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Marienplatz – The square facing Town Hall (Neues
Rathaus) is a great spot for street performers, everything from fire eaters to
musicians to magicians and acrobats. |
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The famous glockenspiel goes off (11 am, noon, 5 pm) and watch the lovely figures
come out of the clock to do their dance. |
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Marienplatz is a great spot to
start exploring Munich with kids - it's the center of the Altstadt. |
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 Christmas market – Munich's largest Christmas market, Christkindlmarkt Marienplatz, is situated here. All the details: Munich Christmas markets |
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Spielzeugmuseum
(Toy Museum) – Toys from around the world – wind-up toys, antique
doll houses, tons of teddy bears. |
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Climb up the tower of St. Peterskirche (Alter Peter), one of the oldest churches in Munich. Kids won't have any problem racing up the winding stairs to the top of the church tower, where you'll have the best views of the Marienplatz and red roofs of the Altstadt. If you come at 11am, noon or 5pm, also watch the glockenspiel in action. The tower is open daily. |
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Walk through the Altstadt – Here's our favorite walk through the old city: |
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Start at Marienplatz, and go south on Rindermarkt to St. Peterskirche (climb up the tower), then walk southeast to the Viktualienmarkt open air market. After a snack, walk north, go left through the gate at the Spielzugmuseum, and you're back at the Marienplatz. At the Ludwig Beck department store, turn right onto Burgstrasse. Walk down the street, lined with old buildings (check out the rounded glass windows on the west side of the street). Walk under the Alter Hof gateway, decorated with coats of arms. In the large courtyard is a fountain and benches under shade trees. Continue to the end of the street, then walk right on Pfisterstrasse. After one block, the street becomes a pedestrian zone. Continue down the cobblestone street to the wide plaza, and end the walk with an ice cream at Schuhbeck's Eis. |
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Residenz – Take in some glamour at the Residenz, the 14th century palace of
the Wittlesbach family, filled with art and furniture, including the crown
jewels of Bavaria. For some real flash, hit the Schatzkammer (treasury) with ten rooms
of precious objects, including a jeweled Saint George slaying a dragon,
encrusted with over two thousand diamonds and hundreds of other precious
gems, plus crowns, tiaras, pearl necklaces, and jewel-studded swords! |
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Frauenkirche (Dom) – Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)
was rebuilt after WWII, and in the cathedral is an exhibit showing the extent of bombing, which makes the current building all the more remarkable. The church has a glorious pipe organ, and there
are organ concerts in the summer. |
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This is a pretty church, but
the real reason to go is for the view. Take the elevator up to the observation
deck and you can see all across the rooftops of Munich. |
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Hunting and Fishing Museum (Jagd-und-Fischereimuseum) – Out front of the museum are two bronze statues, a wild boar and a catfish.
More than a "hunting and fishing museum," it's really a wonderful
way to see dioramas of the wild animals of Bavaria – wild boar
(mother and hoglets), majestic stags, bears, foxes, hares, eagles, plus
antlers and antique hunting rifles out of a Grimm's fairy tale. |
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City Museum (Munchner
Stadmuseum) (St. Jakobs Platz) – Check out the beautiful
wooden models of Munich in the 16th and 17th century – the Dom in the center,
surrounded by city walls. Paintings of city scenes really evoke late 19th
century, early 20th century Munich, plus photos of rebuilding Munich after
WWII. Plus armor, coats of arms, traditional costumes. |
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St. Jackobs Platz playground – Just behind the museum, in the open plaza, is a charming playground, with sand box, bouncy things, teeter totter, benches, and a cafe, where parents can grab something to drink, while the kids play. |
