My Visual Travel Experience: Munich

I've spent a total of a week in the German city of Munich, spread across four visits in 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2011, the most recent one being with my then fiance and now wife, Kamalini. I've really enjoyed exploring the city. My wife has far less fond memories, because when we got to Munich, she fell ill. It turned out to be a case of exhaustion, from extensive travels across Europe over a 2 week period. I arranged for food for her, made sure she was comfortable in her hotel bed, and went off for a couple of hours to explore the city. She wasn't at all pleased, because as she always reminds me, I deserted her and left when she was unwell. I didn't mean to, but having made sure she was comfortable in her hotel room, I couldn't resist stepping out to walk around the city centre. In all fairness, I was terribly upset about our day not going as per plan, plus I was never more than a 10 minute walk away from the hotel where she was resting!

The Neues Rathaus, with the spires of
the Frauenkirche in the background

Munich is the capital of the German state of Bavaria, has a population of over 1.4 million, and is the country’s third largest city, after Berlin and Hamburg. The city's history dates back to the the year 1158 AD, when it housed a monastery by monks of the Benedictine Order. In 1180, Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria, and Munich was his capital. The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled until 1918. Catholic Munich resisted the Reformation, and was briefly occupied by the Protestant Swedes. Bavaria became a sovereign kingdom in 1806 and Munich continued as its capital. The House of Wittelsbach abdicated in 1918 during the German Revolution. Munich was a major centre for the Nazis and the city was extensively damaged in World War II. The city was painstakingly restored to its former glory in the post war years. It went on to host the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. In the 1980’s, it went on to become a major business hub, and companies like BMW and Siemens have their bases here.

Frauenkirche serves as the main cathedral of Munich. The church’s twin onion shaped bell  towers stand at a height of 99 meters. There was an earlier church at the spot, but the current structure was completed in 1488 and the towers were added in 1524. The massive church has a capacity to accommodate 20,000 people, though back in those days, the city only had 13,000 residents.

The towers of Frauenkirche

Tomb of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, at Frauenkirche

Peter Candid's The Assumption of the Virgin,
at Frauenkirche

Bronze Panel of Pope John Paul II,
at Frauenkirche

Bronze Panel of Pope Benedict XVI,
at Frauenkirche

An earlier church stood at the site of Peterskirche but was destroyed in a big fire in 1327. The church was rebuilt in 1368 and its tower, the 91 meter Alter Peter, was built in the 17th century. The church is the oldest church in the city.

Peterskirche, with the Alter Dom

The Nave, Peterskirche

Ceiling Fresco of the Martyrdom of St Peter,
Peterskirche

Ceiling Fresco of the Holy Trinity,
Peterskirche

The Organ, Peterskirche

Heiliggeistkirche was originally built in the 14th century but was subsequently remodeled in 1730. It was originally a gothic church but now has a neo baroque interior. The church was damaged in World War II and was then extensively renovated.

Heiliggeistkirche

Ceiling Frescoes, Heiliggeistkirche

High Altar, Heiliggeistkirche

Burgersaal is a church built in 1710. It has an Upper Church and a Lower Church. The Upper Church has a rich baroque interior with intricate ceiling frescoes. The Lower Church has a series of sculptures from the life of Christ.

Interior of the Upper Church, Burgersaal

Virgin and Child Panel at the
Lower Church, Burgersaal

Crucifixion Panel at the
Lower Church, Burgersaal

The Nailing to the Cross Panel at the
Lower Church, Burgersaal

Entombment Panel at the
Lower Church, Burgersaal

Theatinerkirche was built in 1690. The church was built by Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife Henriette, to commemorate the birth of the heir to the Bavarian Crown, Prince Max Emanuel, in 1662. The church was built in Italian baroque style.  It has two 66 meter high bell towers and a 71 meter high dome. It has a distinctive yellow colour on its exterior.

Theatinerkirche

High Altar, Theatinerkirche

Interior of Dome, Theatinerkirche

Marienplatz is a pedestrian only square in the heart of Munich, and has been the city’s main square since 1159. In 1638, the Mariensaule, a column dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built in the centre of the square. The Neues Rathaus (the new town hall) and the Altes Rathaus (the old town hall) both lie on Marienplatz. Other Munich landmarks like Frauenkirche, Peterskirche and Heiliggeistkirche lie close by.

