Munich (München)
Munich, Germany's most livable and "yuppie" city, is also one of its most historic, artistic, and entertaining. It's big and growing, with a population of more than 1.3 million. Until 1871, it was the capital of an independent Bavaria. Its imperial palaces, jewels, and grand boulevards constantly remind visitors that this was once a political and cultural powerhouse. And its recently bombed-out feeling reminds us that 75 years ago, it provided a springboard for Nazism, and nearly 60 years ago, it lost a war.
Orient yourself in Munich's old center with its colorful pedestrian mall. Immerse yourself in Munich's art and history — crown jewels, Baroque theater, Wittelsbach palaces, great paintings, and beautiful parks. Munich evenings are best spent in frothy beer halls, with their oompah, bunny-hopping, and belching Bavarian atmosphere. Pry big pretzels from buxom, no-nonsense beer maids.
Sights — Central Munich
Marienplatz and the Pedestrian Zone — Riding the escalator out of the subway into sunlit Marienplatz (Mary's Square) gives you a fine first look at the glory of Munich: great buildings bombed flat and rebuilt, outdoor cafés, and people bustling and lingering like the birds and breeze they share this square with. Notice the ornate facades of the gray, pointy Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) and the neo-Gothic New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) with its famous Glockenspiel.
The New Town Hall, built from 1867 until 1906, dominates the square. Munich was a very royal city. Notice the politics of the statuary. The 40 statues — though sculpted only in 1900 — decorate the city hall not with civic leaders, but with royals and blue-blooded nobility. Because this building survived the bombs and had a central location, it served as the U.S. military headquarters in 1945.
The New Town Hall is famous for its Glockenspiel — only 100 years old — which "jousts" daily at 11:00 and 12:00 all year (also at 17:00 May-Oct). The spiel recreates a royal wedding from the 16th century: the duke and his bride watch the action as the Bavarians (in white and blue) forever beat their enemies. Below, the coopers — famous for being the first to dance in the streets after a deadly plague lifted — do their popular jig.
Marienplatz is marked by a 1636 statue of the Virgin Mary, built here as a rallying point for the struggle against the Protestants. The cherubs are fighting against the four great biblical enemies of civilization: war, hunger, disease, and the wrong faith. The "wrong faith" is represented by the serpent (a.k.a. Martin Luther).
The Old Town Hall (right side of square as you face New Town Hall) was completely destroyed by WWII bombs and later rebuilt. Ludwig IV, an early Wittelsbach who was Holy Roman Emperor (back in the 14th century), stands in the center of the facade. He donated this great square to the people. On the bell tower, find the city seal with its monk and towers. Munich flourished because, in its early days, all salt trade had to stop here on Marienplatz.
Walking under the New Town Hall tower (past the TI), you enter a quiet courtyard (with a restaurant). Continue behind the building into Marienhof — a vast, peaceful, grassy square — medieval Munich's Jewish quarter, eyed by developers for years. Locals have decided to keep this space as a breather in Munich's otherwise intense core. Marienhof is a wonderful place to relax.
Back at Marienplatz, the pedestrian mall (Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauserstrasse) leads you through a great shopping area, past carnivals of street entertainers and good old-fashioned slicers and dicers, the twin-towering Frauenkirche (built in 1470, rebuilt after World War II), and several fountains, to Karlstor and the train station. As one of Europe's first pedestrian zones, the mall enraged shopkeepers when it was built in 1972 for the Olympics. Today, it is "Munich's living room." Nine thousand shoppers pass through it each hour. The shopkeepers are happy...and merchants nearby are begging for their streets to become traffic-free. Imagine this street in hometown USA.
Three Churches near Marienplatz — In the pedestrian zone around Marienplatz, there are three noteworthy churches: St. Michael's, Frauenkirche, and St. Peter's. To locate these churches: As you face the New Town Hall, St. Michael's is a few blocks down the pedestrian street to your left; the Frauenkirche is the big twin-domed church at 10 o'clock; and St. Peter's is over your right shoulder.
St. Michael's Church, while one of the first great Renaissance buildings north of the Alps, has a brilliantly Baroque interior. Notice the interesting photos of the bombed-out city center near the entry. The crypt contains 40 stark royal tombs, including the tomb of King Ludwig II, the "mad" king still loved by romantics (church entry free, daily 8:00–19:30; crypt-€2, Mon–Fri 9:30–16:30, Sat 9:30–14:30, closed Sun, less off-season).
The twin onion domes of the 500-year-old Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) are the symbol of the city. While much of the church was destroyed in World War II, the towers survived and the rest has been gloriously rebuilt. It was built in Gothic style, but money problems meant the domes weren't added until Renaissance times. Late Gothic buildings in Munich were generally brick — made locally, cheaper and faster than stone. This church was constructed in a remarkable 20 years. It's built on the grave of Ludwig IV (who died in 1348). His big, black, ornate tomb (now in the back) was originally in front at the high altar. Standing in the back of the nave, notice how your eyes go to the only source of light — the altar...Christ...and Ludwig. Those Wittelsbachs — always trying to be associated with God. In fact, this alliance was instilled in people through the prayers they were forced to recite: "Virgin Mary, mother of our duke, please protect us."
