5/30/2006: Munich (1)
Eurail train from Vienna Westbahnhof to Munich Hauptbahnhof takes about 4.08 hrs.
First class passenger compartment.
It was very cloudy and raining on and off throughout the trip.
In Munich we stayed with our nephew at his lovely apartment.
Schloss Nymphenburg, the summer palace of the Wittelsbach families, was built from 1664-1758.
Temperature was about 11-12 celcius; Pravet wore 3 layers of clothes while I wore only 2 plus one built-in fatty layer!!!
Another sweet (and rare) moment.
It's a pity we didn't have time to tour the palace, which many claimed to be beautiful.
Karlsplatz.
Karlstor or Karls' Gate is a gate of the demolished medieval fortification. It denotes the beginning of the pedestrian zone.
Good old McDonald's
The grayish building on the left is Michaelskirche, the largest renaissance church north of the Alps.It was built by Duke William V between 1583 and 1597.
The facade is impressive and contains several statues of members of the Wittelsbach dynasty. A large bronze statue between the two entrances
shows the Archangel Michael fighting for the Faith and killing the Evil in the shape of a dragon.
The barrel-vaulted roof by an unknown architect is the largest in the world apart from that of St Peter's in Rome, spanning freely more than 20 meters.
The crypt contains among others the tombs of many members of the Wittelsbach dynasty.
The elegant altar piece.
The church's beautiful organ.
Still walking towards Marienplatz.
The Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady) is the largest church in the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a major landmark and a popular tourist attraction.
Today, the cathedral and the new Town Hall Steeple dominate the city center, and can be seen from all directions.
They will remain so since the city of Munich passed a provision prohibiting the building of any structure over 100 meters (328 feet).
The Rathaus-Glockenspiel of Munich is the most famous glockenspiel in the world, and a major tourist attraction.
The clock consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. It chimes every day at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.(as well as 5 p.m. in summer).
Marienplatz was named after the Mariensaule, a Marian column erected in its center in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation.
The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lothringen.
In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white).
The Bavarian knight wins every time of course.
This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: the coopers' dance. The barrel makers who performed a big dance were
the first people to dare back onto the streets after the plague.
The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that day.
The new Town Hall
The old Town Hall which is presently the Toy Museum.
The National Theater is an opera house and the home base of The Bavarian State Opera. A significant number of operas by
Richard Wagner were premiered here.
Statue of Ludwig IV.
Rubbing the bronze statue of lion is believed to bring good luck.
Theatinerkirche or the Theatine Church in Munich was built from 1663 to 1690. It was built in Italian high-baroque style.
The Feldherrnhall (Field Marshal’s Loggia) is a monument erected in 1844 by King Ludwig I, at Odeonsplatz at the northern end of the pedestrian zone.
The Residenz (German word for residence) in the city center of Munich, was the former royal residence of the Bavarian Dukes, Electors and Kings.
Today it is one of the finest room decoration museums in Europe.
The complex of buildings contains ten courtyards and 130 rooms.
Kaiserhof or Emperor's Courtyard.
The Neoclassical Festsaalbau (Banqueting Hall wing) of the Residenz also contains the Cuvillies Theater.
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