Introduction |  |
Munich embraces just about every German cliché in the book. Old Bavarians in Lederhosen and shaving-brush hats sing in rustic beerhalls, horsing a hulking great Mass of Hacker-Pschorr and wielding a Weisswurst topped and tailed with mustard. It’s an oompah image unchanged since the long reign of the Wittelsbachs through most of the last millennium. While they rule no more, they left behind a palatial royal seat in Gothic, baroque and rococo styles. But away from cliché and history, today’s Bavarian capital is dynamic, filled with modern museums, world-class art collections, high-end shopping and adventurous restaurants.
The heart of the city is still the historic centre around Marienplatz, surrounded by museums, churches and market stalls. Looming over it are the twin domes of Frauenkirche (Frauenplatz 1, 290 0820), the city’s symbol. You can climb the tower from April to October (closed Sun), but you’ll get a better view from the Alter Peter tower at nearby Rindermarkt 1 (260 4828). From the top, your eye is drawn to the imposing palace to the north, the Wittelsbach seat of the Residenz (Max- Joseph-Platz 3, 290671). Along with the Cuvilliés-Theater – a museum by day and concert venue by night – the palace houses dynastic treasures, as well as the State Museum for Egyptian Art (Hofgartenstrasse 1, 298546, www.aegyptisches-museum-muenchen.de, closed Mon).
To the north-east stretches the vast city park, Englischer Garten, home to modern art at the Haus der Kunst (Prinzregentenstrasse 1, 211 27113, www.hausderkunst.de) and Bavarian artefacts at the Bayerisches National Museum (Prinzregentenstrasse 3, 211 2401, www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de, closed Mon). To the west lies Schwabing, the university area and hub of the city’s nightlife and restaurant scene, while the gay quarter radiates out from Gärtnerplatz south of Marienplatz.
South of Schwabing, the city’s key artistic complex is the Pinakothek gallery (www.pinakothek.de), holding medieval masters in the Alte (Barer Strasse 27, 2380 5216, closed Mon), 19th- and early 20th-century art in the Neue (Barer Strasse 29, 2380 5195, closed Tue) and the striking new Pinakothek der Moderne (Barer Strasse 40, 2380 5360, closed Mon), for design, graphic art and architecture.
Attractions outside the city centre include the vast Deutsches Museum (Museuminsel 1, 21791, www.deutsches-museum.de) for science and technology; the Olympic Park and Tower (Spiridon Louis Ring 21, 3067 2414, closed Sat, Sun Nov-Mar); and the huge Theresienwiese meadow, just south of the main train station. • Tourist information: Bahnhofsplatz 2 (2339 6500, www.muenchen-tourist.de).
|
|
