Attractions in Munich
Deutsches Museum (German Museum)
Museumsinel l, (entrance on Ludwigsbrücke)
089 217 9433
Tram 18 or S-Bahn to Isartor
Daily 9-5
Founded at the turn of the 20th century, the Deutsches Museum has become the world's largest science and technology museum with over 10 miles of exhibits (17.000 items are on display). Hands-on activities and fascinating demonstrations of human accomplishment, from classical mechanics to telecommunications, from a full-size reconstructed coal mine to space travel technology.
Forum der Technik (Technology Forum)
Deutsches Museum
Museumsinsel 1 (entrance on Ludwigsbrücke),
089 2 11 250
Germany's first IMAX cinema, in which films are shown on a screen 52 feet high and 72 feet wide; a unique cinematic experience. The Forum also includes an ultra modern planetarium.
Englischer Garten (English Garden)
U Bahn to Odeonsplatz, Universität, Gielastrasse or Münchener Freiheit
Bus 44,54,154 or Tram 17
Daily dawn-dusk
Stretching along the banks of the Isar River, Englischer Garten is one of the largest city parks in Europe. It was completed in 1789, the same year as the French Revolution, and presented to the people by the reigning prince.
The park covers 900 acres and has shaded paths, brooks, ponds and even swans. Its open, formal style is reminiscent of the parkland surrounding the great English country estates, hence the name. This oasis in the midst of a large city is extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. Like everything else in Munich, the park is easily accessible by public transportation. At the end of a work day families congregate there with picnic baskets and sit down on benches at the long wooden tables for a picnic feast. Restaurants and cafés and of course a beer garden are also available. It takes several hours to walk through the entire park at a leisurely pace, stopping to see the Chinese pagoda, the monopteros (circular temple), and to take a ride in a rented boat on the Kleinhesseloher See. Strolling entertainers provide musical entertainment, and there is always a good band playing at the Seehaus, Chinesischer Turm, Hirschau, and Aumeister (the park's four beer gardens).
Hofbräuhaus
City Center
Am Platz 9
80331 München
089 22 16 76
9-midnight daily
Nightly Bavarian show in the Fest Hall requires an admission fee. Wilhelm V of Bavaria founded the Hofbräu (meaning royal or court brew) in 1589 to brew a dark ale that was more to his liking than the local beer. At that time, beer was a beverage reserved for the upper classes. They had made it their own after a series of bad grape harvests decimated the wine supply. Finally, in 1828 the brewery became an inn and the wonderful world of beer drinking became available to people of all social classes. The Hofbräu House is Munich's most popular beer hall and its three floors fill quickly in the evenings as some 4500 people gather to sit on the long benches, listen to the brass band, and drink beer served by waitresses in traditional costume. Beer is served by the Mass , an ancient measure equivalent to about one liter.
Note: Tables labeled with "Stammtisch" are reserved for regulars (this is true for all Bavarian restaurants). Visitors unaware of this designation who sit at one of the reserved tables will find that they are not served. For a few coins, patrons can utilize the Hofbräuhaus's coin operated breathalyzer machines to check their alcohol level before driving home.
Bürgerbräukeller
One of Munich's many beer gardens. Historically, both the Bürgerbräukeller and the Hofbräuhaus are interesting for a reason other than their bill of fare. The ballroom upstairs in the Hofbräuhaus was the site of the first meeting of the National Socialist Party (NAZI party) on February 20, 1920.
The Bürgerbräukeller organized a discussion in 1923 entitled Can a Catholic be a National Socialist (NAZI party member or sympathizer)? The discussion was led by a Jesuit priest named Father Rupert Mayer. Father Mayer's presentation stunned the audience, and he was booed and jeered for his views. >From that time on Father Mayer was a marked man, but he continued to speak out. When the Third Reich began in 1933, Father Mayer openly condemned the Nazi leaders in his weekly sermons at St. Michael's church and in other gatherings. In the late 1930's he was arrested by the Nazi's and imprisoned. There was reluctance to kill him as it was feared he would be martyred and gain even more followers in death than he had in life. He was imprisoned in concentration camps and released a number of times. Finally he was placed in a monastery south of Munich and isolated there until he was freed in 1945 at the end of the war. Father Mayer died of a stroke soon after. He was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1987.
