Munich - a south German gem

1. See and hear the Glockenspiel (carillon) at the Neues Rathaus.
2. Visit the Frauenkirche, a famous gothic church with a bright airy interior and two onion-domed spires – the symbol of Munich.
3. Climb the 300 odd steps of the Alte Peter church for fabulous views of the city – even the Alps during good weather.
4. Stroll around in the pedestrian zone – admire the shop windows and historical buildings.
5. Attend a festival – Christkindlmarkt (Christmasmarket) in December and Oktoberfest (mainly in September!) are d famous.
6. See some art: the Alte Pinakothek is one of Europe’s major art galleries and the Residenz - former royal accommodations with a fabulous art collection.
7. Visit the Deutsches Museum – the world’s largest science and technology museum.
8. Stroll around in the English Garden – Europe’s largest city park.
9. Visit Olympiazentrum to see the famous glass roof of the 1972 Games and the modern head offices and museum of BMW.
10. Take a day trip to Schloss Neuschwanstein – the fantasy castle of Mad King Ludwig that inspired Disney.
11. Have a beer – in a beer garden, in a garden, in the street, on the commuter train, anywhere seems OK in this town.

Quick Tips:

Munich is much more than just Oktoberfest and beer - although where else could you have a beer for breakfast without anybody thinking it odd? (Allegedly, if a child gets lost here and doesn’t know his home address the police simply ask where his father buys his weekly beer supply!) Oktoberfest is just three weeks and mainly in September rather than in October itself.

The Christmas market - Christkindlmarkt - is famous for good food, drinks and some trinkets. It is more of a good time than a cultural event though and brings out not only tourists but also many locals. Some stalls sell not too kitsch Christmas decorations, which make nicer souvenirs than the standard cheap beer mugs.

It is easy to reach Schloss Neuschwanstein and other castes by public transport. However, when time is limited it may be sensible to book a day tour which cut down on transportation and waiting time and make it possible to visit two or even three properties in one day. This is highly recommended in summer when waiting times can be frustrating.

Shops close irritatingly early on weekdays and stay close on Saturday afternoons and Sundays as is custom in Germany.

Best Way To Get Around:

Most of the tourist sights in the central part of town are easiest reached on foot. In fact the huge pedestrian zone makes walking the only sensible option.

The public transportation system is well developed and easy to use. The subway (U Bahn) and railway (S Bahn) will get you to most tourist destinations with buses only needed for off the beaten track sites. Some rail passes are valid on the S but not on the U. An honor system is used for franking tickets - non-uniformed inspectors and high spot fines keep the commuters honest.

Main line connections to many German and other European cities are frequent with the main station (Hauptbahnhof) easy to use and with some useful information services. It also has some shops and food outlets open later than the standard close at five German custom.

Taxis are relatively expensive but could be useful when arriving with luggage. Besides it is fun for non-Europeans to be chauffeured in a Mercedes taxi even if it has plastic seats and is painted a horrible boring beige color!

Frauenkirche (Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau or Church of Our Lady) is Munich’s trademark and located close to the Marienplatz in the pedestrian zone. The two imposing oxidized copper onion-shaped domes atop the two 98-meter-high spires can be seen from many parts of the city, and its eight bells have a wonderful ring.

The church was constructed from 1468 to 1488 of simple fairly monotonous red brick in a late Gothic style. It was extensively damaged during the Second World War, but the two towers are original. The building is 109m long, 41m wide, and the roof 55m high.

On the whole, this church doesn’t rank with the famous Cologne Cathedral, Notre Dame in Paris, St Paul’s in London, or St Peter’s in Rome, but it has an attractiveness of its own. Its interior is surprisingly simple and very light - it completely lacks the darkness and gloom that seem to come standard with other 15th-century churches. Most of the interior walls and columns are white, and large windows let in ample light.

