Showing 1-25 of 25 results
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Akademie der Bildenden Künste
The Akademie der Bildenden Künste is housed in a three-storey neo-Renaissance building. Founded in 1808 by Maximilian I, it advanced to become one of Europe's leading arts schools in the second half of the 19th century and still has a fine reputation today. Famous students included Max Slevogt, Franz von Lenbach and Wilhelm Leibl; and, in the early 20th century, Lovis Corinth, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc and others who went on to become modern-art pioneers.
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Alter Hof
The central courtyard of the Alter Hof is the oldest Wittelsbach residence with origins in the 12th century and 1282 birthplace of Holy Roman Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian. The bay window on the southern façade was nicknamed 'Monkey Tower' in honour of a monkey which saved the infant ruler from the clutches of a ferocious market pig. Local lore at its finest.
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Asamkirche
Though pocket-sized, the late baroque Asamkirche is as rich and epic as a giant's treasure chest. Its creators, the brothers Cosmas Damian & Egid Quirin, dipped deeply into their considerable talent box to swath every inch of wall space with paintings, putti (cherubs), gold leaf and stucco flourishes. The crowning glory is the ceiling fresco illustrating the life of St John Nepomuk to whom the church is dedicated (lie down on your back in a pew to fully appreciate the complicated perspective).
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BMW Welt
Next to the Olympic Park, where Lerchenauer Strasse meets Petuelring, a glass and steel double-cone 'tornado' spirals skyward. It's arrested only by a roof the size of an aircraft carrier yet imbued with the lightness of a cloud. Open since October 2007, the BMW Welt is an architectural showstopper, a cathedral to cars, a place of pilgrimage for those who worship at the altar of the auto.
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Bronze Sculpture of Juliet
Lovesick? Head to the old town hall's south side and pay your respects to Romeo's heart-throb Juliet, a beautiful bronze sculpture that was a gift from Munich's sister city, Verona. Leave her some flowers and your love life will improve…
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Friedensengel Statue
The Friedensengel (Angel of Peace) statue stands guard from its perch atop a 23m-high column. It commemorates the 1871 Treaty of Versailles, which ended the Franco-Prussian War, and the base contains some shimmering golden frescoes. On New Year's Eve the steps around the monument are party central.
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Grottenhof
Tours of the Residenzmuseum soon take you to the Grottenhof (grotto court), home of the wonderful Perseusbrunnen (Perseus Fountain), with its namesake holding the dripping head of Medusa.
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Karlstor Gate
The medieval Karlstor gate is one of Munich's remaining medieval town gates. The Karlstor gate forms part of the western gateway to the Altstadt and the pedestrianised shopping precinct along Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufinger Strasse.
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Klosterkirche St Anna im Lehel
The Asamkirche may be more sumptuous, but the Klosterkirche St Anna im Lehel is actually a collaboration of the top dogs of the rococo. Johann Michael Fischer designed the building, and Cosmas Damian Asam painted the stunning ceiling fresco and altar. So there!
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Königsplatz
Nothing less than the Acropolis in Athens provided the inspiration for Leo von Klenze's imposing Königsplatz , commissioned by Ludwig I and anchored by a Doric-columned Propyläen gateway and two templelike museums. The Nazis added a few buildings of their own and abused the square with their mass parades. Only the foundations of these structures remain at the east end of the square, rendered unrecognisable by foliage.
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Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Bavaria's oldest university, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität started out as political football for its rulers. Founded in Ingolstadt in 1472, it moved to Landshut in 1800 before being lassoed to Munich in 1826 by newly crowned King Ludwig I. It has produced more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners, including Wilhelm Röntgen in 1901 and Theodor Hiersch in 2005.
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Magdalenenklause
The Magdalenenklause was built as a mock hermitage in faux 'ruined' style.
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Marienplatz
The heart and soul of the Altstadt, Marienplatz, is a popular gathering spot and packs a lot of personality into its relatively small frame. It's anchored by the Mariensäule (Mary's Column), built in 1638 to celebrate victory over Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War; it's topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary balancing on a crescent moon.