You can ascend the tower for the city's highest public viewpoint, at 280 feet (€3, 86 steps, then elevator, April–Oct Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00, closed Sun and Nov–March).
St. Peter's Church, the oldest in town, overlooks Marienplatz. It's built on the hill where Munich's original monastic inhabitants probably settled. Outside, notice the old tombstones plastered onto the wall — a reminder that in the Napoleonic age, the cemeteries surrounding most city churches were (for hygienic and practical space reasons) dug up and moved. Inside, notice photos of the WWII bomb damage (on pillar closest to entrance). Then look at the marvelously restored altar and ceiling frescoes — possible with the help of Nazi catalog photos (see "Munich Bombed").
Munich has more relics than any city outside of Rome. For over a hundred years, it was the pope's bastion against the rising tide of Protestantism in northern Europe during the Reformation. Favors done in the defense of Catholicism earned the Wittelsbachs neat relic treats. For instance, check out the tomb of Mundita (second side chapel on left as you enter). She's a second-century martyr whose remains were given to Munich by Rome as thanks and a vivid reminder 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-way staircase — but the view is dynamite (€1.50, Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, Sun 10:00–19:00, off-season until 18:00). Try to be two flights from the top when the bells ring at the top of the hour, and, when your friends back home ask you about your trip, you'll say, "What?"
City Views — Downtown Munich's three best city viewpoints are from the tops of: 1) St. Peter's Church (stairs only, described above); 2) Frauenkirche (stairs plus elevator, also described above); and 3) the New Town Hall (€2, elevator from under Marienplatz Glockenspiel, Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–19:00).
Viktualien Markt — Early in the morning, you can still feel small-town Munich here — long a favorite with locals for fresh produce and good service. The most expensive real estate in town could never really support such a market, but the town charges only a percentage of the gross income, enabling these old-time shops to carry on (and keeping fast food chains out).
The huge maypole is a tradition. Fifteenth-century town market squares posted a maypole decorated with various symbols to explain which crafts and merchants were doing business in the market. Munich's maypole shows the city's six great brews and the crafts and festivities associated with brewing. (You can't have a kegger without coopers — find the merry barrel-makers.)
Munich's breweries each take turns here — notice the beer counter. A sign (Heute im Ausschank), which changes every day or two, announces which of the six Munich beers is being served. Here, unlike at other beer gardens, you can order half a liter (for shoppers who want a quick sip and then keep on going).
The Viktualien Markt is an ideal place for a light meal.
Alois Dallmayr Delicatessen — When the king called out for dinner, he called Alois Dallmayr. 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. This place became famous for its exotic and luxurious food items — tropical fruits, seafood, chocolates, fine wines, and coffee. Catering to royal and aristocratic tastes (and budgets), it's still the choice of Munich's old rich. Today, it's most famous for its coffee, dispensed from fine hand-painted Nymphenburg porcelain jugs (Mon–Wed 9:30–19:00, Thu–Fri 9:30–20:00, Sat 9:00–16:00, closed Sun, Dienerstrasse 14, behind New Town Hall).
Munich City Museum (Münchner Stadtmuseum) — The Munich city museum has five floors of exhibits. The ground floor contains an exhibit tracing the development of National Socialism (Nazism). The first floor focuses on life in Munich through the centuries (including World War II), illustrated with paintings, photos, and models. The second floor hosts special exhibits (often more interesting than the permanent ones). The third floor features historic carnivals and puppets, and the fourth floor displays musical instruments from around the world (€2.50, €4 includes special exhibitions, €4 family ticket includes only permanent exhibits, free on Sun, Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, closed Mon, no English descriptions, no crowds, bored and playful guards, 3 blocks off Marienplatz at St. Jakob's Platz 1, tel. 089/2332-2370, www.stadtmuseum-online.de).
Across the street from the musuem entry, they're building a new home for Munich's Jewish Museum (due to be finished in 2005, www.juedisches-museum.muenchen.de).
Rococo Churches — Near the Stadtmuseum, the private church of the Asam brothers (Asamkirche) is a gooey, drippy, Baroque-concentrate masterpiece by Bavaria's top two rococonuts. A few blocks away, the small Damenstift Church has a sculptural rendition of the Last Supper so real, you feel you're not alone (at intersection of Altheimer Ecke and Damenstiftstrasse, a block south of the pedestrian street).
Sights — Munich's Cluster of Art Museums (Pinakotheks)
This powerful cluster of museums (Alte, Neue, and Moderne Pinakotheks) displays art spanning from the 14th century to modern times. The three museums sit around a grassy square just northeast of Königsplatz. They're a 10-minute walk from the nearest U-Bahn stops (listed below), but handy tram #27 whisks you right there from Karlsplatz (near the train station). The museums are free on Sunday. On other days, you can get a €12 combo-ticket that covers all three museums, which saves you money if you visit the modern art museum and at least one other. Each museum has an audioguide included in the price of entry, but on free Sundays, audioguides cost €4 apiece.