Its artistic highlights are elegant, if simple. For most foreign visitors, the people and celebrated artists may be totally unknown. Many foreigners seem more interested in finding the mark left by the devil’s right foot! This mark, resembling a footprint with a small hooked tail at the heel, is in the floor close to the main rear entrance (more or less in line with the gift shop). If you stand at this spot, it is impossible to see any of the side windows, which let in the ample amount of light. Prior to the construction of the current high altar in the late 19th century, it was even impossible to see the windows at the front end of the church from this spot, making it seem as if the church was windowless. According to tradition, the church builder, Joerg von Halspach, bet the devil that he would build a windowless church, and when the devil stood at this spot and realized he was duped, he stamped his foot in anger! An alternative version has the devil visiting in the dark and stomping his foot in delight at the obvious stupidity of hidden windows.

I guess it doesn’t say much for the artwork in the church, as this spot seems to be the most favorite of foreign visitors! Parts of the rose window in the choir, the Annunciation to Maria, date from 1392 and were used in the church predating the current one. Other works are fine too, but the artists relatively or thoroughly unknown. However, the light interior of this large church is most uplifting and well worth visiting. Entrance is free except for frequent concerts at night.

It is possible to climb the south tower (April to October). However, the view from the nearby Alte Peter is better and the charge lower.

Munich’s pedestrian zone (Fussgaengerzone) is one of the largest in Europe and contributes vastly towards making the Old City a pleasant and safe place to stroll in. Most of the famous historic sites as well as many elegant shops are inside the pedestrian zone.

Less than a ten minutes stroll from the Hauptbahnhof is the busy Stachus intersection and the pedestrian zone traditionally starts from the Karlstor, a medieval city wall gate that dates from the 14th century. From here it is about a twenty minutes walk to the Marienplatz, if you can manage not to stop and look at the shop windows and several historic buildings en route.

Street vendors often sell their wares here - in special booths and with the licenses in order no doubt. It is fun, if you are fairly fluent in German as the Bavarian accent can be hard to follow at the best of times, to listen to some of the excellent presentations of the vendors. Some are more street theater than sales presentation! Although I listen to the presentation twice, I never bought the leather cloth to wash my car with but two years on I’m still most happy and using daily the vegetable slicers that I bought here for next to nothing.

The huge department stores are surprisingly busy as they offer few bargains. The wares are beautiful and the quality good but service mediocre compared to say Asian standards. It is possible to buy take away sandwiched at several stores, which makes for delicious picnic lunches. Many close promptly at five so buy in advance unless you want to end up in a formal restaurant for dinner or you may end up at the McDonalds at Stachus!

The Marienplatz is the heart of the pedestrian zone - you’ll end up here sooner or later. The main attraction is the three level Glockenspiel (carillon) of the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), which usually chimes at 11:00, 12:00,17:00 and 21:00. (There is a black board with the exact times for the day.) The well coordinated play of a knight’s tournament use 32 moving figures and 43 bells and last several minutes. The outdoor cafes from which you can view the spectacular include the view in the prices! The façade of the Rathaus is adorned with gargoyles and statues to occupy you while waiting for the main attraction. It is possible to ascent the 80 m tower by elevator but the better view is from the nearby Alte Peter church, requiring almost 300 steps. Viewing the Glockenspiel from here require strong elbows! On a clear day you can see all the way to the Alps from here but even on a murky day the city view makes it worth the climb. Unfortunately, most of the Alte Peter, which was originally built in the 14th century, including the flamboyant rococo interior is a post Second World War reconstruction.

Now Feldherrnhall (Field Marshal’s Loggia) is not a particularly significant construction but it would be a shame to miss it if you are in the vicinity. It is at Odeonsplatz at the northern end of the pedestrian zone and near the Residenz and Hofgarten.

This monument was erected in 1844 by King Ludwig the First (Louis) as a focal point for Ludwigstrasse (still one of Munich’s grandest) where the old and new cities met. It is built in a Florentine style and is a tribute to the Bavarian army. It has two bronze statues of General Wrede, hero from the Napoleonic wars, and Graf Tilly, of Thirty Years War fame. However, the one was not field marshal and the other no Bavarian! (See a photo of the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence on which it is based in the Firenze - gate of paradise journal.)

