Munich

We spent two nights in Munich at the end of our trip. I decided to spend a little bit more than usual to upgrade from our normal tourist class hotel to one more centrally located. The Platz Hotel has a great location only a couple of blocks from the Marienplatz and the famous Glockenspiel. It's owned by the same brewery that owns the Hofbrauhaus a mere block away. After the confusion in Salzburg I had memorized the turns from the terminus of the autobahn through the Isartor (Isar Gate) to the hotel. We made it there with no problems and let the valet park the car in the underground garage.  After changing our remaining schillings for Deutsche Marks, we were on our way. We started our walking tour of the city center at the Marienplatz. On one side of the square is the 19th century Gothic Neues Rathaus (New City Hall). This building is famous for the Glockenspiel, which performs a couple of times a day. The Altes Rathus (Old City Hall) is another side with a much plainer Gothic exterior. Just south of the Marienplatz is St. Peter's the oldest church in Munich. This church was built in 1180 and the once white and gray interior has been decorated with painted medallions surrounded by Baroque plasterwork. From the steeple you have an excellent view over Munich (though the day was somewhat dreary). To the north, you see the symbol of Munich, Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady). Remember if you plan to visit on Sunday that, this church and many others are not museums but active places of worship. Our next stop was the city home of the royal Bavarian family, the Whittelsbach's. The Residenz is on Max-Jospeh Platz. This huge building was the official residence for the rulers of Bavaria from 1385 to 1918. Today you can see preserved staterooms and gallery after gallery of artwork, portraits, and jewels culminating at the Hall of Antiquities. This large room is adorned with paintings and sculptures from 16th and 17th century artists. The Residenz is so large that not all of it is open at one time. Even if it was you would probably need several days to take it all in.

That night we went to the Hofbrauhaus. Many guidebooks will tell you that the Hofbrauhaus is touristy and that there are other more authentic beer halls in Munich. This may be true but if you only have a short time in Munich, the Hofbrauhaus should not be missed. When we arrived the place was packed. We found a table and were soon joined by two Californians in town on business and two Austrians in town to see a soccer match. At the Hofbrauhaus tourist doesn't just mean Americans. There seemed to be quite a few soccer fans in attendance and they were singing fight sounds and shooting out cheers for their teams. To say the place was smoke filled would be the understatement of the year. I thought I might have to burn my clothes. Even though it was winter, there were so many warm bodies inside that the floor and windows were covered with condensation. You could never say this place was lacking in atmosphere. They actually serve food there and not just beer which, considering the size of the mugs is a good thing. I had a pork knuckle and my husband had a mixed sausage plate. Both were very good as was the beer. I have never seen so much beer served in my entire life! There must have been a conveyor directly from the brewery to bring over kegs and return empties.

On Sunday, I planned a break from our usual hectic pace of sightseeing. We visited only three sites, the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, the Englischer Garten and the Schloss Nymphenburg. King Maximilian II began the Bavarian National Museum. The collection has grown to include sculpture, painting, folk art, ceramics, and scientific instruments. The English Garden is Munich's city park. The day was sunny and warm and the park was full of people walking, running, riding and just enjoying this beautiful park. We had lunch at a lakeside restaurant and just relaxed. Our last stop in Munich was once considered a country estate by the Bavarian royalty. This huge palace was started by Ferdinand Maria in 1664 and took more than 150 years to complete. Besides the main buildings there is a huge wooded park area, a Porcelain works, a hunting lodge, a lake and numerous other secondary buildings. The most impressive room is the first room you enter. The great hall is decorated with stuccos and vivid colors. The other rooms in the main buildings (at least the ones open to the public) contain furniture and paintings left by the past residents. We toured the main building, the hunting lodge and walked the grounds before it was time to head back. Continued Photos
 

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Last modified: 03/29/05