning Your Time: Start your visit with the Residenz Treasury—small, manageable, and dazzling. Then hike through the sprawling palace called the Residenz Museum. The Cuvilliés Theater is a quick dollop of architectural whipped cream at the end. If you run out of time or energy, you can reenter with the same ticket on another day to visit anything you missed. The entrances on Max-Joseph-Platz and Residenzstrasse both lead to the ticket office, gift shop, and start of the treasury and Residenz Museum tours.
Cost and Hours: Residenz Museum-€7, Residenz Treasury-€7 (both include essential audioguides), Cuvilliés Theater-€3.50; €11 combo-ticket covers museum and treasury; €13 version covers all three; treasury and museum open daily April-mid-Oct 9:00-18:00, mid-Oct-March 10:00-17:00; theater generally open Mon-Sat 14:00-18:00, Sun from 9:00, longer hours Aug-mid-Sept; last entry one hour before closing for all three sights, mandatory bag check, tel. 089/290-671, www.residenz-muenchen.de.
The treasury shows off a thousand years of Wittelsbach crowns and knickknacks. You’ll see the regalia used in Bavaria’s coronation ceremonies, the revered sacred objects that gave the Wittelsbachs divine legitimacy, and miscellaneous wonders that dazzled their European relatives. It’s the best treasury in Bavaria, with fine 13th- and 14th-century crowns and delicately carved ivory and glass. Pick up the audioguide, slow down, and narrow your focus to fully appreciate the tiniest details (punch in the number for whichever treasures catch your eye for the audio commentary). Here are the highlights.
Visiting the Treasury: In Room 1, the oldest jewels are 200 years older than Munich itself. Treasures of particular interest line the left wall. The gem-studded Crown of Kunigunde is associated with the saintly Bavarian queen, who was crowned Holy Roman Empress in 1014 by the pope in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The pearl-studded prayer book of Charles the Bald (Charlemagne’s grandson) allowed the book’s owner to claim royal roots dating all the way back to that first Holy Roman Emperor crowned in 800. The spiky Crown of an English Queen (a.k.a. the Palatine Crown, c. 1370) is actually England’s oldest crown, brought to Munich by an English princess who married a Wittelsbach duke. In the last case, the lily-shaped Crown of Henry II (c. 1270-1280) dates from Munich’s roots, when the town was emerging as a regional capital.
Along the right side of the room are religious objects such as reliquaries and portable altars. The tiny mobile altar allowed a Carolingian king (from Charlemagne’s family of kings) to pack light in 890—and still have a little Mass while on the road. Many of the precious and very old objects in this room came from various prince-bishops’ collections when they were secularized (and their realms came under Bavarian rule in the Napoleonic era (c. 1800).
Room 3: Study the reliquary with St. George killing the dragon—sparkling with more than 2,000 precious stones. Get up close (it’s OK to walk around the rope posts)...you can almost hear the dragon hissing. A gold-armored St. George, seated atop a ruby-studded ivory horse, tramples an emerald-green dragon. The golden box below contained the supposed relics of St. George, who was the patron saint of the Wittelsbachs. If you could lift the minuscule visor, you’d see that the carved ivory face of St. George is actually the Wittelsbach Duke Wilhelm V—the great champion of the Catholic Counter-Reformation—slaying the dragon of Protestantism.
Room 4: The incredibly realistic carved ivory crucifixes from 1630 were done by local artist Georg Petel, who was inspired by his friend Peter Paul Rubens’ painting (now in the Alte Pinakothek). Look at the flesh of Jesus’ wrist pulling around the nails. In the center of the room is the intricate portable altarpiece (1573-74) of Duke Albrecht V, the Wittelsbach ruler who (as we’ll see in the Residenz Museum) made a big mark on the Residenz.
Room 5: The freestanding glass case (#245) holds the impressive royal regalia of the 19th-century Wittelsbach kings—the crown, scepter, orb, and sword that were given to the king during the coronation ceremony. (The smaller pearl crown was for the queen.) They date from the early 1800s when Bavaria had been conquered by Napoleon. The Wittelsbachs struck a deal that allowed them to stay in power, under the elevated title of “king” (not just “duke” or “prince-elector” or “prince-archbishop”). These objects were made in France by the same craftsmen who created Napoleon’s crown. For the next century-plus, Wittelsbach kings (including Ludwig II) received these tokens of power. However, during the coronation ceremony, the crown you see was not actually placed on the king’s head. It was brought in on a cushion (as it’s displayed) and laid at the new monarch’s feet.
