Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP FIVE VIEWS OF MUNICH
Here are our top five places from which to get a bird's eye view of the Bavarian capital:
» Bavaria (
Click here
)
- see the Oktoberfest through the statue's eyes
» Frauenkirche (
Click here
)
- put the Alps and Altstadt at your feet
» Monopteros (
Click here
)
- survey the charms of the English Garden
» Olympiaturm (
Click here
) - ogle panoramic views of up to 100km
» St Peterskirche (
Click here
)
- survey all of Munich's major landmarks
Alter Hof
(Burgstrasse 8; Marienplatz, Marienplatz)
The starter home of the Wittelsbach
family with origins in the 12th century, the Bavarian rulers moved out of this super central
palace as long ago as the 15th century. Visitors can only see the central courtyard where
the bay window on the southern facade was nicknamed Monkey Tower in honour of a
valiant ape that saved an infant Ludwig the Bavarian from the clutches of a ferocious mar-
ket pig. Local lore at its most bizarre.
PALACE
Münzhof
(Hofgraben 4; Marienplatz, Marienplatz)
The former Münzhof (mint) has a pretty
courtyard, remarkable for its three-storey Renaissance arcades dating from 1567. An in-
scription on the western side of the building reads
Moneta Regis
(Money Rules), particu-
larly apt words for this well-heeled part of Europe. The building now houses the agency
charged with protecting Bavaria's many historical monuments.
FORMER MINT
RESIDENZ
Chamber adult/child €6/free)
is a suitably grand palace that reflects the splendour and
power of the Wittelsbach clan, the Bavarian rulers who lived here from 1385 to 1918. The
edifice dwarfs Max-Joseph-Platz along with the grandiose Nationaltheater, home to the
Bavarian State Opera. Its museums are among the jewels in Munich's cultural crown and
an unmissable part of the Bavarian experience.
