Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [248]
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Bavaria for Children
Kinderland Bavaria is a classification system for family-friendly sights, hotels, leisure facilities, museums and camp sites. For more information, go to www.kinderland.by.
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MUNICH
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089 / pop 1.35 million
Pulsing with prosperity and Gemütlichkeit (cosiness), Munich (München) revels in its own contradictions. Folklore and age-old traditions exist side by side with sleek BMWs, designer boutiques and high-powered industry. Its museums include world-class collections of artistic masterpieces, and its music and cultural scenes give Berlin a run for its money.
Despite all its sophistication, Munich retains a touch of provincialism that visitors find charming. The people’s attitude is one of live-and-let-live – and Müncheners will be the first to admit that their ‘metropolis’ is little more than a Weltdorf, a world village. During Oktoberfest visitors descend on the Bavarian capital in their thousands to raise a glass to this fascinating city.
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HISTORY
It was Benedictine monks, drawn by fertile farmland and the closeness to Catholic Italy, who settled in what is now Munich. The city derives its name from the medieval Munichen, or monks. In 1158, the Imperial Diet in Augsburg sanctioned the rule of Heinrich der Löwe, and Munich the city was born.
In 1240, the city passed to the House of Wittelsbach, that would govern Munich (as well as Bavaria) until the 20th century. Munich prospered as a salt-trading centre but was hit hard by the plague in 1349. The epidemic subsided only after 150 years, whereupon the relieved Schäffler (coopers) initiated a ritualistic dance to remind burghers of their good fortune. The Schäfflertanz is performed every seven years but it is re-enacted daily by the little figures on the city’s Glockenspiel (carillon) on Marienplatz.
By the 19th century an explosion of monument-building gave Munich its spectacular architecture and wide Italianate avenues. Things got out of hand after King Ludwig II ascended the throne in 1864, as spending for his grandiose projects (such as Schloss Neuschwanstein) bankrupted the royal house and threatened the government’s coffers. Ironically, today they are the biggest money-spinners of Bavaria’s tourism industry.
Munich has seen many turbulent times but last century was particularly bumpy. WWI practically starved the city to death, the Nazis first rose to prominence here, and the next world war nearly wiped the city off the map. The 1972 Olympic Games began as a celebration of a new democratic Germany, but ended in tragedy when 17 people were killed in a terrorist hostage-taking incident. In 2006 the city won a brighter place in sporting history, when it hosted the opening game of the FIFA World Cup.
Today, Munich’s claim to being the ‘secret capital’ of Germany is alive and well. The city is recognised for its high living standards, with the most millionaires per capita after Hamburg, and for a haute couture that rivals Paris and Milan. In 2008 the whole city took the summer off to celebrate the 850th birthday of this great metropolis.
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ORIENTATION
The Hauptbahnhof (central train station) is less than 1km west of Marienplatz, the heart of the historic Altstadt (old town). North of Marienplatz is the Residenz (the former royal palace), crammed with museums and theatres, and Odeonsplatz with the landmark Theatinerkirche St Kajetan. To the east of Marienplatz is the Platzl quarter, with its traditional taverns and beer halls such as the Hofbräuhaus. Hipper bars and venues are south of the square in the Gärtnerplatzviertel quarter, which, along with the Glockenbachviertel west of here, form Munich’s gay and lesbian area. The Isar River flows through the eastern part of the city from south to north.
Munich is divided