Alte Pinakothek — Bavaria's best painting gallery is newly renovated to show off a great collection of European masterpieces from the 14th to 19th centuries. You'll see paintings from the north (Germany, Holland, Belgium) and the south (mainly Italy). In general, as the Middle Ages came to an end, the northern countries became capitalistic, democratic, and Protestant, while southern countries (including Bavaria) remained more feudal, aristocratic, and Catholic. Since art reflects the society that produced it, we'll see two distinct styles.
Begin with the Northern Renaissance room, highlighting the art of Hieronymus Bosch, Lucas Cranach, and Grünewald. At Dürer's monumental Four Apostles, notice that the faces aren't those of idealized Roman statues, but of real men with very human weaknesses. (John, left, seems to be brooding about his receding hairline.) These apostles by Dürer, as well as his Christ-like Self-portrait in Fur Coat, are symbols of a brand-new religion — Protestantism.
Walk through the Italian Renaissance galleries and visit with the superstars — Giotto, Raphael, da Vinci, and Botticelli — until you get to the Rubens room. Peter Paul Rubens' art embodies the fleshy, emotional, Baroque style of Catholic countries, including his hometown of Flanders (Belgium). Examine Hélène Fourment and Pastoral Scene and decide for yourself — are the paintings gaudy or genius? Cool off with some calm still lifes, like Delff's dead ducks, and end up in frilly rococo-land, the province of wealthy aristocrats like Boucher's Madame de Pompadour (€5, free on Sun, Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00, Tue and Thu until 20:00, closed Mon, last entry 30 min before closing, free audioguide but no other English descriptions, €1.50 English booklet, €2 deposit for obligatory lockers, no flash photos, U-2 or U-8: Königsplatz, Barer Strasse 27, tel. 089/2380-5216, www.alte-pinakothek.de).
Neue Pinakothek — The Alte Pinakothek's hip sister is a twin building across the square, showing off paintings from 1800 to 1920: Romanticism, realism, Impressionism, Jugendstil, Monet, Renoir, van Gogh, Goya, and Klimt (€5, free on Sun, Wed–Thu 10:00-20:00, Fri-Mon 10:00–17:00, closed Tue, €1.50 English booklet, classy café in basement, U-2 or U-8: Theresienstrasse, Barer Strasse 29 but enter on Theresienstrasse, tel. 089/2380-5195, www.neue-pinakothek.de).
Pinakothek der Moderne — This brand-new museum picks up where the other two leave off, covering the 20th century. It brags to be six museums in one: four permanent displays (art, design, architecture, and "works on paper") and two temporary exhibition halls. The permanent collections boast no greatest hits, but you'll find several lesser works by Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Magritte, Beckmann, Max Ernst, and abstract artists. The big, white, high-ceilinged building itself is worth a look. Even if you don't pay to visit the exhibits, step into the free entry hall to see the sky-high atrium and the colorful blob-column descending the staircase (€9, combo-ticket for €3 more gets you into the other two Pinakotheks, free on Sun, Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Thu-Fri until 20:00, closed Mon, U-4 or U-5: Odeonsplatz, Barer Strasse 40, tel. 089/2380-5360, www.pinakothek-der-moderne.de).
Sights — Near the English Garden
English Garden (Englischer Garten) — Munich's "Central Park," the largest on the Continent, was laid out in 1789 by an American. Up to 300,000 locals commune with nature here on a sunny summer day. The park stretches three miles from the center past the university to the trendy and bohemian Schwabing quarter. For the best quick visit, follow the river from the surfers (under the bridge just past Haus der Kunst) downstream into the garden. Just beyond the hilltop temple, you'll find the big Chinese pagoda beer garden. A rewarding respite from the city, the park is especially fun on a bike under the summer sun (bike rental at train station; unfortunately, there are no bike rental places near the park). Caution: While local law requires sun worshipers to wear clothes on the tram, this park is sprinkled with buck-naked sunbathers — quite a spectacle to most Americans (they're the ones riding their bikes into the river and trees).
Haus der Kunst — Built by Hitler as a temple of Nazi art, this bold and fascist building is now an impressive shell for various temporary art exhibitions. Ironically, the art displayed in Hitler's "house of art" is the kind that annoyed the Führer most — modern (€7 per exhibition, combo-ticket for €10 if there are 2 exhibitions, daily 10:00–22:00, at south end of Englischer Garten, tram #17 or bus #53 to Nationalmuseum/Haus der Kunst, Prinzregentenstrasse 1, tel. 089/211-270, www.hausderkunst.de). Just beyond the Haus der Kunst, where Prinzregentenstrasse crosses the Eisbach canal, you can watch locals actually surfing in the rapids created as the small river tumbles underground.