Rooms 6-10: The rest of the treasury has objects that are more beautiful than historic. Admire the dinnerware made of rock crystal (Room 6), stone (Room 7), and gold and enamel (Room 8). Room 9 has a silver-gilt-and-marble replica of Trajan’s Column. Finally, explore the “Exotica” of Room 10, including an ancient green Olmec figure encased in a Baroque niche and a Chinese rhino-horn bowl with a teeny-tiny Neptune inside.
• From the micro-detail of the treasury, it’s time to visit the expansive Residenz Museum. Stop by the audioguide desk to have your wand reprogrammed for the museum, cross the hall, and enter the...
(See “Residenz Museum Tour” map, here.)
Though called a “museum,” what’s really on display here are the 90 rooms of the Residenz itself: the palace’s spectacular banquet and reception halls, and the Wittelsbachs’ lavish private apartments. The rooms are decorated with period (but generally not original) furniture: chandeliers, canopied beds, Louis XIV-style chairs, old clocks, tapestries, and dinnerware of porcelain and silver. It’s the best place to glimpse the opulent lifestyle of Bavaria’s late, great royal family.
(Whatever happened to the Wittelsbachs, the longest continuously ruling family in European history? They’re still around, but they’re no longer royalty, so most of them have real jobs now—you may well have just passed one on the street.)
Self-Guided Tour: The place is big. Follow the museum’s prescribed route (often a one-way route employing red arrows), using this section to hit the highlights and supplementing it with the audioguide. Grab a free museum floor plan as you enter to help locate specific room numbers mentioned here. Be flexible. The route can vary because rooms are occasionally closed off. Despite that, you should see most of the rooms I’ve described in approximately this order.
• One of the first “rooms” you encounter (it’s actually part of an outdoor courtyard) is the...
1 Shell Grotto (Room 6): This artificial grotto is made of volcanic tuff and covered completely in Bavarian freshwater shells. In its day, it was an exercise in man controlling nature—a celebration of the Renaissance humanism that flourished in the 1550s. Mercury—the pre-Christian god of trade and business—oversees the action. Check out the statue in the courtyard—in the Wittelsbachs’ heyday, red wine would have flowed from the mermaid’s breasts and dripped from Medusa’s severed head.
The grotto courtyard is just one of 10 such courtyards in the complex. Like the rest of the palace, this courtyard and its grotto were destroyed by Allied bombs. After World War II, Germans had no money to contribute to the reconstruction—but they could gather shells. All the shells you see here were donated by small-town Bavarians, as the grotto was rebuilt using Nazi photos as a guide (see “The History of Munich” sidebar on here).
• Before moving on, note the door marked OO, leading to handy WCs. Now continue into the next room, the...
2 Antiquarium (Room 7): This long, low, arched hall stretches 220 feet end to end. It’s the oldest room in the Residenz, built around 1550. The room was, and still is, a festival banquet hall. The ruler presided from the raised dais at the near end (warmed by the fireplace). Two hundred dignitaries can dine here, surrounded by allegories of the goodness of just rule on the ceiling.
The hall is lined with busts of Roman emperors. In the mid-16th century, Europe’s royal families (such as the Wittelsbachs) collected and displayed such busts, implying a connection between themselves and the enlightened ancient Roman rulers. There was such huge demand for these classical statues in the courts of Europe that many of the “ancient busts” were fakes cranked out by crooked Romans. Still, a third of the statuary you see here is original.
The small paintings around the room (which survived WWII bombs because they were painted in arches) show 120 Bavarian villages as they looked in 1550. Even today, when a Bavarian historian wants a record of how his village once looked, he comes here. Notice the town of Dachau in 1550 (in the archway closest to the entrance door).
• Keep following the red arrows through a few more rooms, then up a stairway to the upper floor. Pause in the Black Hall (Room 13) to admire the head-spinning trompe l’oeil ceiling, which makes the nearly flat roof appear to be a much grander arched vault. From here, the prescribed route winds through a number of rooms surrounding a large courtyard.
