Munich/City Center

From World travel guide

Munich's city center is the place where tourists go. The center offers plenty of attractions such as the famous Neues Rathaus and its Glockenspiel, and the Hofbräuhaus brewery.

Contents 1 See 1.1 Churches 1.2 Museums and Galleries 2 Do 3 Buy 4 Eat 5 Drink 6 Sleep 6.1 Budget 6.2 Medium 6.3 Splurge 7 Contact

See

• Neues Rathaus/Glockenspiel During the summer, a curious sight appears every morning in Marienplatz. Hundreds of tourists begin craning their necks skyward (and it's obvious they are tourists, because the locals are all darting back and forth between the halted masses trying to cross the square and get their errands done!) to see the Glockenspiel work its magic on the front façade of the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall). As the automated clockwork figures come out to dance, the bells play and the tourists gape. But the Glockenspiel is truly a piece of art - it was built of handmade parts long before automation was the buzzword of the day, and it's still entrancing.

• Residenz (prince's palace) The Schatzkammer (Treasury) within the Residenz has one of the best collections of ecclesiastical treasures in Europe, not to mention the royal insignia of Bavaria (crowns, orb, scepter, etc). The Antiquarium has the largest Renaissance room north of the Alps, and the Ahnengalerie (Ancestral Portrait Gallery) has a Wittelsbach family portrait collection. There is also a series of Rococo rooms by Cuvilliés.

Churches

• Asamkirche Rococo architect and sculptor Egid Quirin Asam built this amazingly ornate church right next door to his own house. His brother, Cosmas Damian, did all the frescoes. The church is dedicated to St John Nepomuk, a Bohemian monk was thrown into the river Vltava from Charles Bridge in Prague at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia. The Asamkirche, completed in 1746, glitters like a row of diamonds and is best seen by candlelight, especially at the yearly Christmas Eve service, replete with Bavarian singers in the choir stall.

• Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) The Frauenkirche is topped by two copper onion-domed towers recognizable from a distance. Instead of adding sculptural ornamentation in carved stone to the exterior like other typical Gothic churches, the Frauenkirche differs from all contemporary churches in its plain brick simplicity. The church was completed in 1488. The legendary Teufelstritt, or devil's footstep, stems from the large amount of light inside the Frauenkirche that seems to come from nowhere thanks to the large columns that block the view of the windows. According to legend, Jörg of Halspach made a deal with the devil that he could build a church that had a spot where not a single window could be seen from. From the vestibule, looking down the center aisle (as long as the high Baroque altar covered the windows at the very back of the church) there appeared to be no windows at all. The devil stamped his foot in a fit of pique, leaving his "footprint" on a paving stone immediately inside the entrance. The stone is readily visible because it is mustard yellow rather than red and grey like the other tiles. Right to the entrance is a monumental tomb of Emperor Ludwig IV of Bavaria, the work of Hans Krumpper.

• Michaelskirche The largest Renaissance church north of the Alps was built between 1583-1599 thanks to Duke Wilhelm V, called The Pious. Despite nearly bankrupting Bavaria, Munich was left with an amazingly beautiful structure that houses an extremely unified iconographic program. "Iconographic program" is just an art term for the overall organized progression of religious images that corresponds to a theme. In the church cript are the tombs of many members of Wittelsbach dynasty, including that of the "mad king" Ludwig II.

• Peterskirche Munich's first parish church was started in the twelfth century, but ongoing additions and renovations have kept artists busy for centuries. During a city fire in 1327, the church was damaged and in 1607, the tower (called Alter Peter) was struck by lightning. The side altars, which have already been renovated, are accessible, as is the immense, multi-columned gilded marble main altar. At the back of the church is a Lourdes grotto tucked under the choir loft stairs, as well as an educational display which shows step by step how a fresco is made (paint is applied to wet plasterwork, which dries as an integrated unit of base and color).