Bavarian National Museum (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum) — This is an interesting collection of Riemenschneider carvings, manger scenes, traditional living rooms, and old Bavarian houses (€3, free on Sun, Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00, Thu until 20:00, closed Mon, tram #17 or bus #53 to Nationalmuseum/Haus der Kunst, Prinzregentenstrasse 3, tel. 089/211-2401, www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de).
Sights — Near Deutsches Museum
Deutsches Museum — Germany's answer to our Smithsonian Institution, the Deutsches Museum traces the evolution of science and technology. With 10 miles of exhibits from astronomy to zymurgy, even those on roller skates will need to be selective. I have a good time wandering through well-described rooms of historic bikes, cars (Benz's first car...a 3-wheeler from the 1880s), trains, airplanes (Hitler's flying bomb from 1944), spaceships, mining, the harnessing of wind and water power, hydraulics, musical instruments, printing, chemistry, computers, astronomy, clocks...it's the Louvre of science and technology.
Most sections are well-described in English. The much-vaunted "high voltage" demonstrations (3/day, 15 min, all in German) show the noisy creation of a five-foot bolt of lightning — not that exciting. There's also a state-of-the-art planetarium — in German (museum entry-€7.50, daily 9:00–17:00, worthwhile €4 English guidebook, self-service cafeteria; S-Bahn to Isartor, then walk 300 yards over the river, following signs; tel. 089/21791, www.deutsches-museum.de). Save this for a Monday, when virtually all of Munich's other museums are closed.
In 2003, the Deutsches Museum celebrated its 100th anniversary by opening a new annex across town called the Verkehrszentrum (Transportation Center), showing off all aspects of transport, from old big-wheeled bikes to sleek ICE super-trains. This branch museum is in a recently renovated turn-of-the-century conference hall near the Oktoberfest grounds, a.k.a. Theresienwiese (€2.50, daily 9:00-17:00, Thu until 20:00, Theresienhöhe 14a, U-4 or U-5: Theresienwiese, tel. 089/2179-529).
Imax Theater — Adjacent to the Deutsches Museum, big-screen movies play hourly in regular format and 3-D (€8.50, Sun–Thu 11:00–22:00, Fri–Sat until 23:00, 12 different movies/day, call on weekends for reservations, Museumsinsel 1, tel. 089/2112-5180, www.fdt.de).
Müllersches Volksbad — This elegant Jugendstil (1901) public swimming pool, with steam baths and saunas, is just across the river from the Deutsches Museum (€3, daily 7:30–23:00, big pool closes Mon at 17:00, towels-€1.50, lockers-€5 deposit, no swimsuit rental, café, Rosenheimerstrasse 1, tel. 089/2361-3434).
Sights — Residenz
Residenz — For a long hike through rebuilt corridors of gilded imperial Bavarian grandeur, tour the family palace of the Wittelsbachs, who ruled Bavaria for more than 700 years. This enormous palace evolved from the 14th through the 19th centuries — as you'll see on the charts near the entry.
Cost, Hours, Location: €5, combo-ticket for Residenz and treasury-€8.50, April-mid-Oct daily 9:00–18:00, mid-Oct-March daily 10:00-16:00, last entry 30 min before closing, 3 blocks north of Marienplatz, enter on Max-Joseph Platz or on Residenzstrasse.
Information: There are no English descriptions, but a free audioguide is planned for 2004. A €10 English book is also available. Tel. 089/290-671.
Touring the Residenz: While impressive, the Residenz can be confusing for visitors. Since it's so big, different sections are open in the mornings and in the afternoons (after 13:30 in summer, 12:30 in winter). Follow the Führungslinie signs and the self-guided tour below, which is designed to coincide with the afternoon route (a little more interesting than the morning), though due to ongoing renovations, either tour route can change without notice.
To help you find the highlights, I have numbered the rooms as they appear on the official map (free at entry), though be warned the rooms themselves aren't numbered. Between this important stuff, you'll wander through endless halls and throne rooms.
Shell Grotto ("Room" 6, actually outside, ground floor): This artificial grotto was an exercise in man controlling nature — a celebration of humanism. Renaissance humanism was a big deal when this was built in the 1550s. Imagine the ambience here during that time, with Mercury — the pre-Christian god of trade and business — overseeing the action, and red wine spurting from the mermaid's breasts and dripping from Medusa's head in the courtyard. The strange structure is made from Bavarian freshwater shells. This palace was demolished by WWII bombs. After the war, people 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 according to Nazi photos.
Antiquarium (Room 7, ground floor): In the mid-16th century, Europe's royal families (like the Wittelsbachs) collected and displayed busts of emperors — implying a connection between themselves and the ancient Roman rulers. Given the huge demand for these classical statues in the courts of Europe, many of the "ancient busts" are fakes cranked out by crooked Romans. Still, a third of the statuary you see here is original. This was, and still is, a festival banquet hall. Two hundred dignitaries can dine here, surrounded by allegories of the goodness of just rule on the ceiling. Notice the small paintings around the room — these survived the bombs because they were painted in arches. Of great historic interest, these paintings 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 (above the door on the right as you leave). Just outside, photos show WWII bomb damage.
