Around Town - Top 10 Munich - page 75

! Marienplatz, Neues

of Germany, and climbed to
the top of the tower with
the boy before returning
him safely to ground level.
d Burgstr. 4 • Map L4 • 10am-
6pm Mon-Fri (to 1pm Sat)

& Altes Rathaus
The Mariensäule (Column
of the Virgin), from 1590,
and the 19th-century fish
fountain on Marienplatz
are popular meeting spots.
Although the square is
dominated by the ornate
Neues Rathaus, or New
Town Hall (1867-1908),
the eastern side is bounded
by the Gothic simplicity of
the Altes Rathaus, or Old
Town Hall, built during the
15th century. The Glocken-
spiel, a chiming clock, is not
to be missed (see pp26-7) .
@ Frauenkirche

$ Alte Münze Northeast of the Alter

Hof lies the Münzhof (1567),
the former royal stables
of the Bavarian rulers.
This stunning Renaissance
courtyard with arcades
rising across three stories
held the stables and coach
houses, as well as the library and
treasure chamber of Albrecht V. In
the 19th century, the complex was
converted into the state mint, hence
the name Alte Münze, or Old Mint.
Coins were minted here as recently
as 1983. d Hofgraben 4 • Map
L4-M4 • Courtyard open year-round

Gilded statue of the
Virgin, Mariensäule

Weinstraße, a lane off Marien-
platz, leads to the Frauenkirche
(1468-88), a basilica designed by
Jörg von Halsbach. A lack of funds
forced him to abandon his idea
of Gothic towers. The “Swiss
bonnets” that top the towers
were added later and are perhaps
the forerunners of all the onion
domes in Bavaria. Highlights are
the emperor's tomb, Erasmus
Grasser's carving, and the stat-
ue of St Christopher (see p27) .
£ Alter Hof

Renaissance triple-tier arcades in the Münzhof

Built within the city walls
between 1253 and 1255, the for-
mer residence of the Wit-
telsbach dynasty lies
northeast of Marienplatz.
Preserved in its original
form, the west wing
features a gatehouse
embellished with the
family's coat of arms. A
bay window, known as the
Affenturm, or Monkey
Tower, is another original
element. According to
legend, a court monkey
abducted young Ludwig
IV, the future emperor

% Maximilianstraße Maximilian II built this monu-

mental boulevard between 1852
and 1855. The stretch between
Max-Joseph-Platz and Alstadtring
(see pp66-7) is one of the world's
most exclusive shopping streets.
In the arcades, luxury boutiques
such as Armani, Jill Sander, and
Chanel offer their exquisite wares;
the Hotel Vierjahreszeiten and
the Kammerspiele are also found
here, as is the new Maximilian-
höfe complex (see p67) . At its far
end, the boulevard is flanked with
ornate public buildings. d Map M4

Affenturm,
Alter Hof

Some 20,000 visitors pass through Marienplatz and the
adjacent pedestrian zone every hour.

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