Attractions in Munich
BMW Museum and BMW Welt
The BMW Museum guides you through the fascinating history of transport technology. It shows classic cars, historical films about the Bavarian car manufacturer with iconic characters and memories of its history. The BMW Museum is located next to the BMW tower, which is a sight in itself, and next to the Olympic complex. The BMW World Center, with its fascinating architecture of the space age, is an extension of the museum and is exclusively dedicated to the new models.
Address: Am Olympiapark 2, Munich
Telephone: (089) 1250 160 01 (BMW-Welt Infoservice).
Opening hours: Exhibitions: Mon-Sun 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website: http://www.bmw-welt.com
Entrance fee: Yes.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
BMW four-cylinder / BMW tower
To house the famous automobile manufacturer BMW in a building that looks like an oversized four-cylinder engine was the original idea of the Viennese architect K. Schwanzer.
The office building, shaped like a four-leaf clover, was built in 1973. The unusual building consists of four silver-colored towers, including the flat factory halls, at the end of which there is a huge “egg cup” in which the BMW Museum is located.
The exhibition consists of vintage cars, but also the latest models from the respected German car manufacturer. The highlight of the museum is a fantastic cinemascope show at the end of the tour.
BMW Museum
Am Olympiapark 2
Tel: (01802) 11 88 22 (information telephone, chargeable from the German landline).
Internet: www.bmw-museum.de
Address: Petuelring 130, Munich
Telephone: (089) 38 22 56 52 or 33 07.
Website: http://www.7-forum.com/modelle/bmw_hochhaus.php
Entry fee: Yes.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Bavaria Filmstadt
Here it is done, here is what we see every day in the cinema or TV: The 300,000 sqm Bavaria Filmstadt in the south of Munich has been offering a look behind the scenes of the busy production operations for over 30 years. In addition to the film city tour, there is the 4 D adventure cinema and the latest highlight is the indoor film discovery world of Bullyversum, which is all about the all-round talent Michael Bully Herbig.
Address: Bavariafilmplatz 7, Grünwald, Geiselgasteig
Telephone: (089) 64 99 20 00.
Opening hours:
Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (late March – early November); daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (beginning of November – beginning of March).
Website: http://www.filmstadt.de
Entry fee: Yes.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology
The huge German Museum presents a comprehensive overview of science and technology, from prehistoric tools to inventions from the space age.
The interactive exhibits of the permanent exhibition are organized according to various topics, including space travel, computers, mining, technical toys and telecommunications. A planetarium and an IMAX cinema are housed in the neighboring Forum der Technik.
The Schleißheim shipyard, the oldest airfield in Germany, is a part of the museum and documents the history of aviation. In the traffic center of the Deutsches Museum, visitors are given unusual insights into yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s world of traffic through historical exhibits and the presentation of new technologies.
Flugwerft Schleißheim
Effnerstrasse 18, Schleissheim
Theresienhöhe 14A traffic center
Address: Museumsinsel 1, Munich
Telephone: (089) 217 91 (Deutsches Museum), (089) 315 714 10 (Schleißheim Air Base), (089) 500 80 67 62 (traffic center).
Opening hours:
Deutsches Museum, Schleißheim shipyard and traffic center:
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on public holidays.
Website: http://www.deutsches-museum.de
Entrance fee:
Deutsches Museum, Schleißheim shipyard and traffic center:
With admission fee.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
The three art galleries
The Alte Pinakothek was built for King Ludwig I in the 19th century and houses one of the oldest and most important collections of paintings by old European masters, including works by Dürer, Raphael, Rembrandt and Rubens.
The Neue Pinakothek, housed in a modern building opposite, was created according to an idea by Ludwig I for the exhibition of contemporary art and shows paintings and sculptures from around 1750 to the early 20th century. At the heart of the collection are paintings by German artists from the 19th century. An audio guide is included in the admission price.
The Pinakothek der Moderne is a collection of contemporary works of art, architecture and design pieces that have been taken from a wide variety of collections in the city to complement the works housed in the first two galleries.
The Glyptothek (ancient Greek art) and the collection of antiquities are located nearby on Königsplatz.
The Brandhorst Museum, which is also new, houses an impressive collection of modern and post-modern works of art.