Gallery of the Wittelsbach Family (Room 4, ground floor): This room is from the 1740s (about 200 years younger than the Antiquarium). All official guests had to pass through here to meet the duke. The family tree in the center is labeled "genealogy of an imperial family." A big Wittelsbach/Hapsburg rivalry was worked out over 500 years of marriages and wars — when weddings failed to sort out a problem, they had a war. Opposite the tree are portraits of Charlemagne and Ludwig IV, each a Holy Roman Emperor and each wearing the same crown (now in Vienna). Ludwig IV was the first Wittelsbach HRE — an honor used for centuries to substantiate the family's claim to power. You are surrounded by a scrapbook covering 738 years of the Wittelsbach family.
Allied bombs took their toll on this hall. Above, the central ceiling painting is restored, but since there were no photos of the other two ceiling paintings, those spots remain empty. On the walls, notice how each painting was hastily cut out of its frame. Museums were closed in 1939 and would gradually be evacuated in anticipation of bombings. But public buildings, like this palace, could not prepare for the worst. Only in 1944, when bombs were imminent, was the hasty order given to slice each portrait out of its frame and hide them all away.
Nymphenburg Porcelain (Room 5, ground floor): In the 18th century, a royal family's status was bolstered by an in-house porcelain works (like Meissen for Dresden). The Wittelsbach family had their own "Nymphenburg porcelain" made for the palace. Notice how the mirrors give the effect of infinite pedestals with porcelain vases.
Reliquary (Room 95, upper floor, likely closed in the morning): Meet St. John the Baptist and his mother, Elizabeth (#47 and #48). The case in the center contains skeletons of three babies from the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem (when Herod, in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus, ordered all firstborn sons killed).
Chapel (ground-floor Room 89, but also viewable from upper-floor room 96, likely closed in the morning): 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; see above.) While Ludwig was not popular in the political world, he was beloved by his people, and the funeral drew huge crowds. "Mad" King Ludwig's grandfather (Ludwig I) was married here in 1810. 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.
Private Chapel of Maximilian I (Room 98, upper floor, likely closed in the morning): 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 around 1600) still works. The room is sumptuous, from the gold leaf to the fancy hinges to the stucco marble. (Stucco marble is fake marble — a 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.
Precious Rooms (Rooms 55-62, upper floor): The Wittelsbachs were always trying to keep up with the Hapsburgs, and this long string of ceremonial rooms was all for show. The decor and furniture are rococo. The family art collection, now in the Alte Pinakothek, once decorated these walls. The bedroom (Room 60) was the official sleeping room, where the duke would get up and go to bed publicly, à la Louis XIV.
Red Room (Room 62, upper floor): The ultimate room is at the end of the corridor — the coral red room from 1740. (Coral red was the most royal of colors.) Imagine visiting the duke and having him take you here to ogle at miniature copies of the most famous paintings of the day, painted by one-haired brushes. (While these are copies, the originals will soon be on public display at Nymphenburg.) Notice the fun effect of the mirrors around you — the corner mirrors make things go forever and ever.
Halls of the Nibelungen (Room 75-80, ground floor): As you leave, the last few rooms are the "Halls of the Nibelungen." The mythological scenes here were the basis of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Wagner and "Mad" King Ludwig II (of Neuschwanstein fame) were friends and spent time hanging out here (c. 1864). These very images could well have inspired Wagner to write his Ring and Ludwig to build his "fairy-tale castle."
Schatzkammer — This treasury, next door to the Residenz, shows off a thousand years of Wittelsbach crowns and knickknacks (€5, includes audioguide, combo-ticket for Residenz and treasury-€8.50, same ticket window and hours as Residenz). Vienna's palace and jewels are better, but this is Bavaria's best, with fine 13th- and 14th-century crowns and delicately carved ivory and glass. A long clockwise circle through the eight rooms takes you chronologically through a thousand years of royal treasure. (It's a one-way system — getting lost is not an option.)
The oldest jewels in the first room are 200 years older than Munich itself. Many of these came from the various prince-bishop collections when they were secularized (and their realms came under the rule of the Bavarian king from Munich) in the Napoleonic era (c. 1800). The tiny mobile altar allowed a Carolingian king to pack light in 890 — and still have a little altar while on the road.
In Room 3, study the reliquary with St. George killing the dragon — sparkling with over 2,000 precious stones (#58). Get up close — you can almost hear the dragon hissing. It was made to contain the relics of St. George, who never existed (Pope John Paul II recently declared him nothing more than a legend). If you could lift the miniscule visor, you'd see that the carved ivory face of St. George is actually the Wittelsbach duke (the dragon represents the "evil" forces of Protestantism).