3 Upper Floor Apartments (Rooms 14-45): In this series of rooms (after some fine porcelain) we get the first glimpse of the Residenz Museum’s forte: chandeliered rooms decorated with ceiling paintings, stucco work, tapestries, parquet floors, and period furniture.
Rooms to the left of the Black Hall are the Electoral Apartments (Rooms 22-31), the private apartments of the monarch and his consort.
The door from the Black Hall that’s opposite the staircase leads to the long All Saints Corridor (Room 32), where you can glance into the adjoining All Saints’ Chapel. This early-19th-century chapel, commissioned by Ludwig I, was severely damaged in World War II, didn’t reopen until 2003, and now hosts popular concerts in the evening.
From the All Saints Corridor you can reach the Charlotte Chambers/Court Garden Rooms, a long row of impressive rooms across the courtyard from the Electoral Apartments, first used to house visiting rulers. Some of them later served as the private rooms of Princess Charlotte, Max Joseph’s daughter.
• Your visit eventually reaches a hallway—4 Room 45—where you have a choice: To the left is the “short” route that heads directly to the stunning Ornate Rooms (described later). But we’ll take the “long” route to the right (starting in Room 47) that adds a dozen-plus rooms to your visit.
5 The “Long” Route: Walk through the lavish rooms that border the courtyard. The large Emperor’s Hall (Room 111) was once the most important room for grand festivities; the Stone Rooms (104-109) are so-called for their colorful marble—both real and fake. Then come several small rooms, where the centerpiece painting on the ceiling is just blank black, as no copy of the original survived World War II. These rooms were built specifically to house the Holy Roman Emperor and his wife during their visits to Munich.
The Reliquary Room (Room 95) harbors a collection of gruesome Christian relics (bones, skulls, and even several mummified hands) in ornate golden cases. The case in the middle supposedly contains skeletons of three babies from the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem (where Herod, in an attempt to murder Baby Jesus, ordered all boys of a certain age killed).
• A few more steps brings you to the balcony of the...
Court Chapel (Rooms 96/89): Dedicated to Mary, this late-Renaissance/early-Baroque gem was the site of “Mad” King Ludwig’s funeral after his mysterious murder—or suicide—in 1886. (He’s buried in St. Michael’s Church, described on here.) Though Ludwig II was not popular in political circles, he was beloved by his people, and his funeral drew huge crowds. About 75 years earlier, in 1810, his grandfather and namesake (Ludwig I) was married here. After the wedding ceremony, carriages rolled his guests to a rollicking reception, which turned out to be such a hit that it became an annual tradition—Oktoberfest.
Ahead is the Private Chapel of Maximilian I (Room 98). Duke Maximilian I, the dominant Bavarian figure in the Thirty Years’ War, built one of the most precious rooms in the palace. The miniature pipe organ (from about 1600) still works. The room is sumptuous, from the gold leaf ceiling and the fine altar with silver reliefs to the miniature dome and the walls made of scagliola—fake marble—a special mix of stucco, applied and polished. Designers liked it because it was less expensive than real marble and the color could be controlled. Note the post-Renaissance perspective tricks decorating the walls; they were popular in the 17th century.
• Whichever route you take—long or short—you’ll eventually reach a set of rooms known as the...
6 Ornate Rooms (Rooms 55-62): As the name implies, these are some of the richest rooms in the palace. The Wittelsbachs were always trying to keep up with the Habsburgs, and this long string of ceremonial rooms—used for official business—was designed to impress. The decor and furniture are Rococo—over-the-top Baroque. The family art collection, now in the Alte Pinakothek, once decorated these walls.
The rooms were designed in the 1730s by François de Cuvilliés. The Belgian-born Cuvilliés first attracted notice as the clever court dwarf for the Bavarian ruler. He was sent to Paris to study art and returned to become the court architect. Besides the Residenz, he went on to also design the Cuvilliés Theater and Amalienburg at Nymphenburg Palace. Cuvilliés’ style, featuring incredibly intricate stucco tracery twisted into unusual shapes, defined Bavarian Rococo. The stucco work frames paintings and mirrors. His assistant in the stucco department was Johann Baptist Zimmerman, who also did the Wieskirche (in southern Bavaria, near Füssen). As you glide through this section of the palace, be sure to appreciate the gilded stucco ceilings above you.