Museums and Galleries

• Münchner Stadtmuseum - The City Museum of Munich has a varied collection of random objects, as city historical museums usually do, but its crown jewel is a permanent photographic exhibit in the first floor Fotomuseum called Bourgeois Culture from 1650 to the Present Day. There are historical photos from all sections of the city, giving a good impression of Munich's development. The museum does have a fairly good museum about the Nazis and Munich's role in the rise of Nazis to power.

• Museum München - the Jewish Museum Munich is still under construction and will be probably finished in 2005
• Alte Pinakothek (Old Painting Gallery) contains several great European masterworks dating from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, including the most important Rubens collection in Germany. The Alte Pinakothek recently underwent a major four-year closing and renovation. You can easily reach it by taking the Tram 27 and getting out at Pinakotheken.

• Antikensammlung (Antiquities Collection) Ludwig I and his architect Klenze built a large square, Königsplatz, in classical style. Meant to be an "Athens on the Isar" the square encompasses many important buildings and collections, including the Antikensammlung. Formerly an exhibition venue (for the first 60-plus years of its life), then a museum of modern art, the Antikensammlung swung back in the exact opposite direction by the 1960s. At that time, the building was restored to hold Ludwig I's vast collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. It has the largest Greek and Etruscan vase collection in the world after the British Museum and the Louvre. With one's back to Karolinenplatz, facing the classical arch, the Glyptothek is on the right and the Antikensammlung is on the left.

• Glyptothek - another of King Ludwig's large collections is contained in the Glyptothek: one of the greatest Greek and Roman sculpture collections in all of Germany. The collection is based around a core of sculptures, the Aeginetes, excavated by English and German explorers at the island temple on Aegina early in the nineteenth century. It was built by imperial architect Leo von Klenze for the king and completed in 1830. Though almost entirely destroyed in World War II, the museum was heavily renovated and opened again to the public in 1972.

• Pinakothek Neue Pinakothek - includes nineteenth-century European painting and sculpture, and has also been recently renovated. it is located at the tram stop Pinakotheken of the tram 27.

• Pinakothek der Moderne - Recently finished nearby, featuring 20th and 21st century art. Go here if you're interested in frighteningly modern art. If you change your mind, the other two Pinakotheken are just across the street at the tram 27 stop Pinakotheken.

• Deutsches Museum - Museumsinsel 1 (Subway station Isartor, then follow signs), +49 89 2179-1 (fax: +49 89 2179-324). Daily 10 AM - 5PM (except public holidays). One of the greatest scientific and technical museums in the world, and one of the absolute "must see's" of Munich; if science and technology interest you at all you should not leave it out. Topics range from aviation to breweries, from computer sciences to bridge building. There are many guided tours on specific themes and different languages inside the museum. Plan to spend plenty of time. There's a planetarium and two branch offices in different locations which show vehicles that found no place in downtown Munich. Wheelchair friendly. € 7.50 for an adult, € 3 for students (Planetarium and branch museums not included). I recommend the pharmacology department (especially if you're travelling with children), which is interactive, although maybe more interesting if you understand at least a bit of German.

Do

• Oktoberfest [1] - The first Oktoberfest took place on the 12 October 1810, to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. All citizens of Munich were invited to a meadow (Wies'n) situated in front of the city tower, subsequently renamed the Theresienwiese in honor of the bride. In the early years of the fair, horse races were held, then as the event grew, agricultural conventions, which still take place every third year. But what about beer? After all, the Bavarian hops crop has to go somewhere! In 1896 businessmen working with the breweries in Munich built the first giant beer tents at Oktoberfest, and drinking has been the primary focus since. Each of the major breweries presides over its own large tent filled with traditional musicians leading the crowd in well-known drinking chants, incredibly strong barmaids hoisting ten or more huge Maß (1-liter glass beer mugs that are heavy even when empty!), and a spate of drunken people all trying to get into the bathroom at once. In 2003, Oktoberfest hosted 6.3 million visitors who drank 6.1 million liters of beer and ate the equivalent of 91 oxen, 383,000 sausages and 630,000 chickens.