In the next room (#4), notice the vividly carved ivory crucifixes from 1630 (#157 and 158, on the right). These incredibly realistic sculptures were done by local artist Georg Petel, who was a friend of Peter Paul Rubens (whose painting of Christ on the cross — which you'll see across town in the Alte Pinakothek — is Petel's obvious inspiration). Look at the flesh of Jesus' wrist pulling around the nails.
Continue into the next room (#5). The freestanding glass case (#245) holds the never-used royal crowns of Bavaria. Napoleon ended the Holy Roman Empire and let the Wittelsbach family rule as kings of Bavaria. As a sign of friendship, this royal coronation gear was made in Paris by the same shop that made Napoleon's crown. But before the actual coronation, Bavaria joined in an all-Europe get-rid-of-Napoleon alliance, and suddenly these became too French to be used.
Attached to the Residenz is the Cuvilliés Theater (currently closed for renovation), dazzling enough to send you back to the days of divine monarchs. Even when the theater is open for visitors, you see only the sumptuous interior; there is no real exhibit.
To get to the Hofgarten (see below), face the Residenz entry, then go left around the Residenz one long block to the palace's original entryway (flanked by the second set of lions — rub their noses for good luck) and enter the complex. After the first arch, bear left across the courtyard and cut through the entry to the Egyptian collection to reach the...
Hofgarten and Odeonsplatz — The elegant people's state garden (Hofgarten) is a delight on a sunny afternoon. The "Renaissance" temple centerpiece has great acoustics (and usually has a musician performing for tips from lazy listeners). The lane leads to a building housing the government of Bavaria and the Bavarian war memorial, which honors the fallen heroes of World War I, but only the fallen of World War II. The venerable old Café Tambosi — with a Viennese elegance inside and a relaxing garden setting outside — is a good antidote to all the beer halls (daily 8:00-1:00, Odeonsplatz 18, tel. 089/298-322).
The nearby Odeonsplatz is a part of the grand Munich vision. Studying your map, you'll see that this loggia (honoring Bavarian generals) is modeled after the Florence Renaissance; the Greek-inspired museum quarter is one way, and in the distance (at the end of Ludwig Strasse) is the Roman-inspired triumphal arch. The church on Odeonsplatz contains nearly all the Wittelsbach tombs.
Sights — Nymphenburg Palace Complex
Nymphenburg Palace and the surrounding one-square-mile park are good for a royal stroll or bike ride. Here you'll find a pair of palaces, the Royal Stables Museum, and playful extras such as a bathhouse, pagoda, and artificial ruins.
Cost, Hours, and Information: €7.50 for everything, less for individual parts; all sights: April–mid-Oct daily 9:00–18:00, mid-Oct–March daily 10:00–16:00; park: daily 6:00–dusk; tel. 089/179-080, www.schloesser.bayern.de.
Getting to Nymphenburg: The palace is three miles northwest of central Munich. Getting there from the center is easy, if time-consuming: Take tram #17 from Karlstor (20 min to palace) or the train station (15 min to palace) to the "Schloss Nymphenburg" stop. From the bridge by the tram stop, you'll see the palace, but you'll have to walk another 10 minutes to get there.
Nymphenburg Palace — In 1662, after 10 years of trying, the Bavarian ruler Ferdinand Maria and his wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, finally had a son — Max Emanuel. In gratitude for a male heir, Ferdinand gave this land to his Italian wife, who proceeded to build an Italian-style Baroque palace. Their son expanded the palace to today's size. For 200 years, this was the Wittelsbach family's summer escape from Munich. (They still refer to themselves as princes and live in one wing of the palace.) If "Wow!" is your first impression, that's intentional.
Your visit is limited to 16 rooms on one floor — the Great Hall (where you start), the King's Wing (to the right), and the Queen's Wing (on the left). The €2.50 audioguide is informative and easy to use, but the €6 English guidebook does little to make the palace meaningful. For most visitors, the following self-guided tour is all you'll need:
The Great Hall in the middle was the dining hall. One of the grandest rococo rooms in Bavaria, it was decorated by Zimmermann (of Wieskirche fame) and Cuvilliés around 1760. The painting on the ceiling shows Olympian gods keeping the peace (the ruler's duty).
The King's Wing (right of entry) has walls filled with Wittelsbach portraits and stories. In the second room straight ahead, notice the painting showing the huge palace grounds, with Munich (and the twin onion domes of the Frauenkirche) three miles in the distance. Imagine the logistics when the royal family — with their entourage of 200 — decided to move out to the summer palace. The Wittelsbachs were high rollers because, from 1624 until 1806, a Wittelsbach was one of seven electors of the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1806, Napoleon ended that institution and made the Wittelsbachs kings. (Note: For simplicity, I've referred to the Wittelsbachs as kings and queens, even though before 1806, these rulers were technically "electors.")
