Monaco of Bavaria
10 things to do and see in Munich and 1 not to doIt would take weeks to find out all treasures of Munich and unless you can afford it, which we naturally wish you, all this time is not there. Instead, a few days are enough to immediately realize the very high quality of life - one of the highest in the world - which you can breathe in third largest city in Germany by number of inhabitants (preceded by Hamburg and Berlin). A mix of tradition e modernity beautifully held together by the proverbial efficiency German. But be careful not to take stereotypes too literally: the Bavarians, in fact, in addition to being neat and precise, are also jovial and very well disposed with visitors. In short, Monaco is truly one enviable city. If you want to see the list of recommended hotels click here. To visit at least once in a lifetime, perhaps following some useful advice? Happy reading.
1 Marienplatz
The main square of Monaco and, for centuries, an important commercial hub. Marienplatz, in fact, has always had a strong market vocation that today relives during the Christmas period with Cristkindlmarkt (the Market of the Child Jesus) famous for the wooden stands that occupy the entire square. The Marian invocation dates back to the early nineteenth century, when the citizens of Munich asked the Madonna for help to eradicate a terrible epidemic of cholera. All around the square there are some of the main historical buildings of the city. Two above all: theAltes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and the Neue Rathaus (New Town Hall) famous, among other things, for the Glockenspiel music box (see next paragraph). Also worth seeing subway station of Marienplatz. Built in the 70s of the last century, it is a real jewel from both a logistical and a commercial point of view. L'Munich Tourist Board offers different ways to approach these places: from the classic walking tour, to themed guided tours. to know more click here
2 Carillon by Glockenspiel
Many unsuspecting tourists have happened to reach Marienplatz and find one crowd of visitors upside down looking towards the Town Hall clock tower (Neues Rathaus). The reason is that the tower is located in the Glockenspiel music box, one of the most famous, if not the most famous in the world. 43 bells e 32 statues that ring and move twice a day in winter (Nov-Feb. 11.00 and 12.00) and three in summer (mar-oct. 11.00; 12.00 and 17.00). There are also two stories represented, both dating back to the XNUMXth century: the first (upper floor) is the wedding di William V with Renata of Lorraine; the second, however, is the "Dance of the Coopers" (Schefflertanz), a ritual dance that greets the defeat of the terrible plague epidemic which hit Munich in 1517. It is not finished, because the tower that houses the complex can in turn be visited. The orari di apertura in this case they are: Nov-Apr. from Mon to Fri 10:00 - 17:00; May-Oct. every day 10:00 - 19:00 (excluding holidays); and always from 10:00 - 19:00 every day during the Christmas market.
3 Hofbräuhaus
More than a brewery, Hofbräuhaus it's a lives the lifestyle Bavarian. Beer, in fact, for the inhabitants of Munich is not a simple alcoholic drink. On the contrary, it has always been an opportunity for to make and feel like a community. Not surprisingly, the factory was built by William V to avoid having to buy beer for the army elsewhere. A identity trait very strong, therefore, which has spanned the centuries also thanks to the environment of the place: wooden tables, popular music and waiters strictly in traditional clothes. The latter are a spectacle in the show for the skill with which they move inside the room despite the crowd and the huge mugs carried. The brewery is open every day from the 9.00 23.30. For more information visit: www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en
4 Oktoberfest
Let's start by saying that the "October party" in reality it begins in the second half of September and ends on the first Sunday of October (if, however, Sunday happens on the 1st or 2nd of the month, the festival continues until day 3, the symbolic date of German reunification). An even superfluous clarification considering the fame that surrounds thisevent, by far the most important of Monaco and not only. The numbers are staggering: in recent years i visitors have been more than 6 million and the estimates are constantly rising. The stands are located on an area of over 40.000 meters, with a capacity ranging between 2.500 and 10.000 people. In addition to the beer which, of course, is the one produced by 6 city breweries (Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Spaten) at Oktoberfest you can eat, dance and even drink wine. More than two weeks of continued celebration, the origin of which dates back to wedding , in 1810, between Ludwig I of Bavaria and the princess Teresa of Saxony. A centuries-old tradition, therefore, which over the years has experienced several evolutions and some stop on the occasion of two world wars. But that's not all. Oktoberfest is also one family party. In fact, there is no shortage of attractions for young and old. Above all, the Ferris wheel (see photo) with the spectacular view from the top of the party area and the teeming humanity that moves around the village. to know more on the calendar, history, attractions and curiosities of the event visit the Official site: www.oktoberfest.de/en
5 English Garden
Once in Munich, woe to skip the visit to the English Garden (Englisher Garten), one of the largest public parks in the world, even greater by extension than the legendary Central Park in New York. A huge expanse of green that explains better than many words thehigh quality of life small town. The English Garden was commissioned by Duke Karl Theodor in 1789. Creator of the first drawing Benjamin Thompson, British eccentric with many lives including, in fact, the years in the service of the Bavarian court. The expansion of the garden continued until the end of the century thanks to the work of the court gardener Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell. The creation of the Kleinhesselohe lake, which soon became one of the main attractions of the park. A park frequented in summer and winter, with sun and snow, by thousands of tourists and residents. To see, the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm), home to one of the largest "Beer garden" citizens and the Monopteros, a small Greco-Roman temple from which you can enjoy a splendid view of the center of Munich. The only ones recommendations concern the clothing which must be comodo (even better if technical) and the camera. Woe to forget it!
6 Alte Pinakotek
There is a neighborhood in Munich, Maxvorstadt it is called, with a large concentration of museums, to the point of being renamed "Kunstreal", art area. In this area there is also the one of greatest prestige and international fame of the whole city: the "Alte Pinakotek" or "Old Picture Gallery". Many of the largest are kept there masterpieces of European painting from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance; from baroque art to roccocò, over 700 works of art partly purchased by Ludwig I of Bavaria which gave great impetus to the gallery by personally pushing for the acquisition of the works of Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Lippi, Fra Angelico and other esteemed Italian artists. A collection that also includes Dutch and Flemish paintings and in addition Giotto, Botticelli, Raffaello, Titian e Rembrandt. In short, the Old Pinakothek is a jewel that the inhabitants of Monaco are very fond of tourist return that derives from it. Return also guaranteed by the other two museums right in front of the structure: the "Neue Pinakothek" with a collection of works from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century and the "Pinakothek der Moderne" inaugurated in 2002. For more information (timetables, costs, reservations, transport etc.) visit the official website: www.pinakothek.de/it
7 Residenz
It is really difficult to describe the "height ”Of the Munich Residenz, one of the royal palaces most beautiful in the world with such a concentration of architectural styles and works of art that there is no fear of comparison. In fact, it goes from German Renaissance style toPalladian architecture, to that Florentine, without forgetting the references to barocco and Roccoco. The intention of the Wittelsbach dynasty, the first in Germany and one of the oldest in Europe, to use art and architecture to the fullest extent as a tangible sign of the power exercised for over four centuries in Bavarian land. A huge fortress now composed of about ten gardens and courtyards, a theater (Cuvillies Theater) and a museum (Residenz Museum) of about 130 rooms. The Residenzmuseum is so vast that it is recommended to visit it in two separate sessions in the morning and in the afternoon. To have one essential guide to consult during the visit to the palace, the Bavarian Ministry of Finance and Regional Development he has created an agile brochure to guide you through the courtyards, rooms, rooms, stairways, galleries, jewels and other objects that decorate the palace.