The Green Gallery (Room 58)—named for its green silk damask wallpaper—was the ballroom. Imagine the parties they had here—aristocrats in powdered wigs, a string quartet playing Baroque tunes, a card game going on, while everyone admired the paintings on the walls or themselves reflected in the mirrors.
The State Bedroom (Room 60), though furnished with a canopy bed, wasn’t an actual bedroom—it was just for show. Rulers invited their subjects to come at morning and evening to stand at the railing and watch their boss ceremonially rise from his slumber to symbolically start and end the working day.
Perhaps the most ornate of these Ornate Rooms is the Cabinet of Mirrors (Room 61) and the adjoining Cabinet of Miniatures (Room 62) from 1740. In the Cabinet of Mirrors, notice the fun visual effects of the mirrors around you—the corner mirrors make things go on forever. Then peek inside the coral red room and imagine visiting the duke and having him take you here to ogle miniature copies of the most famous paintings of the day, composed with one-haired brushes.
• After exploring the Ornate Rooms (and the many other elaborate rooms here on the upper floor), find the staircase (past Room 69) that heads back downstairs. On the ground floor, you emerge in the long Ancestral Gallery (Room 4). Before walking down it, detour to the right, into Room 5.
7 Porcelain Cabinet (Room 5) and Ancestral Gallery (Room 4): In the 18th century, the royal family bolstered their status with an in-house porcelain works: Nymphenburg porcelain. See how the mirrors enhance the porcelain vases, creating the effect of infinite pedestals. If this inspires you to acquire some pieces of your own, head to the Nymphenburg Porcelain Store at Odeonsplatz (listed under “Shopping in Munich,” later).
The Ancestral Gallery (Room 4) was built in the 1740s to display portraits of the Wittelsbachs. All official guests had to pass through here to meet the duke (and his 100 Wittelsbach relatives). The room’s symbolism reinforced the Wittelsbachs’ claims to being as powerful as the Habsburgs of Vienna. Standing here, you’re essentially surrounded by a scrapbook covering centuries of royal family history.
Midway down the hall, find the family tree labeled (in Latin) “genealogy of an imperial family.” The tree is shown being planted by Hercules, to boost their royal street cred. Opposite the tree are two notable portraits: Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, and to his right, Louis IV (wearing the same crown), the first Wittelsbach H.R.E., crowned in 1328. For the next 500 years, this lineage was used to substantiate the family’s claim to power as they competed with the Habsburgs. (After failing to sort out their differences through strategic weddings, the two families eventually went to war.)
Allied bombs took their toll on this hall. The central ceiling painting has been restored, but since there were no photos documenting the other two ceiling paintings, those spots remain empty. Looking carefully at the walls, you can see how each painting was hastily cut out of its frame. That’s because—though most of Munich’s museums were closed during World War II to prevent damage—the Residenz remained open to instill confidence in local people. It wasn’t until 1944, when bombs were imminent, that the last-minute order was given to hurriedly slice all these portraits out of their frames and hide them away.
• Your Residenz Museum tour is over. The doorway at the end of the hall leads back to the museum entrance. If you’re visiting the Cuvilliés Theater, from the exit walk straight ahead through the courtyard to Residenzstrasse. Turn right and then go right again, passing between the green lions standing guard just ahead. (Do as the locals do and rub the snouts on the shields for good luck.) Walk to the far end of the lane until you reach a fountain. Just above a doorway to the left you’ll see a nondescript sign that says Cuvilliés Theater.
In 1751, this was Germany’s ultimate Rococo theater. Mozart conducted here several times. Designed by the same brilliant architect who did the Amalienburg (see here), this theater is dazzling enough to send you back to the days of divine monarchs.
Your visit consists of just one small-but-plush theater hall. It’s an intimate, horseshoe-shaped performance venue, seating fewer than 400. The four tiers of box seats were for the four classes of society: city burghers on bottom, royalty next up (in the most elaborate seats), and lesser courtiers in the two highest tiers. The ruler occupied the large Royal Box directly opposite the stage (i.e., over the entrance doorway). “Mad” King Ludwig II occasionally bought out the entire theater to watch performances here by himself.