The interesting part is the Nazi history surrounding the site. In 1923 a then unknown local politician, Adolf Hitler, gained national notoriety by attempting a coup d’etat (Putsch) of the Bavarian government. His attempts came to ground near the Feldhernnhalle - it was later said that he broke his arm from the violence force he used to throw himself to the ground to find cover in a gutter when the police opened fire on his band. Once in power some ten years later, the Nazi’s erected a memorial with a guard of honor to their fallen comrades on the eastern side of the Feldherrnhalle. Pedestrians passing by had to use the Nazi salute - some avoided this by passing through the narrow Viscardigasse behind the Feldherrnhalle.

The elegant yellowish Theatinerkirche (Church St Kajetan) across the road from the Feldherrnhalle is worth a brief stop (entrance free). It was erected in the seventeenth century, partly by Niccolo Spinelli, who was also responsible for the domes of the Santa Maria della Salute in Venice. The Rococo façade dates from the eighteenth century and contrasts with the almost white interior. Several Bavarian royals are buried here. The magnificent Residenz and Court Gardens are across the square. Elegant buildings and some coffee shops line the Ludwig Street from here to the student area of Schwabing and Muenchner Freiheit - about a thirty-minute walk or two subway stops away.

The huge Odeonsplatz in front of the Feldherrnhalle is used for various seemingly unrelated purposes. During a summer visit someone was selling bathtubs there with a surprisingly large number of potential customers trying the baths for size before committing their cash. During a recent winter visit it was more mundane with Christmas trees going cheap.

Schloss Neuschwanstein is a pleasant day trip from Munich. Flyers with detailed transportation information in English are available from Munich Hauptbahnhof. It is highly advisable to go early to minimize queuing for castle tickets even out of season.

Neuschwanstein is the castle that inspired Disney and even if you have never seen pictures of it you may have seen its resemblance in various Disney productions. Construction began in 1869 but it was never completed. This castle and several other grandiose constructions consumed first the private fortune of Bavarian King Ludwig II and then a large portion of the state budget as well. Eventually Ludwig was declared mad in 1886 and he died in mysterious circumstances soon after being disposed.

The original floor plans, which were frequently altered on the King’s whims, were by a theater designer and many basic architectural mistakes are evident including stairways leading to nowhere. Be as it may, the grayish-white castle is a sight to behold in all kinds of weather.

The interior can only be visit on a guided tour included in the ticket price. The tour doesn’t allow much time to linger but gives a general idea of what is represented by the lavish rich decorations in several rooms. Ludwig was inspired by romantic ideas and themes from Wagner’s operas feature strongly. Photography of the interior is strictly prohibited. There is a small coffee shop at the end of the tour but it gets crowded even on a very quiet day.

The best views of the castle and the surrounding countryside is from the Marienbruecke - an 1866 engineering masterpiece built 92 m over the narrow Poellath River valley. The 45 m high Poellatfalls can be seen from several rooms in the castle. The bridge is about 15 minutes uphill from the castle on well signposted walkways.

In a small step for man but a huge leap for German bureaucracy, tickets are now sold in the village allowing you to roam and spend money in town rather than queue with nothing to do for hours at the castle door as was done presumable since the castle was opened to the public in 1886! The lines moved slowly even on a very quiet winter’s day and the tour time was more than two hours later making one wonder if it is a conspiracy to keep one in town longer? Strolling up to the castle can take between 20 and 60 minutes depending on the route. A limited bus service is also available.

You can also visit the less picturesque Schloss Hohenschwangau which is where Ludwig spend much of his childhood. The castle is close to the new ticket office.

