Munich
is undeniably a city of revelers. Yet there's much more to
Munich than Oktoberfest and the city's reputation as the beer-brewing
capital of the world. Munich is also Germany's high-tech hub
(Silicon Bavaria), one of its film and publishing centers,
the historical residence of Bavarian royalty, the headquarters
of automakers BMW and Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace, and the
city in which most German professionals routinely say they
would like to live.
Munich throbs with haute-couture shopping, grand churches,
opulent palaces, vigorous music and art scenes, and an abundance
of gourmet restaurants, beer gardens and popular nightspots.
Whether you go to Munich for business or pleasure, you're
bound to be exposed to a pleasant mix of the two.
|
Oktoberfest
The Mayor of Munich opens this Oktoberfest celebration at
midday with the customary tapping of the barrel at the foot
of the statue of Bavaria on Theresienwiese. For the next
16 days, visitors from all over the world join in the celebrations,
try fairground rides and enjoy the beer and food in the
enormous marquees. Oktoberfest attracts some six million
visitors a year, most of whom enjoy the boisterous party
atmosphere, accompanied by several mass (one-litre glasses)
of beer.
Marienplatz
Marienplatz has been at the thick of things ever since the
city was founded by Henry the Lion in 1158. It was once
a salt and grain market, but is now a magnet for tourists
who flock here to marvel at the gothic facade of the town
hall. The bells in the town hall tower peal at 11am (as
well as midday and 5pm in the summer) accompanied by a glockenspiel
depicting a medieval dance and the wedding of Duke William
V and Renata von Lothringen. The Mariensäule stands
in the middle of the square.
Englischer Garten
One of the oldest English-style landscape gardens and one
of the largest municipal parks in Europe, the Englischer
Garten (English Garden) is Munich's crowning glory. Although
perhaps best known for its nudists, the park is popular
with all types of people all year round. Other features
include a Chinese pagoda with adjoining beer garden, the
Monopteros Greek temple, a river and a boating lake. Visitors
can also attend a traditional tea ceremony in the Japanese
tea house.
Residenz
In 1385 the ruling Wittelsbach family decided to erect a
new palace as the Alter Hof had become too small for their
needs. The main building was the first part of the royal
residence to be erected. The palace grounds include numerous
grottoes, courtyards, fountains, a medicine room, antiquarium,
chapel and the delightful Wittelsbach fountain built by
Duke Otto in 1611-23. The Residenz houses the Crown Jewels,
the State Collection of Egyptian Art, the late-baroque Residenz
Theatre and the classicist Herkulessaal, a concert hall
with amazing acoustics.
St. Michael
One of the most significant Renaissance churches north of
the Alps, St. Michael's was originally built for the Jesuits.
The inside is lavishly decorated and home to the second
largest free-standing vaults in the world. There is an interesting
answer as to why the church does not have a tower: when
the first tower was destroyed while being built, Duke William
V took it as a bad omen and built a much larger church,
but without a tower. In the so-called 'royal vault', visitors
will come across the resting place of 40 members of the
Wittelsbacher royal family.
Starnberger See
The second largest lake in Upper Bavaria became famous when
'Fairytale King' Ludwig II lost his life on its banks amid
mysterious circumstances in 1886. The spot is now marked
with a cross and still attracts hoards of tourists. The
village of Berg is also of interest as it is where the Kings
of Bavaria used to have their summer retreat. Organised
boat trips offer great views of the mountains and the villas
along the waterfront (Staatliche Seenschiffahrt Starnberger
See; tel. +49 8151 12023). An array of restaurants and taverns
provide visitors with all they need in terms of refreshments.
Fischmeister
Idyllically located on the banks of Lake Starnbergersee,
Munich's favourite bathing spot and home to some of the
wealthiest people in the country, Fischmeister is more oriented
to the alternative art scene than the rich and famous. The
emphasis is on exquisite but traditional Bavarian and international
cuisine and local beer (Unertl or Schloss Kaltenberg) which
guests can savour while taking in the magnificent views
of the lake. If the weather is good, customers can sit out
in the beer garden and enjoy some of the nicest scenery
that Munich has to offer.
Alte Pinakothek
Opened in 1826 by Ludwig I, the Alte Pinakothek (Old Picture
Gallery) represents the pinnacle of the Emperor's achievements
as a collector. In fact, Ludwig merely continued the work
of his ancestors - some of the pieces exhibited here were
first acquired by Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria in the 16th
century. Entering the recently-renovated museum for the
first time, visitors are confronted with a truly 'regal'
collection: over 800 awesome paintings documenting the history
of European art from the 14th-18th century. The collection
of old German masters and the gorgeous Rubens gallery are
particularly outstanding.
Neue Pinakothek
With more than 4,000 paintings on display, the Neue Pinakothek
(New Picture Gallery) is regarded as one of Europe's most
important museums of 19th century art. Erected in 1853,
the original building was destroyed during the Second World
War. The new building, designed by Alexander von Branca
and opened in 1981, is the perfect backdrop for works by
French realists and impressionists (Manet, Monet, Degas)
and English and German landscape artists. Temporary exhibitions
are also organised on a regular basis. The museum shop is
particularly good.
Botanischer Garten
Located in the grounds of Nymphenburg Castle, Munich's Botanical
Gardens were designed in 1909-14 and boast over 15,000 varieties
of plants. The grounds lend themselves perfectly to a relaxing
stroll. The lake, with its ducks and frogs, is well worth
a look, as too are the "Alpinum", with its Alpine
flowers, and the magnificent greenhouses. Tours led by experts
can be arranged (see homepage for details).
|
