Munich, Germany — Where to Go
Munich Sightseeing Overview
Marienplatz, where the main pedestrianized streets converge, is the undisputed center of the city, and the location of the impressive town hall, the Neues Rathaus. Many of the city's main attractions are in the immediate vicinity, so sightseeing can easily be done on foot or by hopping on and off trams. Be sure to see the Stadtmuseum just south of Marienplatz, on the fringe of Munich's famous market, the Viktualienmarkt.
Nearby are some of the city's most impressive churches, including the cathedral, Frauenkirche, with its distinctive Italian Renaissance style onion domes. Also worth seeing are the 16th-century Michaelskirche, with its imposing barrel-vaulted interior, and the Asamkirche, considered a masterpiece of south German rococo architecture.
The oldest part of the city is just east of Marienplatz, including the Alter Hof (the original royal residence) and the world-famous Hofbräuhaus. The palatial Residenz complex lies to the north.
The wide boulevard and grand palatial architecture of Ludwigstrasse and Leopoldstrasse stretches north of Odeonsplatz to the Siegestor. These grand building schemes were commissioned by Ludwig I, as were those around Königsplatz, in the part of the city known as Maxvorstadt - home to some of Munich's most important museums and galleries, including the celebrated Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne - a fascinating gallery complex spanning art from late medieval times to the present day.
From the Siegestor, Leopoldstrasse forms the central artery of the popular district of Schwabing. The former artists' quarter is now considered the most fashionable part of the city, with numerous cafes, bars, restaurants and nightlife venues.
To the east of Leopoldstrasse, side roads lead off to the Englischer Garten, a quiet retreat from the busy city.
Munich Tourist Information
Munich Tourist Office
Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhofplatz 2
Tel: (089) 2339 6500.
Website: www.muenchen-tourist.de
A second tourist information office is located in the Neues Rathaus, on Marienplatz. Both offices provide a hotel reservation service.
Munich Sightseeing
The Munich CityTourCard (available from selected hotels and ticket machines at rail, S-Bahn, tram and U-Bahn stations) entitles the holder to free travel by MVV transport in the designated area and to the castles at Schleissheim, as well as up to 50% reduction on admission fees to 35 attractions. Cards are available for one or three days, for both central Munich and the surrounding area. Cards for families or small groups (up to five people) are also available.
Munich Sightseeing
The Munich CityTourCard (available from selected hotels and ticket machines at rail, S-Bahn, tram and U-Bahn stations) entitles the holder to free travel by MVV transport in the designated area and to the castles at Schleissheim, as well as up to 50% reduction on admission fees to 35 attractions. Cards are available for one or three days, for both central Munich and the surrounding area. Cards for families or small groups (up to five people) are also available.
Key Attractions in Munich, Germany
Around Marienplatz
Marienplatz has been at the heart of Munich since the city's foundation in 1158. The area is now a major hub for the urban transport network. For centuries, it was known as the Schrannenmarkt (the place where farmers and merchants came to buy and sell their goods) but was renamed in 1854 after the statue of the Virgin Mary in the center. The north side of Marienplatz is entirely dominated by the neo-gothic Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), built in the 19th century. Miniature statues of Bavarian rulers and other characters adorn the hall's façade, while the 85m (279ft) tower houses a glockenspiel consisting of 43 bells. The bells are accompanied by mechanical marionettes that perform scenes from Munich's history. Visitors can ascend the tower by lift. Nearby, other buildings of note include the 15th-century Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), which houses a delightful toy museum and - just a stone's throw from the square - the Frauenkirche. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries on the site of the Romanesque Marienkirche, this austere cathedral houses the tomb of Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and the legendary ‘Devil's Footprint', intriguingly embedded in the church floor.
Neues Rathaus
Marienplatz 8
Tel: (089) 23300.
Altes Rathaus Toy Museum
Marienplatz
Tel: (089) 294 001.
