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Munich, Germany |
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The First Day |
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I arrived in Munich on a Monday morning after a long flight. Having slept a large majority of the trip, I decided I wasn't all that tired and so our travels and exploration of the city began.
We walked, making our way to the Marienplatz, the heart and soul of the city of Munich. Though it's not the true geographical center, it's a place filled with both tourists and city residents. During the Middle Ages the Marienplatz offered entertainment such as jousts, tournaments and public executions. It is now home to festivals, political rallies and parade starts. Looking around here today there were people shopping, sitting at cafe tables enjoying a drink, or out being a tourist like me. |
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City Hall, or Rathaus as it is known in German is located at the Marienplatz. The architecture of the building is gorgeous and with the long history of Germany, I knew that this was only the beginning of what was to see. A closeup of the tower shows the detail. The tower chimes ring at certain hours of the day and the figures turn around and around. |
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We continued our walk to the center courtyard of City Hall through large iron gates. Away from the noise in the Marienplatz the sudden quiet was a little unusual. Looking up, there was another large tower that felt proper and in place to our surroundings. |
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Walking away from Marienplatz, we made our way to Feldherren Halle. This open air loggia was constructed as a tribute to the Bavarian army. It later became a Nazi rallying point.
To the left of this building and across the street stands the Residenz (Royal Palace). This was once home to the official rulers of Bavaria from 1385 to 1918. Almost completely destroyed during World War II, it was totally restored and now houses the Residenz Museum, a concert hall, a theatre and the Residenz Treasure House. |
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On both sides of the entrance to the Residenz are these peculiar bronze lions. It's said that if you rub their noses they will bring you luck! Not one to mess with the fates, I took the time out and did indeed rub their noses. As you can see from the picture, all that rubbing has kept the lions rather shiny and pretty over the years. |
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Continuing our walk, we made our way to the Hofgarten (Court Garden). This used to be open only to members of the royal court but was later opened to the public in 1780. This park lies between the Residenz museum and Bayrische Staatskanzlei, continued on the next page. |
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Return to The Travel Journals
Continue to Page 2 |
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Updated March 14, 2002 |
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