Europe Travel Blog: 18 December (Munich)

18 December 2019

Just like in Paris, I completed the Rick Steves Audio tour of Munich. Without hiring a local guide, this is the best way to explore a city. Rick’s self-guided tours go through the history of the cities and provide commentary on many of the building you will see on the walk. This morning I decided to complete the tour I started yesterday afternoon.

Having started at Marienplatz the day before I started at St. Peter’s Church. St. Peter’s Church is the oldest church in Munich. Perched on the hill where the original monks most likely settled, St. Peter’s is considered the soul of the city. Inside, the whitewashing is typical of many Bavarian churches. Its light filled highlights in pastel pinks and blues are framed by gold curlicues. The ceiling fresco of the church opens to the heavens showing Peter being crucified upside down.

In the church has a skeleton in a box. The red Latin inscription says, this is St. Munditia. In the fourth century, she was beheaded by the Romans for her Christian faith. Munich has more relics of saints than any city outside Rome. That is because it was the Catholic Pope’s last outpost against the rising tide of Protestantism in northern Europe during the Reformation.

The church was badly damaged in the Second World War but was rebuilt and restored thanks to photographs taken by the Nazis before the war. On this trip I was able to ascend the tower. After climbing the 300 steps I had some of the best views of Munich. The tower is a steep climb and not for the faint of heart!

A few of the 300 steps to the top of St. Peter's tower.

After leaving the tower, I headed back to the Viktualienmarkt. Yesterday I stopped to have a beer there. No such luck today, but there still were plenty of locals out buying groceries and having their beer!

After leaving the Viktualienmarkt I was en-route to Ohel Jakob Synagogue. The modern synagogue anchors a revitalized Jewish quarter. IN 1938, Hitler demanded the original synagogue be torn down. By the end of the Second World War Munich Jewish community was gone. But now, the Jewish population has reached its former size with the new Synagogue being built in 2006.

One of the coolest sights on the tour is Asam Church. This tine church is just 30 feet wide and was designed to fit between two houses. Designed by the Asam brothers, it was used as a place where they could show off their work. This church is packed with every architectural trick in the book. Instead of stone the brother used lots of molded-and-painted plaster and wood painted to look like marble. While it used the archeological tricks, it truly is stupendous.

After Asham church you will visit St. Michael’s Church. St. Michael’s is considered one of the first great Renaissance building north of the Alps. The façade was inspired by the Gesù Church in Rome- home of the Jesuit order. Jesuits saw themselves as the intellectual defenders of Catholicism. It’s no coincidence St. Michael’s was inspired by the Gesù Church as St. Michael’s was built during the height of the Reformation to serve as the most northern outpost for the Jesuits. The façade even features a statue of Michael fighting a Protestant demon!

The inside is decorated in the Baroque style and topped with a barrel vault- the largest of its day. The crypt of the church features 40 tombs of Bavaria’s ruling family, the Wittelsbachs. The most ornate tomb in the crypt belongs to Ludwig II, known for his fairy tale castles.

After leaving St. Michael’s you visit… Yes! You guessed it! Another church! This time it is the Frauenkirche, topped with its twin onion domes. They are unusual in Gothic style architecture, as the originated from the Middle to Far East. It is theorized Crusaders brought home the idea. Whether it’s true or not, you can see these onion domes through Bavaria.

The Frauenkirche has been Munich’s cathedral since 1821. It is dedicated to the Virgin. It was built in 22 years and entirely out of brick. Brick was easier to make and build with than stone. Construction was partly funded with the sale of indulgences. This is a way where you can give money to the church which lets sinners bypass purgatory on their way to heaven.

Much of this church was destroyed in World War II. The towers survived and the rest was rebuilt from scratch. Near the entrance is a big, black, ornate, tomb-like monument honoring Ludwig IV the Bavarian (1282-1347). Ludwig IV was elected Holy Roman Emperor. Before Joseph Ratzing achieved the name Pope Benedict XIV (2005-2013), he was the bishop of the Frauenkirche.

