Quote: The Residenz was the home and seat of power of the Wittelsbach family for over 700 years. Built in 1385 as a small, moated castle, the Residenz replaced the Alter Hof (near Marienplatz) as the Wittelsbach family residence and seat of government. During their 700 year reign, which lasted until 1918, they also built Nymphenberg Palace as a summer residence.

Because the Wittelsbach's were in power for so many centuries, most of the periods are represented including Renaissance, Rococo, Neo-Classical, Baroque, etc.. The remarkable Antiquarium (Hall of Antiquities) is the largest secular Renaissance hall north of the Alps, and is on top of the list of highlights (other than the Schatzkammer). The Antiquarium is also the oldest German museum of Greek antiques (most are Roman or Renaissance copies). Other architectural masterpieces include the Reiche Kapelle (Ornate Chapel), the Hofkapelle (Court Chapel), the Nibelungensäle (Nibelung Rooms), the Rococo Ancestral Gallery and the rooms by François Cuvilliés the Elder (including the Residenztheater), the Porzellankabinett (Porcelain Cabinet Room)and the neoclassical Königsbau (King's Tract) created by Leo von Klenze. Today, the Residenztheater houses the Bavarian state theater, and the Nationaltheater, which houses the the Bavarian state opera and ballet, is next door.

The Residenz theater (closed and under major restoration when I was there, so no photos, sorry), the Cevilliestheater, was designed by a diminutive but tenacious man named Francois Cuvillies who was from what is now the southern (and French speaking) part of Belgium. He was actually the "court dwarf" of the famous Elector Max Emanual when it was discovered that he had amazing talent for designing military complexes. He was sent to France to study the new Rococo architectural styles and is responsible for many of that style's most beautiful examples. This is a "must see" theater and a very special place.

To actually tour the entire Residenz including the theater, gardens, treasury, and both interior tours, plan at least an entire day. The museum is so extensive that one section is open in the morning, and the other is open in the afternoon. Guided tours are offered and an English guide book available for purchase (which I recommend). Another option is use of the free self-guiding recorded tour which has narration and descriptions for each room the visitors pass through. It is fairly easy to get lost on the tours but there are many staff members walking around cautioning (sometimes emphatically) against flash photographs. Almost everyone who goes in eventually wanders out.

The Residenz is one of the most dazzling palaces in all of Europe. The walls adorned with wonderful paintings, the frescoed ceilings, and the most beautiful inlayed wood floors are truly inspiring. When one includes the Schatzkammer, the Residenz is more than magnificent. While this complex was completely rebuilt some fifty years ago, the quality of craftsmanship seen in the palace is exceptional. Quality remains an obvious watchword in Munich.

There are many palaces in the world, and some are more well-known (Schönbrunn in Vienna, Versailles in Paris, Buckingham Palace in London, etc.), but for all of that, the Residenz is still one of the very special palaces in the world.

I spent a lot of time at the Residenz and while I missed a couple of places that I really wanted to visit, the time spent was so worthwhile.

I listened to a number of people who were somewhat unimpressed with the Residenz and I feel so sorry for those who see this kind of treasure when they are still too young to enjoy it. It was not open when I was there in my early 20's and I am sure that I would have felt the same way as many younger people feel today. My goal in those days was professional beer and wine tasting, and seeing how many girls I could impress without having to dance. Now I wish that I would have better appreciated these marvelous places and I am so thankful today that I still can. It seems that maturity comes whether I want it or not and now, while still wishing I could dance, I also wish I had appreciated the things and places I saw in my 20's the way I do now.

So much for personal politics...

My personal opinion of seeing Munich requires six full days including one day trip to Dachau Concentration Camp. It works out like this: one day for basic sights around Marienplatz with stops at the churches and beer halls (just to look, of course), one day for the Deutsches Museum, one day for the Residenz, one day for Nymphenberg Palace, and one day (minimum) for the Pinokotheks (Old, New, and Modern). Add day trips to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof (including Oberammergau), and also the Tirol region of the Alps, Munich becomes a very full week.

As previously mentioned, this complex will take at least one full day to visit. There are two tours. The first (morning tour) encompasses over half of the rooms (Rooms 1 - 81), and is completed in the afternoon with the second half (some of the rooms are duplicated in the afternoon tour). The morning tour includes the extraordinary Nottbohm Collection of European Miniatures, an extensive collection of fine miniatures dating from the late sixteenth century to the mid-nineteenth. This collection is not repeated in the afternoon tour. In all, there are about 120 rooms to visit within the complex plus the Schatzkammer (treasury), the theater, and the gardens which can easily be a half-day to tour.