The Queen's Wing (left of entry): Enter the first room, then head to the right to find the very red room. You'll see the founding couple, Henriette Adelaide and Ferdinand Maria (after the Counter-Reformation, Bavarian men were named Maria — but his high heels and leggings were another story altogether). The inlaid table was a wedding present. The real pay-off — this palace — didn't come until Henriette (who was 14 when married) got pregnant. The green room is the ceremonial bedroom. The painting to the right of the bed shows Max Emanuel as a kid with his older sister in a double portrait. Both are dressed in the latest French fashions.
King Ludwig's Gallery of Beauties, near the end of the long hall in the Queen's Wing, is decorated with portraits of 36 beautiful women — all of them painted by Joseph Stieler from 1827 to 1850. King Ludwig I was a consummate girl-watcher who prided himself on the ability to appreciate beauty regardless of social rank. He would pick the prettiest women from the general public and invite them to the palace for a portrait. The women range in status from royal princesses to a humble cobbler's daughter...but Ludwig seemed to prefer brunettes. The portraits reflect the Biedermeier-style Romanticism of the day. If only these creaking floors could talk. Something about the place feels highly sexed, in a Prince Charles kind of way.
The next rooms are decorated in the neoclassical style of the Napoleonic era. At the rope, see the room where Ludwig II was born (August 25, 1845). Royal births were carefully witnessed. The mirror allowed for a better view. While Ludwig's death was shrouded in mystery, his birth was well-documented.
Amalienburg Palace — Three hundred yards from the palace, hiding in the park (ahead and to the left as you go through to back of palace), you'll find one of the finest rococo buildings in all of Europe. In 1734, Elector Karl Albrecht had this hunting lodge built for his wife, Maria Amalia — another rococo jewel designed by Cuvilliés and decorated by Zimmermann. Above the pink-and-white grand entry, notice Diana, goddess of the chase, flanked by busts of satyrs. Look for the perch atop the roof where the queen would do her shooting. Behind a wall in the garden, dogs would scare non-flying pheasants. When they jumped up in the air above the wall, the sporting queen — as if shooting skeet — would pick them off.
Tourists enter this tiny getaway through the back door. The first room has doghouses under gun cupboards. Next, in the fine yellow-and-silver bedroom, see Vulcan forging arrows for amorous cupids at the foot of the bed. The bed is flanked by portraits of Karl Albrecht and Maria Amalia — decked out in hunting attire. She liked her dogs. The door under the portrait leads to stairs to the rooftop pheasant-shooting perch.
The mini–Hall of Mirrors is a blue-and-silver commotion of rococo nymphs designed by Cuvilliés in the mid-1700s. Cuvilliés, short and hunchbacked, showed a unique talent for art and was sent to Paris to study. In the next room, paintings show court festivities, formal hunting parties, and no-contest kills (where the animal is put at an impossible disadvantage — like shooting fish in a barrel). Finally, the kitchen is decorated with Chinese picnics on blue Dutch tiles.
Royal Stables Museum (Marstallmuseum) — This huge garage is lined with gilded Cinderella coaches. The highlight is just inside the entrance: the 1742 Karl Albrecht coronation coach. Because Karl Albrecht was an emperor, this coach has eight horses. Kings get only six.
Wandering through the collection, you can trace the evolution of 300 years of coaches — getting lighter and with better suspension as they were harnessed to faster horses. The carousel for the royal kids made development of dexterity fun — lop off noses and heads and toss balls through the snake. The glass case is filled with accessories.
In the room after the carousel, find the painting on the right of Ludwig II on his sleigh at night. In his later years, "Mad" King Ludwig was a Michael Jackson–type recluse, who stayed away from the public eye and only went out at night. (At his nearby Linderhof Palace, he actually had a hydraulic-powered dining table that would rise from the kitchen below, completely set for the meal — so he wouldn't be seen by his servants.) In the next room, you'll find Ludwig's actual sleighs. Next to them is the coach designed for his wedding, but it was never used. Ludwig's over-the-top coaches were Baroque. But this was 1870. The coaches — like the king — were in the wrong century. Notice the photos (c.1865, in the glass case) of Ludwig with the Romantic composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig cried on the day Wagner was married. Hmmm.
Across the passage from the museum entrance, the second hall is filled with coaches for everyday use. Upstairs is a collection of Nymphenburg porcelain (described by an English loaner booklet at the entry). Historically, royal families such as the Wittelsbachs liked to have their own porcelain plants to make fit-for-a-king plates, vases, and so on. The Nymphenburg palace porcelain works is still in operation. Ludwig II ordered the masterpieces of his royal collection at the Alte Pinakothek to be copied in porcelain for safekeeping into the distant future. Take a close look — these are exquisite.
Oktoberfest
When King Ludwig I had a marriage party in 1810, it was such a success that they made it an annual bash. These days, the Oktoberfest lasts 16 days (Sept 18-Oct 3 in 2004), ending on the first full weekend in October. It starts with an opening parade of more than 6,000 participants and fills eight huge beer tents with about 6,000 people each. A million gallons of beer later, they roast the last ox.
