Ornate 19th-century neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus is Munich’s centerpiece. There’s a lot to take in: gargoyles and statues adorn the exterior and there’s no shortage of embellishments and architectural details. The glockenspiel springs into action every day at 11 a.m., noon and 5 p.m., displaying the Ritterturnier, a knights’ tournament to celebrate the royal marriage of […]
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BMW Museum, Munich
Further out of the city center is the headquarters of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, along with the BMW Museum, which exhibits motorcycles and cars. In 1917, BMW began producing airplane engines, expanded to motorbikes in 1923 and cars in 1928. The aluminum-clad main office building was designed after a four-cylinder engine. It was completed right […]
Asamkirche, or St-Johann-Nepomuk, Munich
This over-the-top 18th-century church was designed by the Asam brothers, who Rococo’d many of Bavaria’s churches. The Baroque façade pops out of an otherwise ordinary street. The interior is small, just 22 x 8 meters, but not an inch was spared. It is divided into three sections – the dark, lower portion is for visitors […]
Theatinerkirche, or St Catjan, Munich
This 17th-century Baroque church is a burst of color, with golden towers and a green copper dome. It is modeled after Rome’s Sant’ Andrea della Valle. The façade was completed in Rococo style by François de Cuvilliers, who was credited for bringing Rococo to Germany. The interior is white stucco. The church and monastery were […]
Frauenkirche or Dom, Munich
The Frauenkirche’s15th-century copper onion-domed towers loom over Munich’s skyline. When the church was built, the 99-meter towers were the tallest in the city; today, no new building is allowed to obstruct the view. The towers were meant to be topped with spires, but lack of funds resulted in Plan B: the domes, which were inspired […]
Munich
A German friend once told me that Bavaria is the Texas of Germany, which I don’t think is meant to be a compliment. True, the region is religiously and socially conservative and its residents speak with a unique accent, but as a tourist I’m always pleased to find Germany’s most enjoyable clichés here: Lederhosen, cavernous […]
