Palace sights in Munich
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A
Schloss Suresnes
The baroque Schloss Suresnes is a petite palace built in 1718 for one of Elector Max's government officials. Paul Klee had a studio here from 1919 to 1922, and it now houses a Catholic academy.
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B
Alter Hof
The starter home of the Wittelsbach family with origins in the 12th century, the Bavarian rulers moved out of this super central palace as long ago as the 15th century. Visitors can only see the central courtyard where the bay window on the southern façade was nicknamed Monkey Tower in honour of a valiant ape that saved an infant Ludwig the Bavarian from the clutches of a ferocious market pig. Local lore at its most bizarre.
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C
Schloss Nymphenburg
This commanding palace and its lavish gardens sprawl around 5km northwest of the Altstadt. Begun in 1664 as a villa for Electress Adelaide of Savoy, the stately pile was extended over the next century to create the royal family's summer residence. Franz Duke of Bavaria, head of the once royal Wittelsbach family still occupies an apartment here.
The main palace building consists of a large villa and two wings of creaking parquet floors and sumptuous period rooms. Right at the beginning of the self-guided tour comes the highpoint of the entire Schloss, the Schönheitengalerie (Gallery of Beauties), housed in the former apartments of Queen Caroline. Some 38 portraits of…
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Reiche Zimmer
Upstairs and accessible all day, are François Cuvilliés' Reiche Zimmer (Rich Rooms), a six-room extravaganza of exuberant rococo carried out by the top stucco and fresco artists of the day; they're a definite museum highlight.
Also up here and only accessible in the morning are the Kurfürstenzimmer (Elector's Rooms) with some stunning Italian portraits and a passage lined with two dozen views of Italy, painted by local romantic artist Carl Rottmann.
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D
Residenz
The Residenz is a suitably grand palace that reflects the splendour and power of the Wittelsbach clan, the Bavarian rulers who lived here from 1385 to 1918. The edifice dwarfs Max-Joseph-Platz along with the grandiose Nationaltheater, home to the Bavarian State Opera. Its museums are among the jewels in Munich's cultural crown and an unmissable part of the Bavarian experience.
Four giant bronze lion statues guard the entrance to the palace on Residenzstrasse, supported by pedestals festooned with a half-human, half-animal face. Note the creatures' remarkably shiny noses. If you wait a moment, you'll see the reason for the sheen: scores of people walk by and casually rub…
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