I'm my reviews, you will always find coffee spots and beautiful architecture from all the countries…read moreI've visit. Karlstor in Munich was beautiful. Another old building we stumbled upon in our travels. They are old gates to the city from the 14th century. We were lucky to pass by a tour group walking the grounds and snagged that little bit of history before walking on. Beyond the city gates are some old buildings and churches we popped into before being asked for a ticket. It was a lovely little walk that could have easily been a day tour.

7/6/2024 - giant cool building near the residence and the treasury for the jewelry. Amazing…read morebuilding. Great for photos.

This is one of those participatory fountains, where you're expected to soak your feet and kids can…read morerun around amongst the water jets. Everybody gets a bit wet, especially if it's windy. Unfortunately, most of the people who pass through the Stachus Rondel are busy rushing to get somewhere else, and few are in the mood to moisten. I long to see a bit of streetwise FKK here.

With the splendor and tourist traffic in Marienplatz, you might miss out on the lovely Mariensäule…read morestatue. The column is crowned by a gilded status of the Virgin Mary that was created in (it is believed) 1593 for the grave of William V and used until 1613 for the high altar of the Munich Cathedral (aka Frauenkirche). In 1639, four bronze armed cherubs were added at the pedestal, a reference to Psalm 91 verse 13 "Super aspidem et basiliscum ambulabis et leonem et draconem conculcabis" which translates to "You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot." During the World War II, the statue was moved to the Frauenkirche and restored here in 1945. It was then removed again in 1966 during the construction of the Munich U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Interesting fact, the distance information in many maps and road signs to Munich refers to the Mariensäule. [Review 12019 overall, 1802 of 2019.]

Listen, if you miss the Mariensaule, that's on you. It's situated right in front of the Rathaus,…read moreand if you've stopped to watch the Glockenspiel, then you have no excuse to miss it; it's RIGHT THERE!!! The statuary around it is very detailed and beautiful, and it is topped off with a golden Virgin Mary. It makes for a very prominent meeting spot in the Marienplatz, should you get separated from your group. 9/2022

Built in 1536, Schloß Possenhofen was purchased by Duke Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, who used it…read moreas his family's summer residence. It is best known because of its association with his daughter Elisabeth, better known as "Sisi", who enjoyed a happy youth here. She became Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, by marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I, at the age of 16. She still returned here to retreat from court life after her marriage, up to her murder by an Italian anarchist in 1898. As such, the town is strongly associated with 'Sisi' and there is a museum of her life in the former railway station building at Possenhofen. The castle was modernised in the 19th Century into the domestic "Castle Villa" form visible today through the garden hedges. Sadly, the house itself is not open to the public, as it has been turned into apartments, but the grounds between the castle garden and the lakeside have been turned into a lovely public park, a popular place to sunbathe and swim in the summer.

As far as Platzes go, Effnerplatz was a problem. It was, and remains, a tram terminus. But with…read morethe long-awaited new extension of tram line 16 to toney St. Emmeram, the good burghers of Munich felt the need to tart up this bleak, traffic-tortured roundabout. And tart it, they did. Iowan sculptress Rita McBride, then resident in Munich, won the design competition for a public sculpture with a six-story, two tonne abstract homage to Mae West's voluptuous figure. Engineering the grande dame's curves demanded high-tech, light weight composites, since she stands over a freeway tunnel. (http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/mae-west-pipe-dream-in-munich). Builders craned her bustiere in to place in the spring of 2011. (http://vimeo.com/32972116) Reactions from Miss West's public are mixed. Most seem to find her a tad under-dressed. Mayor Christian Ude thinks she looks like something form the hardware store. Others wonder if, indeed, she is finished. Since the artwork was designed to be minimalist, perhaps we citizens should decorate her for Christmas, Or at least use her frame to house a reactor core. So, if you happen to be taking tram 16 to St. Emmeram, why don't you check in from beneath her petticoat?

This small Chapel sits above the spot where King Ludwig II of Bavaria was found dead in the…read moreshallows (alongside his doctor, who was also dead) of Lake Starnberg in 1886, after an evening walk from his nearby residence at Berg Castle. The cause of his death is still a mystery and will probably remain so; but the actual spot where he was found is marked with a cross (in the water) and the Chapel was erected 1896-1900 to accommodate remembrance services for this fascinating and eccentric monarch. The Chapel is not open to the public but you can easily see into the interior through a grille. The Chapel itself is built in a Byzantine-Romanesque style, with a high pointed roof over the central cupola, and a wonderful Romanesque portico around the main doorway. The interior is decorated with marble and mosaics. The Chapel can be reached by well marked footpaths through pleasant woodland from the villages of Berg and Leoni. From either end it's a walk of around a mile. Both villages are served by the regular ships from Starnberg, Possenhofen and Tutzing. Berg Castle is now in private ownership and not open to the public.