After the Frauenkirche you take a break from churches to visit the Michael Jackson Memorial. When Michael was in town, he’d stay at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Fans would gather in the park waiting for him to appear at his window. When Jackson dies in 2009, fans created this memorial by taking over a statue of Renaissance composer Orlando di Lasso.

After a tough day of touring and walking, it’s time for a break. Thankfully, the audio tour takes this into account! My next stop was the Dallmayr Delicatessen, the most aristocratic grocery in Germany. When the king called out for dinner, he’d call Alois Dallmayr. As you enter there is a sign that says Königlich Bayerischer Hof-Liferant (“Deliverer for the King of Bavaria and his Court.”) It’s still the first choice of Munich’s old rich. Today it is most famous for sweets, chocolates, and coffee.

After a quick visit in Dallmayr, I spotted a sheet music store across the street and had go in. I always love browsing sheet music stores in Europe. The selection urtext scores are second to none.

After a quick side trip to the sheet music store I continued back on my journey taking me to Platzl. Here everything was destroyed during World War II. It is interesting to look around and see the new reconstructions of this old architecture. Reconstruction here happened in stages. From 1945-1950 12 million tons of bricks were moved and roofs replaced to make building watertight. From 1950-1972, exteriors were redone. From 1972 to 2000, interiors were refurbished. It is estimated hundreds of unexploded bombs are still buried under Munich.

This area today hosts a lively mix of places to eat and drink. You can find everything from chains to local places, including the Hofbräuhaus.

Exterior of the Hofbräuhaus.

Next on the tours is the Hofbräuhaus. This is most likely the world’s most famous beer hall. I’ll give a description of it later in the blog. (Would return to have dinner here.)

In Munich’s Golden Age of the 1880s, Bavaria was ruled by three important kings: Max Joseph, Ludwig I, and Ludwig II. They transformed Munich from a cluster of medieval lanes to a modern city with spacious squares. Much of the way Munich looks today is thanks to these three rulers. Maximilianstrasse was conceived during this time period. This broad boulevard is lined with grand building and exclusive shops. This street was designed for shopping, unlike the boulevards in Paris. To this day it still boasts Munich’s most exclusive shops. Walking westerly brings you to the Max-Joseph-Platz surrounded by the Residence on one side and the National Theater just adjacent.

The Residence is known as the ‘Winter Palace’ of the Wittelsbach family. What started as a crude castle in 1385 would eventually morph to something that looks like this. Almost destroyed during the Second World War, it has now been restored. You can admire the lavish Rococo interior, crown jewels, and exquisite Cuvilliés Theater. On the tour I took time to visit just the Residence. While it was demolished during the war, care has been taken to restore it back to its pre-war state. As with most palaces, the rooms are decorated in the style as they were when the most famous ruler lived there.

Munich not only carries the title of Capital of Bavaria; it is also where the Nazi party was founded. It is also location of Hitler’s failed coup of the German government. Walking from the Residence on Viscardigasse, you can trace the steps Hitler and the Nazis marched to Odensplatz. Hitler was injured by gunfire and 16 Nazis were killed. Hitler was sent to a prison outside of Munich. During his nine months there he composed his twisted thoughts in his book Mein Kampf.

From Odensplatz, the tour takes you through the Hofgarten- the elegant gardens of the royal court.

For dinner this evening I chose to eat at Hofbräuhaus. In my opinion you pay for the experience of Hofbräuhaus more than the food and drink. The Hofbräuhaus is the original brewery to the Wittelsbach family. (Houf- royal, braü-brew) The food and beer are priced higher than other places, but also remember beer here is sold by the liter! (So, order ein mass.) I ordered the schnitzel. My food arrived burnt, the burnt side was plated down. It even tasted burnt. Come here to have a liter or two and listen to the “German ompapa” music played nightly.

After a full day of walking and touring, it was time to head back to the hotel.