Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A quadriga of giant bronze lion plaques guards the entrance to the palace on Residenz-
strasse, supported by pedestals festooned with a half-human, half-animal face. Note the
creature's remarkably shiny noses. If you wait a moment, you'll see the reason for the
sheen: scores of people walk by and casually rub one or all four noses. It's supposed to
bring you wealth and good luck.
Tram 19 halts outside the Residenz, though the stop is called Nationaltheater.
Residenzmuseum
Offline map Google map
( 290 671; www.residenz-muenchen.de ; adult/child €7/free, combination ticket for the
museum, Schatzkammer and Cuvilliés-Theater €13/free; 9am-6pm Apr-mid-Oct,
10am-5pm mid-Oct-Mar) Home to Bavaria's Wittelsbach rulers from 1508 until WWI,
the Residenz is Munich's number one attraction. The amazing treasures, as well as all the
trappings of their lifestyles over the centuries, are on display at the Residenzmuseum,
which takes up around half of the palace. Allow at least two hours to see everything at a
gallop.
Tours are in the company of a rather long-winded audioguide (free), and gone are the
days when the building was divided into morning and afternoon sections, all of which
means a lot of ground to cover in one go. It's worth fast forwarding a bit to where the pre-
scribed route splits into short and long tours, taking the long route for the most spectacular
interiors. Approximately 90 rooms are open to the public at any one time, but as renova-
tion work is ongoing, closures are inevitable and you may not see all the highlights.
When wandering the Residenz, don't forget that only 50 sq meters of the building's
roof remained intact at the end of WWII. Most of what you see today is a meticulous post-
war reconstruction.
The tours kick off at the Grottenhof (Grotto Court), home of the wonderful
Perseusbrunnen (Perseus Fountain), with its namesake holding the dripping head of Me-
dusa. Next door is the famous Antiquarium , a barrel-vaulted hall smothered in frescos
and built to house the Wittelsbach's enormous antique collection. It's widely regarded as
the finest Renaissance interior north of the Alps.
Further along the tour route, the neo-Byzantine Hofkirche was built for Ludwig I in
1826. After WWII only the red-brick walls were left; it reopened as an atmospheric con-
cert venue in 2003.
Upstairs are the Kurfürstenzimmer (Electors Rooms), with some stunning Italian por-
traits and a passage lined with two dozen views of Italy, painted by local romantic artist
Carl Rottmann. Also up here are François Cuvilliés' Reiche Zimmer (Rich Rooms), a
MUSEUM
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