The longevity of the Wittelsbach's and the Hapsburg's is extraordinary (over 700 years) and partly due to the liaisons by marriage of both families. The "Ancestral Gallery" (shown in both morning and afternoon tours) covers 738 years of Wittelsbach's. One of the more interesting facets of this gallery is the lengths to which the Wittelsbachs went to insinuate that they were related to many of the great European royalty.

NOTE: The Residenz was almost totally destroyed at the end of WWII. The workmanship is so outstanding that one cannot see where any repairs were made or new sections added to modernize the complex. Private collections of art and artifacts were saved from destruction at the end of WWII, however, the Nazi's refused to allow the removal of any art from public buildings because they feared that the removal would cause panic and disquiet among the population. Rather than save the art, the Nazis meticulously photographed all of the buildings and their collections. That photography was so scrupulous and thorough that the building interiors and exteriors could be faithfully recreated during the reconstruction following the war. In this case, German efficiency was key to the recreation of these magnificent buildings.

Many people have told me that they can't justify spending that much time in one city. My response is, "Why not? Do you think that this will be your only opportunity to be in Europe?" If you think that, please read what I have written in what I call "Experiential Travel."

Address:
Residenzstraße 1
80333 München
Telephone(0 89) 2 90 67-1
Email - ResidenzMuenchen@bsv.bayern.de
Website - www.residenz-muenchen.de

Hours: Open daily
April-15 October:
9 am-6 pm (last entry: 5 pm)
16 October-March:
10 am-5 pm (last entry: 4 pm)

Admission charges:
6 euros regular
5 euros reduced
Combination ticket:
Residenz Museum / Treasury:
9 euros regular
8 euros reduced

NOTE: The Kaisersaal or Emperor's Hall shown in one of the photographs is one of the rooms available for rent for some private functions (as long as the State of Bavaria is not using it. The price, you ask, a paltry €15,000. Of course that does not include furniture, or heat. You'd think that at that price they would throw in a throne for your cocktail party. As I wandered through the complex, I kept telling myself, "I could do this. I really think that I could live here." All I have to do now is to figure out who I have to contact to try. No slender ambitions here.
From journals Munich - A City For Everyone

Quote: The Residenz was the former royal residence of the Bavarian Dukes and Kings. Today it is one of the finest room decoration museums in Europe. The complex of buildings contains ten courtyards and 130 rooms. The rooms and large halls can be visited, and the many collections of precious art, china, historic paintings, and old furniture paint a vivid picture of 500 years of Bavarian history.

Arrows point you along the recommended route, as not all rooms are open at all times. In fact they change the route during the day so that early morning is different to the afternoon. If you follow the recommended route, you will find that it takes several hours if you have a reasonable look at things as you go along. It can get a bit too much. There are no breaks, no coffee shops, and few toilets. If you have limited time, take a look at the museum brochure (they have an English version available) and pick the three or four things you most want to see in detail and just skim the rest.

Over the years, the original castle which had stood on the site since the 14th century, was gradually extended. Major work was carried out in the 17th century and then some significant additions were added in the 19th century to form the gigantic complex that exists today. During World War II, the Residenz was almost completely destroyed but many of the masterpieces inside were moved to safety before the bombs hit the palace. Because of this, much of the structure which you see today, is the result of post-war rebuilding.

Renaissance features predominate within the building and one of the most impressive rooms is the Imperial Hall. The Antiquarium, built in 1571, is the oldest part of the palace and houses the family’s collection of antiquities, whilst the Schatzkammer (treasury) holds an exquisite array of diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones. Other rooms display porcelain, Italian portraits and vistas, etc.

The Antiquarium has dozens of 16th and 17th century frescoes and is the largest Renaissance hall in northern Europe. The paintings on the ceilings are stunning and the marble floor is beautiful. The Antiquarium alone is worth the price of admission, and you can easily spend 30 minutes wandering around, taking in the scene.

Elsewhere, in the Ancestral Gallery, portraits of the family are set into gilded, carved paneling. Far Eastern porcelain and Oriental rugs can be found in the Porcelain Gallery. The rococo-style Cuvilliés Theater is the location for many concerts and operas during the summer season. The house jewels of the royal family on display in the Schatzkammer are one of the most important in the world, containing royal insignia, crowns, swords, goldsmith work, rock crystal, ivory work, and numerous other treasures.

Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the building.
Opening hours are 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
From journals Munich Top Sights

Quote: The Residenz in Munich is the traditional home of the Wittelsbachs, the royal family of Bavaria. This site has served as a residence since the late 14th century, but the majority of the building was completed between the 17th and 19th centuries. A large complex, much of the Residenz is open to the public for a small fee. Inside, you’ll follow a path that brings you through the many courtyards, finely appointed rooms, and large halls that once represented the prestige of the Bavarian kingdom.

The architecture encompasses several different styles including Rococo and Neoclassical. The Neoclassical influence is best represented in the Antiquarium, a hall used by the royal family to display the sculptures, china, and other art they had amassed over the years. The paintings on the ceilings are stunning and the marble floor is amazingly smooth and beautiful. The Antiquarium alone is worth the price of admission, and you can easily spend 30 to 45 minutes wandering the hall from end to end, taking in each of the pieces of art you come across.

Further along, the tour brings you through the living quarters of the royal family, including the throne room, bed rooms, and ball rooms. Some of the rooms suffered damage from the bombing raids of Word War II, but have been so well restored that you would not know it. One of the things I really liked about the Residenz is that almost each room has a multilingual display explaining the history of the room you are in, the history of the royal family, or the history of Bavaria. Some sections focus heavily on the Napoleonic wars, which was a treat, since displays dealing with that segment of history are scarce in America for obvious reasons.

The Residenz also contains the Treasury, which contains the royal jewels and some other artifacts from the royal house. Unfortunately, we somehow missed this section

I have to admit that I didn't want to go to the Residenz. It was towards the end of a long day that had already included several museums. My husband dragged me in after giving me a very stern look—I was overwhelmingly pleased that I gave in and I wished that we had started our day here so I could have seen the complex with fresh eyes.

The one serious drawback to the Residenz is its size. You could easily spend an entire day in the complex and not see everything that it has to offer. If you have limited time, take a look at the museum brochure (they have an English version available) and pick the three or four things you most want to see in detail and just skim the rest.

The Residenz is open from 9AM to 6PM from April 1-October 15th. It is open from 10AM to 4PM from October 16th - March 31. The cost is 6 Euros. It costs 9 Euros to see the Residenz and the Treasury.

From journals A Short Stay in Munich

Quote: Before we visited this massive 10-courtyard, 130-room complex, official residence of the Bavarian dukes, electors, and kings, Tom and I were joking that if anyone could demonstrate wretched excess, it would be Bavarian royalty. We weren’t disappointed.

The palace was started in 1385 and grew over the centuries. It exhibits many different architectural styles, including late Renaissance, baroque, Rococo ,and Classicism. The Wittlesbach family is responsible for most of it, as they basically ruled Bavaria until 1918. To explore the entire collection, you can only visit half in the morning and half in the afternoon. There are guided tours at both times. There is also an audio guide that provided more information than I wanted. After a while, I just walked and looked.

The palace was rubble in May 1945. Hitler refused to let his minions evacuate the place, so the Allies bombed it mercilessly. It has been rebuilt, although the original furnishings are mostly kindling. Officials were able to save many of the original plans and drawings. Plus, they took photos and managed to spirit some of the treasures to a safe place. Like Düsseldorf and Cologne, Munich decided to reconstruct the city rather than start over from scratch like Frankfurt. I’m glad they did.

The most interesting sections we saw were in the Ancestral Gallery, which is designed like a hall of mirrors, except that instead of mirrors, there are portraits of the Wittelsbach family set into gilded, carved paneling. The largest and most impressive room is the Antiquarium, possibly the finest example of interior Renaissance secular styling in Germany. Frescoes adorn nearly every inch of space on the walls and ceilings. The room is broken into sections by pilasters and niches, each with its own bust of a Roman emperor or a Greek hero. The central attraction is the two-story chimney piece of red stucco and marble, completed in 1600. It's adorned with Tuscan pillars and the coat of arms of the dukes of Bavaria.

There are several interesting throne rooms in the palace. The Stone Rooms with their cut glass decorations are astounding. Some might say weird. In addition, the staircases are wide and sweeping, and I felt transported into another era. One in particular, used as the formal entry into the palace from the Fountain Courtyard, blew my mind. We wanted to see the Cuvillies Theatre, but it was closed for renovation.

We decided to pass on the afternoon half of the museum and instead visited the treasury. Among the treasures is the crown of Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II of England, an unbelievable bejeweled reliquary of St George and the Dragon, which is enameled gold covered with emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and pearls, a room full of crowns, orbs, scepters, and two cases full of medals encrusted with every imaginable gem. Opulence beyond opulence, I’m not sure I can find words to describe the total scene.

The museum and treasury are open every day. Picture-taking is allowed. Buy a combination ticket.
From journals Melancholy Munich