Burgersaalkirche
Neuhausterstrasse 48
U-Bahn 4 and 5 and S-Bahn to Karlsplatz Stachus Trams 18,19,20,25,27.
This church was built in the baroque and rococo style in 1710 as an assembly hall for the Marian confraternity, an order dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In its crypt is the body of Father Rupert Mayer who died after his release from Sachenhausen concentration camp in 1945. Upstairs in the church, the Virgin is represented sheltering the faithful under her cloak. Under the organ console is an angel in flowing robes pointing to the heavens and tenderly leading a child by the hand. Other paintings depict the major pilgrimage sites of Bavaria. Over the high altar is a 1710 relief of the Annunciation by Andreas Faistenberger.
Museum Mensch und Natur (Museum of Mankind and Nature)
Schloss Nymphenburg, Nordflügel
089 17 64 94
Tram 17 or Bus 41
9-5 Tues.-Sun.
Small admission charged. Children under 6 are free.
One of Munich's newest museums, this is a must for inquisitive minds. Interactive exhibitions intrigue and delight as they teach about the wonders of natural science. Covering such diversified topics as the workings of the mind to the earth's creation, permanent and special exhibits are friendly, fun and challenging for all ages. (Displays are in German).
Altes Residenztheater (Old Residence Theater)
(Cuvilliés-Theater)
Entrance Residenzstrasse 1
Tel. 089 2 90 671
2-5 Mon.-Sat. 10-5 Sunday
Enchanting rococo theater named after its architect, Francois Cuvilliés, it has a striking, lavish interior. The building was destroyed by bombings in 1944, but the interior furnishings had been removed and were preserved from harm. The building was completely restored. Visitors are welcome at the hours listed above except during state opera and theater company rehearsals.
Residenz-Museum
Eingang Max-Joseph-Platz 3
089 2 90 671
10-4:30 Tuesday - Saturday
Admission for adults; children free
Built in 1385, the main city palace residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty is breathtaking in its size and diversity. Within the palace, the museum occupies over 100 rooms. It is broken into two sections which take about two hours each to fully explore. A guided tour book in English is available for a low price at the museum information desk. The entrance is an enclosed grotto court which features the Perseus Fountain. Next door is the Antiquarium, a long hallway resembling a tunnel that was built to house the huge Wittelsbach antique collection. The Elector's Room features some remarkable Italian portraits and has a long passageway containing two dozen views of Italy painted by one of Munich's leading artists of the Romantic period, Carl Rottmann. The Ancestral Gallery holds 121 portraits of the rulers of Bavaria. There is also a Porcelain Chamber and an Asian collection, among others.
Schatzkammer der Residenz (Residence Treasure Chamber)
Entrance Max-Joseph-Platz 3
089 2 90 67-1
This museum is part of the Residenz Museum complex with a separate entrance and separate admission fee. It houses an enormous exhibit of jewels and handcrafts from around the world. Included is a display of the Bavarian crown jewels which were made in the early 19th century for Max II Joseph soon after the duchy was made a kingdom by Napoleon. The English language guide, Treasury in the Munich Residence is available at the information desk.
Staatliche Sammlung ägyptischer Kunst (State Collection of Egyptian Art)
Residenz, entrance Hofgartenstrasse
Tel.089 29 8546
Tues. 9-4 and 7-9 Wed-Fri. 9-4
U-Bahn to Odeonsplatz S-Bahn to Marienplatz
Also located in the Residenz, the museum evolved from collections made by Duke Albrecht V and King Ludwig I and contains pieces from every period of Egyptian history from the pre dynastic period (4500-3500 BC) to the Coptic period (4th-9th centuries). On exhibit are sculptures, reliefs, jewelry, tools, weapons, and sarcophagi.
