Marienplatz, Munich

This column is located just outside the town hall on Marienplatz. On the top of the column there is a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. It dates from 1638 and was erected to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years War.

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This astounding square is one of those you hope to find at every ancient big european cities and Munich's will not dissapoint you. Its impressive town hall (Neue Rathaus) which seems to be older than it really is roles the whole space. Here, after the initial visual dominion of this neogothic building you realise there is a column with Mary's golden statue at the top and gives the name to the place -Marienplatz or Mary's square-. At the east you see the old town hall (Alte Rathaus), Peterkirche's tower at the south and Frauenkirche's green bulbs leaning out from the east. In the middle, hundreds of tourists wandering, taking photos or trying to sit at the brewerys' seats. This is obviously one of the main places to visit here -or the main one- and it is definitely worth.

The New Town Hall was built at the end of XIXth century in a style inspired in gothic -neogothic- and hosts the city government. It has a great tower with a curious touristic attraction: the Glockenspiel, a kind of carillon with moving figures and music that sounds at a given hours a day (11 a.m. and 12 in the morning). There is a wide entrance for the public and, passing through, you find an inner courtyard with tables and umbrellas of a restaurant inside.

Coming out of the subway at Marienplatz you will find yourself at the Rathaus. Placed high above on the front of the Rathaus is the famous mechanical clock which attracts visitors to watch the life size figures dance, joust on horseback and many more movements. The clock has 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures in a 260 foot tower, which reenacts two scenes from Munich's history.
The whole feature takes about 15 minutes as each part has its solitary performance. Just as you think it is over, there is more.
It is worth it to see more at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus-Glockenspiel
and find out its history. It is the largest of all clocks in Europe, and if you are in Munich, don't miss the performances.

The clock performances are at 11am, noon, and 5:00pm in the summertime.

Another way to see the clock is to go into the Hugendubel bookshop just across the street and climb to the third floor.

Located in the center of the old city of Munich, the Marienplatz is a big square surrounded by the old town hall, the new town hall and assorted stores and churches. In the center of the square is Mary's Colulmn put up to celebrate getting rid of Swedish troops who had occupied Munich in the early 1600's. A big attraction here is the Glockenspiel which is a large clock with figures who dance around on the hour. It had 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. It shows a joust with knights on horseback, as well as the Cooper's Dance. It was a bit strange in our modern world so see hundreds of people standing around watching these simple figures on this ancient clock.

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The center square where a lot of people (tourists) converged daily. The tourist info centre is located in the new city hall (neues rathaus) building that I've mistaken for a church.

Walking distance from the hotel I've stayed in which is 3 blocks away from the hauptbahnhof.

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The "Münchner Christkindlmarkt"or the Christmas market is enchanting. Lights everywhere, small wooden shops on the street selling Christmas souvenirs, winter clothing, candles and many more. The Glühwein and Beer are richly available. Cheers.

Marienplatz is right in the heart of Munich. The main building on Marienplatz is the Town Hall with its 85 meter high tower. It was build at the end of the 19th century in Gothic style. The carillon with 42 bells and 32 copper statues come to live at noon and at five. This is one of main tourist attractions of Munich. The other building in the pictures is the old Town Hall build in the 15th century.

The pictures of the colourful buildings were taken in the Kaufingerstrasse. This is the main shopping street of Munich. It is a dream for everyone that likes shopping. There you can find all you desire, designer clothing, sourvenirs, electronics, huge high quality department stores... Don't leave your wife alone here, and certainly not with your credit card.

Link:
http://filipdemuinck-kristelpardon.blogspot.com/2009/12/munchner-christkindlmarkt-christmas.html

Munich is the 3rd most populous city in Germany and the capital of the federal state of Bavaria. The city itself is made up of historic buildings and impressive architecture, as much of Munich was reconstructed after World World II. National Geographic Traveler ranked Munich at number 30 out of top 100 historical destinations around the world.

One can spend many days discovering Munich… think BMW, beergarden, lederhosen, traditional Bavarian dishes… Mmmm. So far I’ve spent over a month in Munich, over 3 or 4 trips and it’s one of my favorite cities to visit and work in. This will be first of many 1-day itineraries for this fabulous city and I’ll start with the city center or better known as Marienplatz.

A really lovely building and one I admired very much. The palace of justice was erected between 1891-97 and designed by Friedrich von Thiersch. He combined some Renaissance and Baroque elements, giving the building this great feel about it.
It is the seat of Bavaria's highest court, so make sure that you visit it as a tourist, not as a criminal.