Guide: all countries » Germany » Munich » Architectural landmarks

Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Munich - ideas on city exploration routes


Video of flights over top monuments of Munich in HD format.
Use 'Full Screen' mode.
The cultural capital of Germany - Munich – never ceases to attract travelers by dozens of iconic architectural and cultural landmarks. New Town Hall, Deutsches Museum, Bavarian State Opera, and Bavarian National Museum is, by far, not the complete collection of objects of interest. In this review, we will try to include descriptions of the most important architectural landmarks of Munich. We accompany them with interesting facts, colorful photographs, and 3D virtual tours. These 3D tours allow you observing the landmarks from a bird’s eye view. Simply turn on the HD video and enjoy the flight!

New Town Hall, Munich

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The New Town Hall is the building in the northern part of Marienplatz designed for the city authorities, including Lord Mayor, City Council and city government.
» The building of the New Town Hall has been built in 1867-1908 years. It was repeatedly reinforced and expanded.
» Today the New Town Hall is a building in the neo-Gothic style constructed of brick and stone. Facade of the building is decorated with figures of the Bavarian dukes, kings of the Wittelsbach Dynasty, legendary figures and saints.
» The height of the Town Hall tower is 85 meters. It’s equipped with an elevator and is open for tourists.
» The astronomical clock performing 15-minute show each day is mounted at the central tower. Every day at 11am, and at 12am and 5pm in summer, 43 town hall bells start to ring, windows open, and 32 man-tall figures begin to play the scenes of urban life, which took place on the Marienplatz.

Deutsches Museum, Munich

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Deutsches Museum is the largest museum of science and technology in the world.
» The Deutsches Museum contains about 28,000 exhibits, representing more than 50 branches of science.
» The museum was founded on June 28, 1903 during the meeting of the Association of German Engineers on the initiative of Oskar von Miller.
» One of the main treasures of the museum is the small island in the Isar river that was donated in 1903 to the museum by the city council.
» In 1906, foundation for the building of the museum was laid on the island. Construction was completed in 1925.

Bavarian State Opera, Munich

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Bavarian State Opera was founded in 1653.
» About 350 operas and ballet performances a year are staged there.
» Music director of the Bavarian State Opera, Kirill Petrenko, came from the Soviet Union.
» Currently the Bavarian State Opera is one of the best opera houses in the world.

Bavarian National Museum, Munich

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Bavarian National Museum holds a collection of European works of art and objects of cultural and historical significance.
» The museum was founded in 1855 by King of Bavaria Maximilian II. The building was constructed in eclectic style.
» Exposition of the first floor of the museum tells the history of culture and art in Bavaria and southern Germany from the Middle Ages to the present day.
» The second floor of the museum houses specialized collections of porcelain, art products made of ivory, gold and silver, watches, textiles and stained glass art.
» On the ground floor there are exhibits dedicated to rural life. The most popular among them is the world's largest collection of cribs sculpture.

Olympic Tower, Munich

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Olympic Tower in Munich is 291 meters high.
» Observation decks of Olympic Tower are of two types, indoor and outdoor. Each of them is located at an altitude of 190 meters.
» Guests can get to the viewing platform via lift at a speed of 7 m/s.
» The Olympic Tower houses the highest mountain museum in the world.
» There is a bar called 181 in the tower. Its name corresponds to the height at which it's located. Also there is a restaurant that can accommodate up to 150 visitors.

Schleissheim Palace, Munich

Location on the map:
Facts: » The Schleissheim Palace is the palace and Baroque park ensemble near Munich, which served as one of the residences of the Bavarian Wittelsbach.
» The Schleissheim mansion was founded by Duke William V in 1597. Originally it was just a mansion with some utility rooms and a small church. However, in 1617, the Duke Maximilian (son of William V) rebuilt the manor house into the palace.
» Paintings exhibited in the palace date back to the Baroque period and belong to the Bavarian State collection of paintings.
» Currently the Schleissheim Palace owes the status of the museum.

Angel of Peace, Munich

Location on the map:
Facts: » The Angel of Peace was erected in honor of the 25th anniversary of the end of the Franco-Prussian War, which ended with German victory.
» Construction of the monument was conducted under the supervision of the architect Jacob Mol commissioned by the city council.
» The central niche of the monument has the form of the grotto that serves as a backdrop for the fountain.
» Portraits of rulers and military leaders, who participated in the Franco-Prussian War, can be seen on the podium.
» Golden Angel of Peace is the culmination of the monument; it corresponds to the Greek goddess of victory Nike. In his right hand he holds a palm, and arms of Pallas Athens in the left.
» There is the fountain in Baroque style, which is an integral part of the composition and decoration of the monument.