Opening time:
Apr. - 18 Oct.: 09.00 - 18.00
19 Oct - Mar: 10.00 - 17.00
Last admission: 17.00 (summer) or 16.00 (winter)
8 Nymphenburg Palace
That the Wittelsbachs were not having a bad time (so to speak) is not only testified by the Royal Palace. Nymphenburg Castle, summer residence of the family, is certainly not outdone as to opulence e refinement. To commission the construction was the Elector Ferdinando Maria (the office refers to the members of the electoral college who had the task of appointing the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire). These, in 1664, wanted to give to his wife Enrichetta Adelaide of Savoy a summer residence as a thank you for the birth ofheir to the throne Massimiliano Emanuele. The Italian was responsible for the construction of the castle Agostino Barelli, while the subsequent expansion was occupied Enrico Zuccalli e Antonio Viscardi, two other Italian architects this time nominated by Massimiliano Emanuele. It is not finished because the works of arrangement of the court and the garden continued during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries until the present combination of architecture, art and botany. Like the Royal Palace, different styles can be traced in the rooms, furnishings and works of art of the Nymphenburg Castle. barocco up to classicism. Also in this case, moreover, the Bavarian Ministry of Finance and Regional Development has prepared a brochure with useful information to better prepare the visit.
Opening time:
April - 15 October: 09.00 - 18.00
October 16 - March: 10.00 - 16.00
An elevator is available in the Castle; the Carriage Museum and the Bäuml Collection are accessible
9 Allianz Arena
Shops, restaurants, bar, a museum it's a parcheggio with almost 10.000 parking spaces. Yet, tour e guided tours (in German and English) for schools, single visitors and the disabled. It is therefore an understatement to define the Allianz Arena as just a stadium. The right word to define the vortex of emotions and sensations that you feel when visiting it is "temple". The football temple of Bayern Monaco and Monaco 1860, the two city teams, but of course also the German national team. The Allianz was built between 2003 and 2005 in anticipation of 2006 World Championships won, as we know, by Marcello Lippi's Italy. After the World Cup it became the official stadium of the two city teams, sending the old man into retirement Olympic Stadium. A curiosity. Thanks to the gods ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) panels the exterior of the stadium changes color: red, when Bayern Munich plays; blu on the occasion of the matches of 1860 Munich and White when Germany plays instead. For more information on timetables, services, events and means of transport visit the Official site: allianz-arena.com/en
10 BMW Museum
I "Chapters" of the history of Munich are many: the beer, the Oktoberfest, churches, the museums, the monuments, Marienplatz, Christmas market and the BMW. Woe to forget the role played by the car manufacturer in the socio-economic development of Bavaria. Role celebrated by a museum inaugurated in 1972 near the Olympic area. The BMW Museum celebrates not only the past: in addition to historic machinesin fact, the different ones are also exhibited in the rooms of the structure prototypes in the development and design phase. Next to the museum with its characteristic salad bowl shape, stands the "Tower", headquarters skyscraper of the car manufacturer. L'futuristic design of the two buildings he soon made them icons of mass culture, which made it possible to approach a wider audience than just fans and professionals. For information on days, opening hours, prices, guided tours, events and exhibitions visit the place: www.bmw-welt.com/en
1 Do not violate the rules of civil coexistence
What has been described so far is only a small part of the things to see in Munich. The leisure opportunities they are in fact very many: from Deutches Museum, to the nearby city of Regensburg, Unesco World Heritage, passing through the pork knuckle and all the other typical dishes of the local cuisine, it would take many days just to have a first "smattering" of everything that moves in the city and its surroundings. However, there is one thing to keep in mind, regardless of the time available: the respect. It is apparently obvious to reiterate the concept, also because it is always a valid precept, only that they are particularly fond of Munich and Bavaria. From queue at the supermarket, to that on escalators, public transport ticket, to noises in the street, perhaps after having exaggerated a bit with alcohol, the inhabitants of Monaco are particularly fond of rules of coexistence and decoration of public spaces. Oktoberfest is the clearest proof of what is being said: an event lasting over two weeks that attracts millions of visitors without compromising the livability of the city in any way. Anyone who fails is immediately sanctioned and, if necessary, stopped by the police. Therefore better to adapt e spin straight.