Marienplatz with the Mariensaule

The Neues Rathaus on Marienplatz is where the city council office and the office of the mayor lie. In 1874, the offices shifted from the Altes Rathaus due to paucity of space. The Neues Rathaus has 400 rooms. The clock tower stands at a height of 85 meters. At regular intervals, the mechanical figures of the clock tower move, displaying a knights tournament at the wedding of Bavarian Duke William V in 1568. The celler of the building houses a restaurant, the Ratskeller.  

Neues Rathaus

Dragon Sculpture, Neues Rathaus

Mechanical Figures, Neues Rathaus

The castle shaped Altes Rathaus on Marienplatz was where the town hall was located until 1874. Its spire is one of Munich’s landmarks.

Altes Rathaus

Neuhauserstrasse is the main pedestrian street in the heart of Munich and dates back to the 13th century. It goes from Karlsplatz, past the church of Burgersaal, then the city’s main square, Marienplatz, and beyond, for a total length of 350 meters. A section of the street is known as Kaufingerstrasse. The street is full of shops and restaurants.  Karlsplatz  is a large square named after Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria. The square has the Karlstor, a gothic gateway to the now demolished medieval fortifications. Other gateways of the city include the Isartor and the Propylaen.

Hirmer Building on Neuhauserstrasse

Kaufingertor on Kaufingerstrasse

Isartor

The Justizpalast, or Palace of Justice, was built in 1897 in neo baroque style with a large dome. The building houses the Bavarian Department of Justice and the District Court of Munich.

Justizpalast

Hofgarten is a Renaissance garden built in 1617 by Maximilan I, Elector of Bavaria. In the centre of the garden, there is a pavilion dedicated to the Goddess Diana. The Residenz lies at one end of Hofgarten. The Residenz is Germany's largest city palace, and was the residence of the city's Wittelsbach rulers. 

Pavilion, Hofgarten

Munich also has some fine museums. Alte Pinakothek is one of the world's leading art museums featuring paintings from the classical era, with some of the world's best known old masters like Albrecht Durer, Lucas Cranach, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt van Rijn, Francois Boucher, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Tintoretto. The nearby Neue Pinakotek has more recent art from the 19th century. It features some of the biggest artists from the period, including the likes of Francisco de Goya, and impressionist masters like Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh. There are also sculptures by Auguste Rodin and Pablo Picasso. The Pinakothek der Moderne houses paintings from the 20th century. The Deutsches Museum is a large museum of science and technology. Glyptothek is a museum that houses Roman and Greek sculptures, and the neoclassical building was completed in 1830.

Peter Paul Rubens' Portrait of
his Second Wife, Alte Pinakotek

Boucher's The Marquis of Pompadou,
Alte Pinakotek

Tintoretto's Venus and Mars with Vulcan,
Alte Pinakotek

The Oktoberfest is an annual event in the month of October, when hoards of tourists flock to the city for its beer and Bratwurst, the famous German sausages. The Hofbrauhaus is the best known of Munich's beer halls, and it has the capacity to accommodate 10,000 people at a time! The Augustinerbrau on Neuheuserstrasse is another well known beer hall and restaurant.

Munich also has other attractions like the Schloss Nymphenburg, a beautiful baroque palace that was the summer residence of the city's Wittelsbach rulers. The city also has the 291 meter tall Olympia Turm situated in Olympiapark. Olympia Turm is an observation and broadcasting tower and was built in 1968 in time for the 1972 Olympics. It's possible to go up the tower, for lovely panoramic views, and a revolving restaurant. Nearby, there's the BMW Museum, which is very appropriate given that the auto major is headquartered there.

The city's public transport is very efficient, and a wide section of the city is connected by the U Bahn, the local metro. Getting around is simple. The central area around the Hauptbahnhof, the main station, is full of hotels, many of them fairly reasonably priced. There are also numerous restaurants, bars and strip clubs in the area. 

The fairy-tale castle of Neuschwannstein is barely a couple of hours away by train, close to the town of Fussen. I have been jinxed with that castle. The first time I tried visiting, I traveled all the way only to find that I was half an hour too late and they had closed visits for the day. I got a glimpse just from outside. The second time I made an attempt was during that fateful trip when my wife fell ill. We had prepaid tickets for a coach trip, but we had to let those go and lose a considerable amount of money. I do hope to get rid of the jinx and visit some day in the near future!

For me, Munich is one of the most interesting cities in not just Germany, but in all of Europe. The clinchers are the city's magnificent churches, its charming pedestrian city centre full of shops and eateries, its splendid museums, its grand palaces, and of course its beer and Bratwurst!