Theatine Church, Munich

Location on the map:
Facts: » Theatinerkirche is Catholic Collegiate Church of St. Kajetana in Munich; it was the court temple and at the same time the church of the Theatines.
» This Catholic church was built in 1663-1690. Construction was initiated by Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, wife of the Elector Ferdinand Maria; she gave a vow to erect a church in gratitude for the birth of the long-awaited heir to the Bavarian crown, Prince Max Emanuel.
» The church was built in style of Italian late Baroque by architect Agostino Barelli. His successor, Enrico Zuccalli, added two originally unplanned church towers of 66 meters, and finished the structure with the 71-meter dome.
» Theatinerkirche served as the court church, so it houses the noble’s tomb, where 49 representatives of the Wittelsbach Dynasty were buried.
CONTINUE - PART II »»
Munich - guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Build your walking routes in Munich on the landmark map

More to see in Munich
Residenz Palace is a prominent architectural landmark of the city. For many years the palace has been the main residence of the Dukes of Bavaria. The palace was built in 1385. Nowadays its luxurious rooms provide space to two museums - an archaeological and a historical one. The royal treasury also attracts tourists. Once you visit it, you can walk along the beautiful terrace of the palace. Nymphenburg palace, the building of which was completed in 1664, is another charming old building. The halls and corridors of the palace are decorated with beautiful paintings, some of which were applied immediately after the construction of the building. The palace is surrounded by a magnificent English park, which is a prominent tourist attraction itself. Hall of Fame (Siegestor) is one of the symbols of the city. The look of the building resembles the famous Arc de Triomphe. The landmark has one more name - the "Victory Gateway". The monument, which is dedicated to the brave Bavarian troops, has been built by order of Ludwig I. The suburban area of Munich is the location of Bavaria statue - the main symbol of the country. The opening of the monument took place in 1850. Since that time the grand Germanic character captured by the sculptor has become a major national symbol of this region. Munich is the location of the world's largest museum of natural history - German museum. Its halls store more than 17 000 priceless artifacts. The opening of the museum took place in 1903. During the … Read further

Architectural landmarks in the regions around Munich

Innsbruck
The church has unique religious objects preserved. There is a work by a German Renaissance painter – Madonna and Child. The icon is called Maria Hilf and is located in the centre of the altar. The carved frame is gilded. There’s a tomb of Maximilian III, an archduke from the Austrian dynasty (1620). There is an organ in the room. Its shining tubes stand out against a dark blue background. The organ is dressed in a wooden case. Columns ... Open »
Salzburg
The Hohensalzburg Castle is a medieval fortress located on a high mountain. It was built in 1077. Originally, the castle belonged to archbishop Gebhardt I. The foundation is all that remains of that building. The castle has been rebuilt and strengthened and finally become a mighty fortress. In 1500, the world’s first funicular was constructed. They delivered different goods to the fortress. Over the years of its existence, the ... Open »
Nurnberg
St. Lawrence’s Church stands on the foundation of ancient St. Lawrence’s Chapel. It dates back to 1235. In 1350, the construction of a full-fledged church began. It was during these years that an openwork stone rosette with a diameter of 10 metres was created on the facade between the two towers. Later, people started to call it St. Lawrence’s star. The towers of the temple often caused fires started by lightning that struck ... Open »
Stuttgart
The construction of the New Palace was initiated by Duke Charles Eugene of Württemberg who intended to turn Stuttgart into the French Versailles. It began to be built in 1746 by Italian architect Matteo Retti. Five years later, he was replaced by French architect Philippe de La Guêpière. It took a long time to erect the palace, and the construction was ceased several times. The building was completed in 1807 just by the arrival of Emperor Paul ... Open »
Zurich
The Swiss National Museum was built in 1898. Architect Gustav Gull combined architectural elements of different eras in his project, and the building turned into a fairytale castle with numerous turrets and courtyards. The museum has exhibits from ancient times to the present day in its collection. Some exhibits date from the 6th millennium BC. Visitors are told about how this unique country was formed, about the country’s most famous ... Open »
Secure Connection
Main Office
Weegschaalstraat 3, Eindhoven
5632 CW, The Netherlands
+31 40 40 150 44


Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About us
Copyright © 2002 - OrangeSmile Tours B.V. | Incorporated by IVRA Holding B.V. - Registered in The Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel KvK, The Netherlands) No. 17237018