Munich
We made it to Europe!
Our first stop on our European vacation was Munich and we had less than 24 hours to see as much as possible before our morning train to Salzburg. Despite having barely slept in the past 35 hours, we quickly checked in and set out at 2pm to explore the historic city.​
Peterskirche
Our first visit was Peterskirche, or St. Peter's Church, the oldest church in Munich. The church was very interesting inside with its decor, paintings on the ceiling vaults, and the use of relics. Munich has many relics honoring saints and there is one honoring a Christian martyr inside Peterskirche.
View From the Neues Rathaus
We then walked to Marienplatz, the old central square of Munich. Here we could see the New and Old Town Hall Buildings. Interestingly enough, the New Town Hall, or Neues Rathaus, was built in the Gothic style and gives the appearance of being much older. This building was constructed during the late 1800s. Near the top of the New Town Hall Tower is the Glockenspiel. At certain times of the day, bells chime and figurines depict a scene from a local wedding.
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We took two elevators to the top of the New Town Hall Tower and observed Munich for miles around. All the red roofs were a beautiful sight and you could faintly make out the Alps in the background.
Frauenkirche
The Frauenkirche was our next stop. This church was much larger, but not as decorated as St. Peter's Church. It has two memorable church towers that stand out against Munich's cityscape. These towers were undergoing renovations, so we couldn't climb to the look out. Inside, there were large stained glass windows lining the church walls.
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Life As a Bavarian Royal
The majority of our afternoon was spent at the Residenz Museum and the Residenz Treasury. Like it sounds, the Residenz was the former residence of the Wittelsbach royal family of Bavaria for several centuries.
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The Treasury is filled with loads of jewels, crowns, swords, and other pretty things. Some pieces in the collection date back to over 1000 years ago. This was our favorite area and we spent quite some time looking at all of the splendor.
We eventually moved on to the sprawling, endless rooms of the Residenz Museum that features courtyards, banquet halls, apartments, chapels, and more. Each room was incredibly ornate and filled with historical paintings and decor. The Residenz was largely destroyed during World War II, but they have rebuilt the palace. You can even see where each painting was cut from the walls in an effort to protect them during the war.
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A Sampling of German Goodies
HOFBRÄUHAUS
We stopped by one of Munich's famous beer halls, Hofbräuhaus, for a liter of beer, some veal sausages, and a large salted pretzel. The building is typically very busy, but we managed to find an available table. Dan purchased a souvenir glass on the way out. Nothing like buying a large, breakable item on day one of our long vacation. Luckily, it made it home in one piece.