Munich - the Museums

Two months after our visit to Munich, the landmark that stood out in my memory was the BMW Museum.  It was architecturally stunning, both inside and outside, as were the contents.  Just a short train ride from the city centre, it was well-worth a trip and in fact we visited on our first day in Munich to take advantage of the day pass included with the train ticket from the airport.

The Museum Quarter offered up many museums - the three we visited - Alte, Neue and Moderne Pinakothek, covered the range of European Art through the ages.  But the Alte was under renovation and we were only limited to what was available on one floor of the museum, in spite of which, the 12 euros for the package of three museums was still a good deal.  The one I enjoyed most was the Neue Pinakothek, the building seemed to have been built to showcase the art rather than the other way round - as was the case with the Moderne.  But the staff told us the Neue is due for renovation in 2018!

The Deutsches Museum, supposedly "the world's largest Science and Technology Museum" was disappointing - most of it was closed for renovation and a good part of the collection was not available.  I was so looking forward to the war planes exhibit but there were only a few prewar planes on display.  However, an exhibit on Light provided good photo ops...

I enjoyed the visit to the Residenz Museum, the palatial residence of the once ruling Wittelsbach family, because of the spectacular banquet and reception halls and the challenge they posed to my photography skills with the constant stream of visitors.  After the initial spectacle of the meeting rooms though, the rest of the Residenz rooms were anti-climatic and we walked through quickly.

BMW Museum

BMW Museum - the other entrance

Inside the museum, the architectural feats continue

Elvis Presley's BMW 507 when he was a GI in Germany

The Olympic Village - like similar villages in other countries, always struck me as relics that try to pretend they are still alive...

Inside the Alte Pinakothek - a ridiculously long staircase, built to impress?  Fun to photograph though...

Henry Moore outside the Alte Pinakothek Museum

My favourite of the trio - the postmodern Neue Pinakothek built in 1981, due for renovation again next year

The "Moderne" - the Museum of Modern Art - a lot of building!  My favourite was the design floor...

The atrium ceiling of the Moderne

Wall of Audis on the design floor

The Isar River alongside the Deutsches Museum

Light exhibit inside the Deutsches Museum;  old plane by Rumpler

The stunning Antiquarium, banquet hall in the Residenz Museum

The Shell Grotto, covered completely in Bavarian freshwater shells, including mother-of-pearls (A random note of thanks to Rick Steves for pointing out the well-disguised washroom near here, behind a door marked OO, for whatever reason!)

Memories of Versailles...

And place settings that stretched and glowed into the dark night...

Munich - Highlights

We went on a tour of the Alps in five European countries in early summer.  The start off point was Salzburg and the nearest city that we haven't visited was Munich.  That was how we decided to spend four and a half days in Munich - it's a far cry from Berlin (the last German city we visited) but nevertheless worth a couple of posts.

It is very compact with the tourist-packed old town square, Marienplatz, being the centre of everything - we walked through it a couple of times a day going to our various destinations.  The City Hall clock, the Viktualienmarkt and the many churches near here were the major "been there done that" type of tourist attractions.

Munich was a fun city, with its many beer halls, concerts, and street musicians everywhere you look.  We lucked out too as we stumbled on the rehearsal for a live open air concert that evening outside the Opera House.  We were front row centre as the beautiful soprano Ekaterina Siurina rehearsed her arias with the orchestra!  Later, we were able to hustle and got ourselves seats at a restaurant overlooking the crowded plaza where the concert took place in the evening, smug in our knowledge that we already saw her earlier...

In all, Munich provided many photographic opportunities, both architecturally and for street photography.  It was a very enjoyable visit.

Ludwig Beck "Store of the Senses" - shopping paradise in Munich centre

The famous glockenspiel in the New Town Hall in Marienplatz where tourists gather at 11 o'clock to watch the story enacted by the clockwork figures

Sendlinger Tor - the oldest of the four City gates, built in 1318.  Our hotel was just around the corner, as was a subway station, so we walked by it every day.

The Isartor, from the 14th and 15th centuries

Karlstor - city gate from the 18th century

Sendlingerstrasse is one of many car-free streets in the city centre

The incredibly ornate baroque Asamkirche - a private church built in the 18th century by the brothers Asam for the glory of God and their own salvation

In stark contrast, the lovely Frauenkirche with its clean, simple lines

St. Michael's Church - a happy median

The maypole at the Viktualienmarkt, where all kinds of "victuals" and goods are sold

One of the many fruit stalls in the market

Food display in the famous Dallmayr Delicatessen

Coffee urns in the deli

And of course we can't talk about Munich without its beer gardens!  This is the beer garden inside the famous Hofbrauhaus - too loud for me but certainly seems to be everyone else's destination

The courtyard and the exquisite Cuvillés Theatre (part of the Residenz, more in the next post)

 Musicians galore!

The Cellist of Munich...

Rehearsal for live open air concert outside the Opera House

Beautiful singing from soprano Ekaterina Siurina

The crowds at the concert at night

Munich at night