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 can normally help. The Theresienwiese fairground, known as the "Wies'n" (south of the train station), erupts in a frenzy of rides, dancing, and strangers strolling arm-in-arm down rows of picnic tables while the beer god stirs tons of beer, pretzels, and Wurst in a bubbling cauldron of fun. The three-loops roller coaster must be the wildest on earth (best before the beer-drinking). During the fair, the city functions even better than normal. It's a good time to sightsee, even if beer-hall rowdiness isn't your cup of tea.
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial (KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau) — Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp (1933). Today, it's the most accessible camp for travelers and an effective voice from our recent but grisly past, pleading "Never Again." A visit here is a valuable experience and, when approached thoughtfully, well worth the trouble. After this most powerful sightseeing experience, many people gain more respect for history and the dangers of not keeping tabs on their government. You'll likely see lots of students here, as all German schoolchildren are required to visit a concentration camp. It's interesting to think that a generation or two ago, people greeted each other with a robust Sieg Heil! Today, almost no Germans know the lyrics of their national anthem, and German flags are a rarity.
In the 1930s, the camp was outside the town, surrounded by a mile-wide restricted area. A huge training center stood next to the camp. While a relatively few 32,000 victims died in Dachau between 1933 and 1945 (in comparison, over a million were killed at Auschwitz in Poland), the camp is notorious because the people who ran the entire concentration camp system were trained here. Given the strict top-down Nazi management style, it's safe to assume that most of the demonic innovations for Hitler's mass killing originated here. This was a work camp, where inmates were used for slave labor. It was also a departure point for shipments of people destined for gas chambers in the east — where most of the mass murder took place (conveniently distant — far out of view of the German public).
Few realize that Dachau actually housed people longer after the war than during the war. After liberation, the fences were taken down, but numerous survivors stayed who had nowhere else to go. The camp was also used as a prison for camp officials convicted in the Dachau trials. And later, the camp was used for refugees from Eastern Europe. Until the 1960s, it was like a small town, with a cinema, shops, and so on.
A visit to the Dachau memorial consists of the museum, the bunker behind the museum, the restored barracks, and a pensive walk across the huge but now-empty camp to the shrines and crematorium at the far end. Upon arrival, pick up the mini-guide (€0.50), consider the excellent €2 booklet, and note when the next documentary film in English will be shown (20 min, normally shown at 11:30, 14:00, and 15:30, verify times on board as you enter museum). The memorial camp is free (Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00, last entry 30 min before closing, closed Mon, www.cc-memorial-site-dachau.org). For maximum understanding, rent the €2.50 audioguide, consider the English guided walk (daily in summer at 13:30, 2 hrs, donation requested, call 08131/669-970 or ask at door to confirm), or take a tour from Munich (see below).
The museum — which tries valiantly to personalize the plight of the victims — is thoughtfully described in English. Computer tap screens let you watch early newsreels. The theater shows a powerful documentary movie (see above for times).
The bunker was for "special prisoners," such as big-name politicians and failed Hitler assassins. It contains an exhibit on the notorious SS. (It's behind the theater; direct access after movie lets out, otherwise walk around museum past Arbeit macht frei sign.)
The most famous image of Dachau is the iron gate with the taunting slogan Arbeit macht frei ("Work makes you free"). Future plans call for visitors to enter here, through the camp's original entrance.
The big square between the museum and the reconstructed barracks was used for roll call. Twice a day, the entire camp population assembled here. They'd stand at attention until all were accounted for. If someone was missing (more likely dead than escaped), everyone would have to stand — often through the night — until the person was located.
Beyond the two reconstructed barracks (one is open to the public, where you can rent an audioguide), a long walk takes you past the foundations of the other barracks to four places of meditation and worship (Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Russian Orthodox). Beyond that is a Carmelite Convent.
To the left of the shrines, a memorial garden surrounds the camp crematorium. Look at the smokestack. You're standing on ground nourished by the ashes of those who died at Dachau.
While the Dachau gas chamber is like those at all other concentration camps, this one was never used.
Dachau is a 45-minute trip from downtown Munich: take S-2 (direction: Petershausen) to Dachau, then from the station catch bus #724 or #726, Dachau-Ost, to KZ-Gedenkstätte (the camp). The two-zone €9 ticket covers the entire trip (both ways); with a railpass, just pay for the bus (€1 each way). Drivers follow Dachauerstrasse from downtown Munich to Dachau-Ost. Then follow the KZ-Gedenkstätte signs.
The town of Dachau is more pleasant than its unfortunate image (TI tel. 08131/75286). With 40,000 residents, located midway between Munich and its airport, it's now a high-priced and in-demand place to live.
Radius Tours, in front of track 32 in the Munich train station, offers hassle-free and thoughtful tours of the Dachau camp from Munich (€18 including the €9 cost of public transportation, April–Oct Tue–Sun at 9:20 and 13:00, also at 11:20 May-Aug, Nov–March Tue–Sun at 12:00, no Mon tours, allow 5 hrs round-trip, tel. 089/5502-9374, www.munichwalks.com).
For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Germany & Austria guidebook.