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Munich Attractions |
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The central point in the older part of the city is the square known as the Marienplatz. To the north of the square is the tree lined Maxmillian Strasse which leads to the Bavarian Parliament building and the Residenz Palace. Two great art collections, the Old and New Picture Galleries are a short distance northwest of the city center. To the south are the history museum and, on an island in the Isar River, the world's foremost museum of science and technology, the Deutsches (German) Museum. Central Munich is extremely attractive and is easy to explore on foot. There are innumerable restaurants and cafés in Munich with a wide range of culinary choices. Window shopping is one of the most popular pastimes all over the city, but especially along the pedestrian only Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufinger Strasse where many fine specialty shops and department stores are located. Maximilian Strasse is lined with designer fashion boutiques, art galleries and jewelers. Antiques and less expensive fashions are concentrated in the student section of Schwabing, and Bavarian crafts can be found in the streets that run off Max Josephplatz. Munich's famous open air market, Virtualienmarkt appears south of Marienplatz every day except Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Its specialties are fresh produce and baked goods of all varieties as well as locally produced cheese.
Some Attractions To Enjoy In Munich
Deutsches Museum (German Museum) Founded at the turn of the 20th century, the Deutsches Museum has become the world's largest science and technology museum with over 10 miles of exhibits (17.000 items are on display). Hands-on activities and fascinating demonstrations of human accomplishment, , from classical mechanics to telecommunications, from a full-size reconstructed coal mine to space travel technology.
Forum der Technik (Technology Forum) Germany's first IMAX cinema, in which films are shown on a screen 52 feet high and 72 feet wide; a unique cinematic experience. The Forum also includes an ultra modern planetarium.
Englischer Garten (English Garden) Stretching along the banks of the Isar River, Englischer Garten is one of the largest city parks in Europe. It was completed in 1789, the same year as the French Revolution, and presented to the people by the reigning prince. The park covers 900 acres and has shaded paths, brooks, ponds and even swans. Its open, formal style is reminiscent of the parkland surrounding the great English country estates, hence the name. This oasis in the midst of a large city is extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. Like everything else in Munich, the park is easily accessible by public transportation. At the end of a work day families congregate there with picnic baskets and sit down on benches at the long wooden tables for a picnic feast. Restaurants and cafés and of course a beer garden are also available. It takes several hours to walk through the entire park at a leisurely pace, stopping to see the Chinese pagoda, the monopteros (circular temple), and to take a ride in a rented boat on the Kleinhesseloher See. Strolling entertainers provide musical entertainment, and there is always a good band playing at the Seehaus, Chinesischer Turm, Hirschau, and Aumeister (the park's four beer gardens).
Hofbräuhaus Nightly Bavarian show in the Fest Hall requires an admission fee. Wilhelm V of Bavaria founded the Hofbräu (meaning royal or court brew) in 1589 to brew a dark ale that was more to his liking than the local beer. At that time, beer was a beverage reserved for the upper classes. They had made it their own after a series of bad grape harvests decimated the wine supply. Finally, in 1828 the brewery became an inn and the wonderful world of beer drinking became available to people of all social classes. The Hofbräu House is Munich's most popular beer hall and its three floors fill quickly in the evenings as some 4500 people gather to sit on the long benches, listen to the brass band, and drink beer served by waitresses in traditional costume. Beer is served by the Mass , an ancient measure equivalent to about one liter. Note: Tables labeled with "Stammtisch" are reserved for regulars (this is true for all Bavarian restaurants). Visitors unaware of this designation who sit at one of the reserved tables will find that they are not served. For a few coins, patrons can utilize the Hofbräuhaus's coin operated breathalyzer machines to check their alcohol level before driving home.
Bürgerbräukeller One of Munich's many beer gardens. Historically, both the Bürgerbräukeller and the Hofbräuhaus are interesting for a reason other than their bill of fare. The ballroom upstairs in the Hofbräuhaus was the site of the first meeting of the National Socialist Party (NAZI party) on February 20, 1920. The Bürgerbräukeller organized a discussion in 1923 entitled Can a Catholic be a National Socialist (NAZI party member or sympathizer)? The discussion was led by a Jesuit priest named Father Rupert Mayer. Father Mayer's presentation stunned the audience, and he was booed and jeered for his views. >From that time on Father Mayer was a marked man, but he continued to speak out. When the Third Reich began in 1933, Father Mayer openly condemned the Nazi leaders in his weekly sermons at St. Michael's church and in other gatherings. In the late 1930's he was arrested by the Nazi's and imprisoned. There was reluctance to kill him as it was feared he would be martyred and gain even more followers in death than he had in life. He was imprisoned in concentration camps and released a number of times. Finally he was placed in a monastery south of Munich and isolated there until he was freed in 1945 at the end of the war. Father Mayer died of a stroke soon after. He was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1987.
Burgersaalkirche This church was built in the baroque and rococo style in 1710 as an assembly hall for the Marian confraternity, an order dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In its crypt is the body of Father Rupert Mayer who died after his release from Sachenhausen concentration camp in 1945. Upstairs in the church, the Virgin is represented sheltering the faithful under her cloak. Under the organ console is an angel in flowing robes pointing to the heavens and tenderly leading a child by the hand. Other paintings depict the major pilgrimage sites of Bavaria. Over the high altar is a 1710 relief of the Annunciation by Andreas Faistenberger.
Museum Mensch und Natur (Museum of Mankind and Nature) One of Munich's newest museums, this is a must for inquisitive minds. Interactive exhibitions intrigue and delight as they teach about the wonders of natural science. Covering such diversified topics as the workings of the mind to the earth's creation, permanent and special exhibits are friendly, fun and challenging for all ages. (Displays are in German).
Altes Residenztheater (Old Residence Theater) Enchanting rococo theater named after its architect, Francois Cuvilliés, it has a striking, lavish interior. The building was destroyed by bombings in 1944, but the interior furnishings had been removed and were preserved from harm. The building was completely restored. Visitors are welcome at the hours listed above except during state opera and theater company rehearsals.
Residenz-Museum Built in 1385, the main city palace residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty is breathtaking in its size and diversity. Within the palace, the museum occupies over 100 rooms. It is broken into two sections which take about two hours each to fully explore. A guided tour book in English is available for a low price at the museum information desk. The entrance is an enclosed grotto court which features the Perseus Fountain. Next door is the Antiquarium, a long hallway resembling a tunnel that was built to house the huge Wittelsbach antique collection. The Elector's Room features some remarkable Italian portraits and has a long passageway containing two dozen views of Italy painted by one of Munich's leading artists of the Romantic period, Carl Rottmann. The Ancestral Gallery holds 121 portraits of the rulers of Bavaria. There is also a Porcelain Chamber and an Asian collection, among others.
Schatzkammer der Residenz (Residence Treasure Chamber) This museum is part of the Residenz Museum complex with a separate entrance and separate admission fee. It houses an enormous exhibit of jewels and handcrafts from around the world. Included is a display of the Bavarian crown jewels which were made in the early 19th century for Max II Joseph soon after the duchy was made a kingdom by Napoleon. The English language guide, Treasury in the Munich Residence is available at the information desk.
Staatliche Sammlung ägyptischer Kunst (State Collection of Egyptian Art) Also located in the Residenz, the museum evolved from collections made by Duke Albrecht V and King Ludwig I and contains pieces from every period of Egyptian history from the pre dynastic period (4500-3500 BC) to the Coptic period (4th-9th centuries). On exhibit are sculptures, reliefs, jewelry, tools, weapons, and sarcophagi. |
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