Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Schleissheim
When you've exhausted all possibilities in central Munich, the northern suburb of Schleis-
sheim is well worth the short S-Bahn trip for its three regal palaces and a high-flying avi-
ation museum, a great way to entertain the kids on a rainy afternoon.
The crown jewel of the palatial trio is the
Neues Schloss Schleissheim
(New Palace;
315 8720;
www.schloesser-schleissheim.de
; Max-Emanuel-Platz 1; adult/concession
€4.50/3.50, combination ticket for all three palaces €8/6; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep,
10am-4pm Oct-Mar, closed Mon year-round)
. This pompous pile was dreamed up by
Prince-Elector Max Emanuel in 1701 in anticipation of his promotion to emperor. It never
came. Instead he was forced into exile for over a decade and didn't get back to building
until 1715. Cash flow problems required the scaling back of the original plans, but given
the palace's huge dimensions (the façade is 330m long) and opulent interior, it's hard to
imagine where exactly the cuts fell. Some of the finest artists of the baroque era were
called in to create such eye-pleasing sights as the ceremonial staircase, the Victory Hall
and the Grand Gallery. There are outstanding pieces of period furniture, including the
elector's four-poster bed, intricately inlaid tables, and a particularly impressive ceiling
fresco by Cosmas Damian Asam.
The palace is home to the
Staatsgalerie
(State Gallery), a selection of European
baroque art drawn from the Bavarian State Collection, including works by such masters as
Peter Paul Rubens, Antonis van Dyck and Carlo Saraceni. The most impressive room here
is the Grand Galerie.
While construction was ongoing, the elector resided in the fanciful hunting palace of
Schloss Lustheim
( 315 8720; adult/ concession €3.50/2.50; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep,
10am-4pm Oct-Mar, closed Mon year-round)
, on a little island in the eastern
Schlosspark, providing an elegant setting for porcelain masterpieces from Meissen.
Nearby, the
Altes Schloss Schleissheim
( 315 8720; Maximilianshof 1; adult/con-
cession €2.50/1.50; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar, closed Mon year-round)
is a mere shadow of its Renaissance self. It houses paintings and sculpture depicting reli-
gious culture and festivals all over the world, including an impressive collection of more
than 100 nativity scenes.
Only a short walk away, the
Flugwerft Schleissheim
( 315 7140;
www.deutsches-
museum.de/flugwerft
;
Effnerstrasse 18; adult/child €6/3; 9am-5pm)
, the aviation
branch of the Deutsches Museum, makes for a nice change of pace and aesthetics. Spirits
will soar at the sight of the lethal Soviet MiG-21 fighter jet, the Vietnam-era F-4E
Phantom and a replica of Otto Lilienthals 1894 glider, with a revolutionary wing shaped
like Batman's cape. Another highlight is the open workshop where you can observe the
