Arriving in Munich
We bid a fond farewell to Dresden and got back on the autobahn for a drive to our next stop, Munich. We unloaded our bags at our hotel in the city center, which was conveniently attached to an S-Bahn station. We took the train to Marienplatz to begin our Munich city walk with a stop at Neues Rathaus. The neo-gothic New Town Hall is the dominant structure of the square with its glockenspiel that shows important scenes from München's history, like the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V.
Altes Rathaus
We strolled over to the Altes Rathaus, which appears more modern than the New Town Hall, but actually dates back to the 14th century. We paused in the marketplace to purchase some pretzels and then began our city walk. We first stepped inside the Heilig-Geist-Kirche, a 14th century Gothic hall church designed in the Rococo style.
Peterskirche
Next up on our walk was the Church of St. Peter, the oldest and most traditional parish in München. Janie did not want to climb the 300 steps to the viewing platform, so we continued our stroll.
Ohel Jakob Synagogue
We passed by the Ohel-Jakob Synagogue, a contemporary building built in the heart of München that is a symbolic milestone in Jewish history in Germany. The synagogue building ensemble, which also includes the Jewish Museum and community center.
Münchner Stadtmuseum
The city museum complex is the largest municipal museum in Germany. We arrived late to visit most of the exhibits so we carried on with our tour of the city. We walked to the Asamkirche, which is under renovation and then along the Kaufingerstrasse, the main pedestrian zone of the city.
Michaelskirche and Frauenkirche
The Jesuit Church of St. Michael is considered the first Renaissance church north of the Alps. The barrel vault in the interior collapsed after air raids in World War II and was rebuilt in the post-war years. 15 figures of former rulers are worked into the facade and Jesus Christ stands at the head of the church and watches over München.
The Cathedral of Our Lady is a late Gothic church from the 15th century. Its two characteristic towers measure almost 100 meters. The interior of the church was renovated in the 1990s to restore it to the late Gothic style from before World War II.
Platzl Square
We continued our walk back through Marienplatz and on to Platzl Square, stopping in the Lego store.
Hofbräuhaus
Dinner was calling so we made our way to the famous Hofbräuhaus Munich. We had eaten at their location in Chicago so we knew what to expect. We ordered a few large beers as were thirsty from our walk and dined on schnitzel and sausages.
Maximilianeum
With our stomachs full, we walked down Maximilianstrasse to the Maximilianeum, where the Bavarian State Parliament is located. In front is the Maxmonument, which shows King Maximilian II. We stopped to admire part of the Englischer Garten before making our way to a train station to return to our hotel.
