Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sooner or later you'll find your way to the Kleinhesseloher See (
Click here
)
, a lovely
lake at the centre of the park. Work up a sweat while taking a spin around three little is-
lands, and then quaff a well-earned foamy one at the Seehaus beer garden (
Click here
)
.
When the sun is out, many Münchners love to get naked and work on their tan, even
during their lunch break when they stack their coats, ties and dresses neatly beside them.
It's all perfectly legal and socially acceptable, so leave your modesty at home.
Several historic follies lend the park a playful charm. The wholly unexpected
Chinesis-
cher Turm
(Chinese Tower), now at the heart of Munich's oldest beer garden (
Click here
), was built in the 18th century during a pan-European craze for all things oriental. Further
south, at the top of a gentle hill, stands the heavily photographed
Monopteros
Offline map
Google map
( 1838), a small Greek temple whose ledges are often knee-to-
knee with dangling legs belonging to people admiring the view of the Munich skyline.
Another hint of Asia awaits further south at the
Japanisches Teehaus
Offline map
Google map
(Japanese Teahouse; info 224 319; English Garden; 3pm, 4pm, 5pm
Sat & Sun Apr-Oct)
, built for the 1972 Olympics beside an idyllic duck pond. The best
time to come is for an authentic tea ceremony celebrated by a Japanese tea master.
Don't even think about spending the night in the park! Muggers, drug fiends and other
ne'er-do-wells often keep the
polizei
busy till dawn.
Siegestor
(Victory Gate; Universität)
Munich's massive Siegestor was modelled on Con-
stantine's arch in Rome and looks like a miniature version of the Arc de Triomphe in Par-
is. Built to honour the Bavarian army for sending Napoleon packing, it's crowned by a tri-
umphant Bavaria piloting a lion-drawn chariot. Severely damaged in WWII, the arch was
turned into a peace memorial. The inscription on the upper section reads:
Dem Sieg gewei-
ht, vom Kriege zerstört, zum Frieden mahnend
(Dedicated to victory, destroyed by war,
calling for peace).
HISTORIC BUILDING
Akademie der Bildenden Künste
(Academy of Fine Arts; 385 20;
www.adbk.de
; Akademiestrasse 2-4; Universität)
The Academy of Fine Arts is housed in a three-storey neo-Renaissance building. Founded
in 1808 by Maximilian I, it advanced to become one of Europe's leading arts schools in
the second half of the 19th century and still has a fine reputation today.
ART SCHOOL