Website: www.spielzeugmuseum-muenchen.de
Frauenkirche
Frauenplatz 1
Tel: (089) 290 0820.
Residenz (Residence)
The Residence dates from 1385, when it originated as a small castle. Successive members of the Wittelsbach dynasty expanded the original 14th-century castle to create a complex of palaces around seven courtyards. The elaborate rooms contain antiques, sculptures, paintings and tapestries amassed by the Wittelsbachs between the 16th and 19th centuries. Such is its size that there is a morning tour or an afternoon tour (each featuring different rooms). Other royal treasures are on show in the Schatzkammer (Treasury). The entire Residenz complex, including the rococo Cuvilliés-Theater, was rebuilt and restored after being reduced to rubble during WWII.
Residenzstrasse 1 (entrance at Max-Joseph-Platz 3)
Tel: (089) 290 671.
Website: www.residenz-muenchen.de
The Three Pinakotheks
The Alte Pinakothek (Old Gallery), constructed in the 19th century for King Ludwig I, is home to one of the world's oldest and most important collections of paintings by European Old Masters, including Dürer, Raphael, Rembrandt and Rubens.
The Neue Pinakothek (New Gallery), located opposite in a modern building, was conceived by Ludwig I, as a showcase for contemporary art. The museum houses European painting and sculpture from the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century. German painting of the 19th century forms the core of the collection. The entrance price includes an audio guide, which is available in English.
The third Pinakothek der Moderne (Gallery of Modern Art) is considered among the world's greatest collections of 20th- and 21st-century art, with four major museums under one roof, featuring modern art, applied arts, graphic art and architecture.
Next door, the new Museum Brandhorst also contains an impressive ensemble of modern and contemporary art works, while the Glyptothek (ancient Greek art collection) and the Antikensammlung (antiquities collection) are located nearby at Königsplatz.
Alte Pinakothek
Barer Strasse 27
Tel: (089) 2380 5216.
Website: www.alte-pinakothek.de
Neue Pinakothek
Barer Strasse 29
Tel: (089) 2380 5195.
Website: www.neue-pinakothek.de
Pinakothek der Moderne
Barer Strasse 40
Tel: (089) 2380 5360.
Website: www.pinakothek-der-moderne.de
Museum Brandhorst
Theresienstrasse 35a
Tel: (089) 2380 52286.
Website: www.museum-brandhorst.de
Glyptothek
Königsplatz 3
Tel: (089) 286 100.
Website: www.antike-am-koenigsplatz.mwn.de/
Antikensammlung
Königsplatz
Tel: (089) 5998 8830.
Website: www.antike-am-koenigsplatz.mwn.de/
Deutsches Museum (German Museum)
The vast German Museum presents a dauntingly comprehensive survey of science and technology, from prehistoric tools to space-age inventions. Permanent interactive exhibitions are organized around various themes, including Aerospace, Computers, Mining, Technical Toys and Telecommunications. Next door, the Forum am Deutsches Museum (German Museum Forum) houses a planetarium and a 3D cinema. Another branch of the museum, Flugwerft Schleissheim (Schleissheim Aerodrome), located at Germany's oldest aerodrome, focuses on aviation history.
Museumsinsel 1
Tel: (089) 21791.
Website: www.deutsches-museum.de
Flugwerft Schleissheim
Effnerstrasse 18, Oberschleissheim
Tel: (089) 315 7140.
Website: www.deutsches-museum.de
Englischer Garten (English Garden)
The English Garden is the largest urban park in Germany, and is a quiet oasis in the heart of busy Munich, popular with locals and tourists alike for strolling, cycling, sport, sun-bathing, swimming in the river and picnicking. Further attractions include the Seehaus restaurant and the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower), both with great beer gardens, the Japanisches Teehaus (Japanese Teahouse) and the Monopteros, a Greek-style temple. During summer months, there is boating on the Kleinhesselhoher See (a lake in the center of the park) and open-air concerts and theater at the scenic Amphitheater.