• Marienplatz A bigger market, it stretches across the shopping street, so you can mix Christmas market shopping (and eating) with "normal" shopping. The market offers some delicious treats and some great souvenirs/gifts.

Buy

• Viktualienmarkt This large open-air market sells everything from soup to nuts. And Lederhosen. Just off Marienplatz, generations of market families continue to hawk their wares from the same location. There are open air fruit and vegetable stands similar to those scattered around the city, as well as closed stands and little year-round trinket shops. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon on the way to and from work, Munich women stop by the market to pick up a little something from dinner - during midday it's a bit slower and therefore better for browsing.
• Kaufingerstr. Located between Marienplatz and Stachus, it is one of the main shopping streets of Munich. This is the place to go for medium range to high end clothing retail, however, there are plenty more stores than just clothing stores like the large retailers Karstadt and Kaufhof.
• Theatinerstr./Maximilianstr If you can afford it...

Eat

• Hard Rock Cafe The Hard Rock Cafe is located about a minute from the city center on Platzl and is across the street from the Hofbräuhaus.

• Kilians Irish Pub Kilians is located behind the Frauenkirche and offers the usual Irish beers. Occasionally it hosts live music and is a popular place among expats, tourists, and Germans alike. The staff is friendly and vigilant about protecting their customers - a string of pickpocket thefts in 2004 caused them to post warnings to customers.

• Subway There are two Subway's within a half minute's walk of Marienplatz. Subway is the same restaurant in America that sells 6in (15 centimeters) or 1 foot (30 centimeters) long sandwiches. The owner of the Subway on Viktualienmarkt is usually working at his store (He's planning to open another subway in Schwabing and may also be at that store). Both the owner and his staff speak excellent English and can help English speaking customers.

• Ratskeller Offers real Bavarian food and is easy to find. Find the Neues Rathaus (The Gothic city hall) and descend into the the basement. The entire basement is a restaurant. Great for experiencing Bavarian customs.

• Bräustüberl The Bräustüberl restaurant is located on the first floor of the Hofbräuhaus. Both the ambiance and food are traditional Bavarian. There is live traditional music most evenings. Reservations are recommended during high season and major festivals - Phone: +49 (0)89 290136-10

Drink

• Hofbräuhaus - touristy, but fun, with good beer and "oom-pah" bands. The Hofbräuhaus, Munich's (and maybe the world's) most famous brewpub, moved to its current location in 1644. It opened to the public after 1830. Nowadays, the embodiment of Bavarian beer culture is visited only by tourists. More likely than not you will hear the famous "eins, zwei, g'suffa!" song at least once if you spend any time there at all. Basically it means "one, two, drink up!"

• Augustiner Keller Locals and many beer aficionados say the beer here is Bavaria's best. The Augustiner's indoor beer garden is comfortable even in rotten weather, with its high ceilings and good lighting. But ultimately the most satisfying beer garden is the one at which one is a regular. Tables marked Stammtisch, perhaps with a day or time afterward, are reserved for regular gangs of beer buddies who meet same time, same place each week.
• Lowenbraeu

Sleep

Budget

Medium

• Hotel Royal Affordable 3 star accommodation close to Central Station (Hauptbahnhof). Rated favourably on Trip Advisor and others. Free WLAN HotSpot for customers, good price/performance.

Splurge

• Hotel Bayerischer Hof The luxury hotel in Munich. The Bayerischer Hof is a legend among tourists and residents. Everyone knows if you stay here you are either a star or someone with great taste. The Bayerischer Hof is located near the City Center.
• Le Meridien Munich Le Medridien offers excellent rooms for 150 Euro - 615 Euro for its Executive Suite. The hotel is located across the street from the main train station.
• Hilton Munich Park +49-(0)89-38450. http://www.hilton.com

Contact

There are two tourist offices in the City Center one on Mariensplatz and the other at the main train station.

Call: +49 (0)89 - 233 96 555

Email: tourismus@muenchen.de

Website: Munich's City Website (In English, but couple of other languages)

de:München/Altstadt-Lehel