Alte Pinakothek
Barer Straße 27
New Pinakothek
Barer Straße 27 and 28
Pinakothek der Moderne
Barer Strasse 40
Brandhorst Museum
Theresienstrasse 35a
Glyptothek
Königsplatz 3
Königsplatz Collection of Antiquities
Address: Munich
Telephone: (089) 23 80 52 16 (Alte Pinakothek), (089) 23 80 51 95 (Neue Pinakothek), (089) 23 80 53 60 (Pinakothek der Moderne), (089) 238 05 22 86 ( Museum Brandhorst), (089) 28 61 00 (Glyptothek), (089) 59 98 88 30 (Antikensammlung).
Opening hours:
Old art gallery
Daily except Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tue 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
New Pinakothek gallery
Daily except Tue 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wed 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Pinakothek der Moderne
Daily except Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Brandhorst Museum
Daily except Mon 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Antiquity at Königsplatz
Tue – Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wed 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Website: http://www.neue-pinakothek.de
Entrance fee: With admission fee.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
English garden
The Englischer Garten is the largest city park in Germany – a quiet oasis in the heart of the lively metropolis.
Attractions include the Chinese Tower with its popular beer garden, the Japanese tea house and the Monopteros, a Greek-style temple.
Numerous activities take place on the Kleinhesselhoher See in the middle of the park and in the amphitheater. The State Gallery of Modern Art (Tel: (089) 21 12 71 37) in the Haus der Kunst shows excellent special exhibitions of modern art. The Bavarian National Museum (Tel: (089) 211 24 01) is located on Prinzregentenstrasse at the southern end of the park.
Haus der Kunst
Prinzregentenstraße 1
Tel: (089) 21 12 71 13.
Internet: www.hausderkunst.de
With admission fee.
Bavarian National Museum
Prinzregentenstrasse 3 Tel: (089) 211 24 01.
Internet: www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de
With admission fee.
Address: Englischer Garten, Munich
Telephone: (089) 38 66 63 90
Opening hours: Every day.
Website: http://www.schloesser.bayern.de
Entry fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Jewish Museum
The permanent exhibition in the basement of the Jewish Museum is called “Voices. Places. Times – Jews in Munich “and offers an insight into the Jewish history of Munich. It consists of audio installations, films and a comic by the American illustrator Jordan B. Gorfinkel. There are special exhibitions on the upper floor.
Address: St.-Jakobs-Platz 16, Munich
Telephone: (089) 23 39 60 96
Opening times: Tue – Sun open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website: http://www.juedisches-museum-muenchen.de
Entrance fee: Yes.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Marienplatz and surroundings
Marienplatz has been the heart of Munich since the city was founded in 1158 and an important hub of the local transport system.
For centuries it was known as the Schrannenmarkt, the place where farmers and traders bought and sold goods; In 1854, however, it was renamed after the statue of the Virgin Mary in its center. The north side is completely dominated by the neo-Gothic New Town Hall from the 19th century, the facade of which is decorated with small statues depicting Bavarian rulers and other people.
The carillon (43 bells) in the 85 m high tower sounds every day at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. (in winter at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.), in addition mechanically operated puppets show scenes from Munich’s history. Visitors can take an elevator to the top of the tower.
Other noteworthy buildings nearby include the Old Town Hall, which houses a delightful toy museum, and the Frauenkirche – Munich’s cathedral. The tomb of Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria is in the sober church, which was built in the 15th and 16th centuries on the site of the Romanesque Marienkirche. Interesting is the legendary devil’s footprint embedded in the floor of the church.
Altes Rathaus (Toy Museum)
Marienplatz 15
Tel: (089) 23 39 65 00.
With admission fee.
Frauenkirche
Frauenplatz 1
Tel: (089) 290 08 20.
With admission fee (south tower).
Address: Marienplatz 8 (New Town Hall), Munich
Telephone: (089) 23 30
Entry fee: Yes.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Munich residence
The Munich Residence embodies 600 years of Bavarian history. Several generations of rulers of the Wittelsbach dynasty gradually expanded the original castle from the 14th century and built a palace with seven courtyards.