The Haus der Kunst gallery (which hosts temporary modern art exhibitions), and the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum) are located on Prinzregentenstrasse, on the southern edge of the park.
Haus der Kunst
Prinzregentenstrasse 1
Tel: (089) 2112 7113.
Website: www.hausderkunst.de
Bayerisches Nationalmuseum
Prinzregentenstrasse 3
Tel: (089) 211 2401.
Website: www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de
Münchner Stadtmuseum (City Museum)
For a true taste of the city's eclectic personality, head to the City Museum. The diverse collections - which include musical instruments, marionettes, weaponry, photography and fairground rides - are sure to appeal to the whole family. The city's Film Museum is also here, and the history of Munich is thoroughly documented, with special focus on National Socialism. Finally, there is a new and light-hearted collection of items entitled ‘Typical Munich'.
Sankt-Jakobs-Platz 1
Tel: (089) 2332 2370.
Website: www.stadtmuseum-online.de
Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum)
This recently-opened museum, near the Stadtmuseum, is dedicated to the long history of Jewish culture in the Bavarian capital, and is located on the site of a pre-war synagogue. It succeeds a much smaller attraction on Maximilianstrasse, and offers three floors of exhibitions, including a special section explaining general Jewish history and religious topics.
Sankt-Jakobs-Platz 16
Tel: (089) 2339 6096.
Website: www.juedisches-museum.muenchen.de/en
BMW Museum and BMW Welt (BMW World)
The BMW Museum provides a fascinating account of transport technology, through the vintage cars, mementoes and historic film footage devoted to the iconic Bavarian motor company. It is located beside the landmark BMW Building and the Olympic Complex. Also here, the new BMW World center, with its intriguing space-age architecture, provides an extension of the museum, focussing exclusively on new cars.
Am Olympiapark 2
Tel: 01802 118 822.
Website: www.bmw-museum.com, www.bmw-welt.com
Schloss Nymphenburg (Nymphenburg Palace)
Located on the western edge of the city, the Nymphenburg Palace was built between the 17th and 19th centuries. Highlights within the main palace include the late-rococo Steinerner Saal (Hall of Stone) and the Gallery of Beauties - a collection of portraits of beautiful women commissioned by Ludwig I. The extensive grounds conceal four miniature palaces within their landscaped confines, one of which, the Amalienburg, is considered the most attractive rococo palace in Germany. The Nymphenburg complex also includes the Marstallmuseum, which houses royal coaches and riding equipment, as well as an historic collection of Nymphenburg porcelain, with exhibits from 1747 until the 1920s.
Menzinger Strasse
Tel: (089) 179 080.
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de
Further Distractions
Bavaria Film Studios
The tour of Germany's ‘Film City', where around 150 hours of cinema and TV films are produced every year, reveals the tricks of the film industry, including the making of films such us Das Boot (1981), Cabaret (1972), Die Unendliche Geschichte, better known as The Neverending Story (1984), and Perfume - The Story of a Murderer (2006), with Dustin Hoffman, as well as many German TV series. English tours are available at 1300 daily.
Bavariafilmplatz 7
Tel: (089) 6499 2000.
Website: www.filmstadt.de
Admission charge.
Olympiapark
Ever since the 1972 Olympic Games, the Olympiapark has been one of the city's landmarks, with its striking skyline and massive tower - the tallest reinforced-concrete construction in Europe. Today, the park is a major center for sport and recreation - a veritable green lung just north of the city center, built on the Olympiaberg (Olympic hill), which was constructed from wartime rubble. Alongside the massive sports arenas are picnic areas and playgrounds, an artificial lake, a mini train and the Olympiaturm, with its revolving restaurant which offers unforgettable views of Munich and the Alps on a clear day.
Tel: (089) 3067 2414.
Website: www.olympiapark-muenchen.de
Free admission (charge for tower).