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Maximilianeum
Maximilianstrasse culminates in the glorious Maximilianeum, completed in 1874, a decade after Max II's sudden death. It's an imposing structure, drawn like a theatre curtain across a hilltop, bedecked with mosaics, paintings and other artistic objects. There's a free exhibit about the Bavarian parliament, which moved here in 1949. It's framed by an undulating park called the Maximiliananlagen, which is a haven for cyclists in summer and tobogganists in winter.
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Maximilianstrasse
It's pricey and pretentious, but no trip to Munich would be complete without a saunter down Maximilianstrasse, one of the city's grandest boulevards. Starting at Max-Joseph-Platz, it's a 1km-long ribbon of style where sample-size fembots browse for Escada and Prada, and suits sip champagne in pavement cafés, with nary a hair out of place. Several of Munich's finest theatrical venues, including the Nationaltheater, the Kammerspiele and the Kleine Komödie am Max II are also here.
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Müller'sches Volksbad
The best public swimming pool options in Munich include the the spectacular Müller'sches Volksbad, where you can swim in Art Nouveau splendour, then sweat it out in the Roman-Irish bath.
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Neues Rathaus
The coal-blackened façade of the neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus, New Town Hall, is festooned with gargoyles and statues, including a dragon scaling the turrets. Inside, six grand courtyards host festivals and concerts throughout the year. For a good view of the city, ascend the 85m tower.
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Neues Rathaus Tower
For pinpointing Munich's landmarks without losing your breath, catch the lift up this 85m-tall tower.
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Odeonsplatz
Odeonsplatz marks the beginning of the Maxvorstadt, a 19th-century quarter built to link central Munich with Schwabing to the north. Leo von Klenze masterminded its overall design and several of the buildings, including the Leuchtenberg-Palais. There are several nice, if pricey cafés, including Schumann's Bar as well as the plushly furnished Café Tambosi, which has a pedigree going back more than 200 years and used to be popular with Munich's high society.
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Siegestor
Munich's massive Siegestor was modelled on Constantine's arch in Rome and looks like a miniature version of Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Built to honour the Bavarian army for kicking out Napoleon, it's crowned by a triumphant Bavaria piloting a lion-drawn chariot. Severely damaged in WWII, the arch was turned into a peace memorial. The inscription on the upper section reads: Dem Sieg geweiht, vom Kriege zerstört, zum Frieden mahnend (Dedicated to victory, destroyed by war, calling for peace).
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St Peterskirche
It requires a little effort (306 steps, to be precise), but for our money the best view of central Munich is from the 92m-tall tower of the St Peterskirche, Munich's oldest church (1180). Also known as 'Alter Peter' (Old Peter), it's a virtual textbook of art through the centuries, from the Gothic St-Martin-Altar to Johann Baptist Zimmermann's baroque ceiling fresco and Ignaz Günther's rococo sculptures, plus some really creepy relics of an obscure saint named Munditia.
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Steinzimmer
Another highlight is the Steinzimmer, awash in intricately patterned and coloured marble, which was where the emperor stayed during his Munich visits.
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Theatinerkirche
The mustard-yellow Theatinerkirche, built to commemorate the 1662 birth of Prince Max Emanuel, was dreamed up by Swiss architect Enrico Zuccalli. Also known at St Kajetan, it's a voluptuous design with two massive twin towers flanking a giant cupola. Inside, an intensely ornate dome lords over the Fürstengruft (royal crypt), the final destination of several Wittelsbach rulers, including King Maximilian II.
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Theresienwiese
The Theresienwiese, better known as 'Wiesn', is the site of the Oktoberfest. At the western end of the meadow is the Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame) guarding solemn statues of Bavarian leaders, as well as the statue of Bavaria, an 18m-high Amazon in the Statue of Liberty tradition, oak wreath in hand and lion at her feet. This iron lady has a cunning design that makes her seem solid, but actually you can climb via the knee joint up to the head for a great view of the Oktoberfest.
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Wedekindplatz
The heart of Altschwabing (Old Schwabing) - Wedekindplatz - still preserves a boho touch thanks to the nearby small stores, gritty bars and alternative theatres. While living here from 1899 to 1901, Thomas Mann penned his famous novel Buddenbrooks . Beatniks and hippies invaded in the '60s, fuelling a minor spin on the 1968 revolution.
Showing 1-25 of 25 results