It may be worth considering a day tour in season to avoid having to queue for tickets. A day tour may also include visits to other castles and sites, such as Linderhof, which are hard to reach by public transport.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas the pedestrian zone takes on a special festive role. Apart from delightful and tasteful window decorations a Christmas market, Christkindlmarkt, is set up with stalls selling anything from traditional crafts to more modern junk. The hand crafted Christmas tree decorations make generally nicer and easier to transport souvenirs than the cheap low quality mass-produced beer mugs that are on sale everywhere in town.

The mood is jolly and festive or "gemuetlich" as the Germans say. A vast selection of food is available ranging from sausages to huge pretzels and divine pastries. I was also surprised at the astonishing variety of fruits being sold here. The drink of choice is for a change not beer but Gluehwein - hot wine with some spices. Non-alcoholic Kinderpunsch is also available. The wine is served in mugs bearing the market’s name and often the year count as well. You pay a deposit (Pfand) for the first mug and can then reuse it and keep it if you like. Should you decide not to keep the mug as a souvenir you can get the deposit back, not at the stand where you originally bought the drink but at special stalls set up for this purpose. (Anyone who has ever worked in a bar or at large catered parties would recognize this as a marvelous idea to enhance the changes of the mug actually being rinsed with water rather than just thin air before being reused!)

A nice feature of this market is that it is not only set up for visitors - many locals also make an outing here at least once during the advent season. The market is spread out along several streets of the pedestrian zone but the center of activity is at the Marienplatz. It can get quite busy here early in the evening but the mood is wonderful with locals quite willing to help you order as the stall attendants speak heavily accented Bavarian and not high German.

Also take time to study the window decorations of the shops lining the pedestrian zone. Some have fantastic displays and most are very tasteful. A large toy store had an excellent display of moving teddy bears staffing a workshop that attracted huge crowds of all ages.

Most stalls open late afternoon when the main shops are closing and stay open until 21:00 or 22:00.

The Englischer Garten (English Garden) is the largest city park in Europe. It was originally laid out in the 18th century by Sir Benjamin Thompson, an English scientist employed by the Bavarian authorities. It consist of huge lawns, forested areas, streams, ponds and minor hills.

It is a pleasant stroll from the Altstadt to the Bohemian and student area of Schwabing. Round trip walking should take about two hours. Entrance is free.

Upon entering from the south, the first sight is the Japanese Teahouse. From here various paths lead north to the Monopteros - a small Greek temple-like structure erected in 1838. It is a pretty structure on a small hill with nice views of the Altstadt skyline. However, on several visits there it was always occupied by what seemed to be either drug dealers or junkies or both to the extent that all viewing was done while walking away.

Next is the most famous structure in the park - the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower), a five story wooden pagoda. It was originally erected in 1790 but was damaged during the Second World War. The current construction dates form 1952.

Paths lead along the Eisbach stream to the Kleinhesseloher See, a pond with islands. On summer days waterfowl competes with paddle-boats on the lake. There are many benches and no "stay off the grass" signs. The enormous lawns invite impromptu soccer and other games and picnics are allowed practically anywhere.

As a simple reminder that the English Garden is in the middle of Munich, three beer gardens ply their trade inside the gardens itself. The most famous is in the shadow of the Chinesischer Turm, and opens according to the weather. The garden will open in the middle of February if warm winds, (the infamous Foehn), blow over the Alps. In Munich the Foehn gets blamed for anything from migraine to tooth ache.

The English Garden used to be famous for nude sunbathing but this is less common nowadays. Similarly the once famous bohemian and entertainment area of Schwabing and Muenchner Freiheit is a shadow of its former self and increasingly bourgeois.

Exiting the garden to the right of the pond, it is an easy walk to the Muenchner Freiheit U-Bahn station. More interesting, however, would be to stroll down Leopold Street back to the Old City. The street passes by the Ludwig Maximilans University - with 60 000 students, it's Germany’s largest - and has areas with great open-air cafés. Re-enter the Old City at Odeonsplatz where the Feldherrnhalle signals the start of the Pedestrian Zone.

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