Glyptothek
Königsplatz 3
Tel. 089 28 61 00
10-5 Tuesday-Sunday
Collection of Greek and Roman sculpture as well as portraits of Greek philosophers, leaders and Roman kings. One of the most unusual exhibits is the stunning remains of the Greek Temple of Aegina which was excavated by German and English explorers in the early 19th century. The inner courtyard of the museum has a pleasant café and an open area where classical theater is staged under the stars in the summer.
Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum)
Prinzregentenstrasse 3
089 2 16 81
U4 or U5 U-Bahn to Lebel or Tram 17 or Bus 53
9:30-5 Tues.-Sunday
Admission charged
Contains the city's largest collection of Bavarian and other German art as well as art from around the world. The ground floor is devoted to Gothic, Renaissance, rococo, baroque and neo classical works; the first floor to the applied arts including clocks, stained glass, ceramics and jewelry. Sculpture, carvings, and paintings up to the 14th century are displayed in the Fine Arts collection.
The Neue Sammlung (New Collection), housed in a side wing, presents rotating exhibits from its huge collection of industrial and applied art. The northern section, Prähistoriche Staatssammlung (Prehistoric Collection) at Lerchenfieldstrassen 2, holds artifacts from the city's first residents (Romans and Celts). It is open from 9-4 Tues.-Sun. and until 8pm on Thursdays.
Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde (State Museum for Folkloric Art)
Maximilianstrasse. 42
089 2 10 1360
Tues.-Sun. 9:30- 4:30
Tram 17 or 19
Admission charged
The museum is housed in an imposing building that was completed in 1865. It has an extensive collection of art and artifacts from all over the world and is one of the principal museums of its kind in Europe. It has an extensive Peruvian collection and also has exhibitions from other parts of South America, East Asia, west and central Africa.
Münchner Stadtmuseum (Munich Municipal Museum)
Sankt-Jakobsplatz 1
Tel. 089 2332 2370
Tues. and Thurs.-Sun. 10-5 Wed. 10-8:30
U-Bahn or S-Bahn to Marienplatz
Admission charged
This museum is to the city what the National museum is to the whole state. It offers insight into the city's history and the daily lives of the people. Special exhibitions about the popular arts and traditions are regularly presented. There is even a scale model in wood of the city of Munich in 1572. An extensive furniture collection is rotated annually to show the furnishings typical of different periods in the city's history.
The most important exhibit is the Moorish dancers on the ground floor. There are 10 figures (each two feet high) carved in wood and painted by artist Erasmus Grasser in 1480 which are among the best examples of secular Gothic art in medieval Germany. There is also a large collection of armor and weapons displayed. A photo collection traces the early history of the camera back to 1839. Every day at 6 and 9pm the film museum shows two films from its archives. On the second floor is a collection of musical instruments from around the world that has been acclaimed as one of the greatest of its kind anywhere.
Valentin Musäum
Im Isartor
Take any S-Bahn to Isartor
089 22 32 66
11:01-5:29 Mon.Tues.,Fri.,Sat. and 10:01-5:29 Sun. Closed Wed.,Thurs.
The hours of operation set the tone of hilarity associated with this museum's theme of good hearted humor. It is dedicated to one of Bavaria's best loved comic actors and celebrates the life and work of Karl Valentin and his partner, Liesl Karlstadt. It is located at Isartor, the southernmost gate of the medieval fortifications. it is adorned with a fresco of Ludwig the Bavarian's triumphant reentry into the city in 1322. The museum is filled with props and other items from Valentin's films and stage career. The humor is apparent if you speak and understand German. There is a café with folk music at the top of the tower. Additional music is provided by a tuba player and an accordionist.
BMW Museum
Petuelring 130 (opposite Olympia Park)
089 3822 33 07
take U3 from Marienplatz to Olympiazentrum
Behind the museum is the BMW (Bavarian Motoren Werke) headquarters building. The exhibition Zeitmotor (Time Machine) surveys motorized transport past and present, and even includes a look ahead to the year 2030. 100 exhibits, video films, slide shows and a 70mm film form the core of the exhibition. Many BMW cars, motorcycles, planes, concept cars, as well as simulators and interactive displays are included.