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One of Germany’s best antiquities collections is housed in the Antikensammlungen (Map; 598 359; Königsplatz 1; adult/concession €3.50/2.50, Sun €1; 10am-5pm, 10am-8pm Wed, closed Mon). It features vases, gold and silver jewellery and ornaments, bronze work, and Greek and Roman sculptures and statues.

The Museum Reich der Kristalle (Map; 2394 4312; Theresienstrasse 41; adult/concession €3/1.50; 1-5pm, closed Mon) has a literally dazzling collection of crystals. A large Russian emerald, meteorite fragments from Kansas and diamonds are also among the museum’s most cherished exhibits.

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Englischer Garten & Around

The Englischer Garten (English Garden; Map) is one of Europe’s most monumental city parks – bigger even than London’s Hyde Park or Central Park in New York. It was laid out in the late 18th century by an American-born physicist, Benjamin Thompson, an adviser to the Bavarian government and at one time its war minister. There are no English flower beds, but it’s a great place for strolling, jogging, drinking and even surfing, conveniently located between the Isar River and the Schwabing district. In balmy weather you’ll see hundreds of naked sunbathers in the park, with their jackets, ties and dresses stacked neatly beside them.

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THE WHITE ROSE

Open resistance to the Nazis was rare during the Third Reich; after 1933, intimidation and the instant ‘justice’ of the Gestapo and SS served as powerful disincentives. One of the few groups to rebel was the ill-fated Weisse Rose (White Rose), led by Munich University students Hans and Sophie Scholl.

The nonviolent White Rose began operating in 1942, its members stealing out at night to smear ‘Freedom!’ and ‘Down with Hitler!’ on the city’s walls. Soon they were printing anti-Nazi leaflets on the mass extermination of the Jews and other Nazi atrocities. One read: ‘We shall not be silent – we are your guilty conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace.’

In February 1943, Hans and Sophie were caught distributing leaflets at the university. Together with their best friend, Christian Probst, the Scholls were arrested and charged with treason. After a summary trial, all three were found guilty and beheaded the same afternoon. Their extraordinary courage inspired the award-winning film Sophie Scholl – Die Letzten Tage (Sophie Scholl – The Final Days; 2005).

A memorial exhibit to the White Rose, DenkStätte (Map; 2180 3053; Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1; admission free; 10am-4pm Mon-Thu, 10am-3pm Fri) is within the Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität.

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Several follies add some architectural interest. The Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) dating back to 1789 rises from a thicket of green benches belonging to the city’s best-known beer garden. Just south of here is the heavily photographed Monopteros, a faux Greek temple with pearly white columns. The Japanisches Teehaus (Japanese Teahouse) was built during the 1972 Olympics, and holds authentic tea ceremonies every second and fourth weekend in summer at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm. You can also rent a paddle boat and navigate the Kleinhesseloher See, an idyllic little lake.

On the southern edge of the garden, the monolithic Haus der Kunst (House of Art; Map; 2112 7113; Prinzregentenstrasse 1; 10am-8pm Mon-Sun, to 10pm Thu) was once a Nazi gallery that ridiculed so-called ‘degenerate’ art. Today it holds high-calibre shows of paintings, photography and modern art exhibitions.

BAYERISCHES NATIONALMUSEUM

Off the southeastern corner of the Englischer Garten stands the stern building of the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum; Map; 211 2401; Prinzregentenstrasse 3; adult/concession €5/4, Sun €1; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun, 10am-8pm Thu). It’s chock-full of exhibits showcasing the art, folklore and cultural history of southern Germany, and Bavaria in particular.

The ground floor has treasures from the early Middle Ages to the rococo period, including evocative sculptures by Erasmus Grasser and Tilman Riemenschneider, two of