François Cuvilliés’ interior is exquisite. Red, white, and gold hues dominate. Most of the decoration is painted wood, even parts that look like marble. Even the proscenium above the stage—seemingly draped with a red-velvet “curtain”—is actually made of carved wood. Also above the stage is an elaborate Wittelsbach coat of arms. The balconies seem to be supported by statues of the four seasons and are adorned with gold garlands. Cuvilliés achieved the Rococo ideal of giving theater-goers a multimedia experience—uniting the beauty of his creation with the beautiful performance on stage. It’s still a working theater.
WWII bombs completely obliterated the old Cuvilliés Theater, which originally stood at a different location a short distance from here. Fortunately, much of the carved wooden interior had been removed from the walls and stored away for safekeeping. After the war, this entirely new building was built near the ruins of the old theater and paneled with the original decor. It’s so heavily restored, you can almost smell the paint.
The museum’s permanent exhibit on Munich’s history (called “Typically Munich!”) is interesting, but it’s an exhaustive and confusing maze, and there’s no posted English information. Use the following mini tour for an overview, then supplement it with the audioguide and English booklet.
Cost and Hours: €4, includes good audioguide, €7 includes temporary exhibits; ticket gets you half-price admission to Jewish History Museum, Nazi Documentation Center, Lenbachhaus, or Villa Stuck—or use any of those tickets to get half-price admission here; Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon; no crowds, bored but friendly guards, ask for English handout, St.-Jakobs-Platz 1, tel. 089/2332-2370, www.muenchner-stadtmuseum.de. The humorous Servus Heimat souvenir shop in the courtyard is worth a stop.
Eating: The museum’s recommended Stadt Café is handy for a good meal (see here).
Visiting the Museum: Start in the ticketing hall with the wooden model showing Munich today. Find the Frauenkirche, Isar River, New Town Hall, Residenz...and no skyscrapers. The city looks remarkably similar in scale to the model (in the next room) from 1570.
Ground Floor (Medieval): An imposing gray statue of Henry the Lion introduces us to the city’s 12th-century founder. The eight statues of Morris dancers (1480) became a symbol of the vibrant market town (and the tradition continued with the New Town Hall glockenspiel’s dancing coopers). On the rest of the ground floor, paintings, swords, and cherubs clad in armor (these are the original statues that stood under the Virgin Mary’s column on Marienplatz) capture more medieval ambience.
First Floor (1800s): The “New Munich” was created when the city was expanded beyond the old medieval walls (see the illuminated view of the city from 1761 in the “Canaletto-Blick” opposite the top of the stairs). The city was prosperous, as evidenced by the furniture and paintings on display. In the center of the room, find big paintings (“Effigies”) of the century’s magnificent kings—Maximilian I, Maximilian II, and Ludwig I (as well as Lola Montez, Ludwig I’s most famous mistress).
Second Floor (Munich 1900): As Munich approached its 700th birthday, it was becoming aware of itself as a major capital. The Münchner Kindl logo was born. It was a city of artists (Wagner operas, Lenbach portraits, Von Stuck soirées), Jugendstil furniture, beer, and a cosmopolitan outlook (see the “Kaiser Panorama,” the big barrel-shaped 3-D peep show of Indian/Asian peoples). But after the destruction of World War I, Munich became a hotbed of discontent. The “revue” room shows the city’s clash of ideas: communists, capitalists, Nazis, and the anarchic theater of comedian Karl Valentin and early works by playwright Bertolt Brecht. A nearby display gives some background on Munich’s role as the birthplace of Nazism (much more thoroughly covered in the museum’s National Socialism wing).
Finish back on the first floor with a kaleidoscope of video images capturing the contemporary Munich scene—rock music, World Cup triumphs, beer gardens, and other things that are...”typically Munich.”
National Socialism Wing: Your permanent-exhibit ticket includes this small but worthwhile exhibit (located in a separate building across the courtyard) of photos and uniforms that takes you chronologically through the Nazi years, focused on Munich: the post-WWI struggles, Hitler’s 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, his writing of Mein Kampf, the mass rallies in Königsplatz and Odeonsplatz, establishment of the Dachau concentration camp, the destruction rained on Munich in World War II, and postwar reconstruction.