The rooms of the residence are sumptuously furnished with antiques, sculptures, paintings and tapestries, which the Wittelsbachers gathered from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Some of these rooms can only be visited in the morning or in the afternoon. Other royal treasures are displayed in the treasury.
The entire complex, including the Rococo-style Cuvilliés Theater, had to be rebuilt and restored after being bombed in World War II.
Address: Residenzstrasse 1, Munich
Telephone: (089) 29 06 71
Opening hours: Residenz Museum:
April to October 15: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry: 5 p.m.).
October 16 to March: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry: 4 p.m.).
Website: http://www.residenz-muenchen.de
Entrance fee: Yes.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
Olympic Park
The Olympic Park was built for the 20th Summer Olympics in 1972 and covers an area of 270 hectares. The core is the tent-like Olympic Stadium, in which national and international sporting events and concerts take place. You can take guided tours after booking in advance. You have a fantastic view from the observation deck and the rotating restaurant of the Olympic Tower towering 290 m above the park. A special highlight is the Sea Life Aquarium.
Sea Life Aquarium
Willi-Daume-Platz 1
Tel: (01805) 66 69 01 01.
Internet: www.visitsealife.com/Munchen
Address: Olympiapark, Munich
Telephone: (089) 306 70, 30 67 24 14 (guided tours).
Opening hours:
Olympic Tower:
Mon-Sun from 9 a.m. to midnight.
Website: http://www.olympiapark-muenchen.de
Entrance fee: Yes (tower).
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Nymphenburg Castle
The impressive, symmetrical Nymphenburg Palace was built in the 18th and 19th centuries on the western outskirts as the summer residence of the Wittelsbach family and is surrounded by a beautiful park landscape.
The highlights in the main palace include the Stone Hall in the late Rococo style and the “Beauty Gallery” – a collection of portraits of beautiful women, which Ludwig I commissioned. There are four small castles surrounded by landscaped gardens on the extensive grounds.
One of them is the Amalienburg, which is considered the most beautiful rococo castle in Germany. The Marstallmuseum, which houses royal carriages and riding equipment as well as the Bäuml collection with Nymphenburg porcelain, also belongs to the Nymphenburg complex. The exhibits date from 1747 to the 1920s.
Address: Menzinger Straße, Munich
Telephone: (089) 17 90 80
Opening hours:
April to October 15: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
October 16 to March: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website: http://www.schloesser.bayern.de
Entry fee: Yes (park is free).
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Municipal gallery in the Lenbachhaus
The city was an important cultural center under the patronage of Ludwig I and II in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century it was at the forefront of a new expressionist movement – the Blue Rider – which was founded in 1911 by the native Russian Wassily Kandinsky and the Munich-born Franz Marc was founded and fundamentally influenced the development of modern art. Other members of this group included August Macke and Paul Klee. The most important works by the Blue Rider are shown as a permanent exhibition in the Städtische Galerie in Lenbachhaus, Luisenstrasse 33. The gallery is open Tues-Sun from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: Luisenstraße 33, 80333 Munich
Telephone: +49 89 23 33 20 00.
Website: http://www.lenbachhaus.de
Access for disabled people: No
UNESCO: No
Westpark
The Westpark, built for the 1983 International Garden Show, offers 72 hectares of wilderness in the middle of the city. Three different natural habitats were created in separate areas – alpine mountains, meadows and steppe.
In the middle of the natural attractions are beer gardens, cafes and several playgrounds. In summer, concerts, theater performances and film screenings take place outdoors on a floating stage.
Address: Garmischer Straße, Munich
Opening times: Continuous.
Website: http://www.muenchen.de
Entry fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Tourist offices
Munich Tourist Office
A branch is located in the New Town Hall on Marienplatz (Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sa 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
Hotel reservations are possible at both agencies.
Address: Bahnhofplatz 2 (Hauptbahnhof), Munich
Telephone: (089) 23 39 65 00 and (089) 233 03 00.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website: http://www.muenchen.de
Visitor passes
The CityTourCard Munich is available from MVG ticket machines, from all MVG points of sale and in some hotels. It entitles you to free travel on all MVV public transport in the Munich city area and to the castles in Schleißheim, and grants admission discounts of up to 50% to 60 different museums and theaters. The card costs € 9.90 for one day, € 19.90 for three days.
