"Festive Munich" Munich by dinhyen

Munich Travel Guide: 5,363 reviews and 9,563 photos

The Altstadt as seen from Alter Peter Turm

We stayed a night in Munich on the way from Strasbourg to Salzburg. Having just arrived from France, the change is immediately obvious. From the perspective of an American tourist, the city is big, modern, bearing more resemblance to American city. The people are casual in attire and manners, down-to-earth, and more familiar to Americans. In fact, a lot of them were probably Americans, as I heard and saw more Yankees here than in any other city on the trip.

The onion-domed Frauenkirche

The Church of Our Lady with its distinctive onion-domed towers is probably the most recognizable Munich landmark. Sadly, like most of the rest of the city, it was destroyed during WWII and was completely rebuilt. Well, almost completely. Much of the ornamentation was not restored to the original form. The few exterior stone panels that were not destroyed are hung on the exterior wall. One can only marvel at how beautiful the church must have look in its original glory.

View from Alter Peter

The red roofs of the Old Town are very striking when seen from above and provides a stark contrast to the modern city in the distance. You can climb a few towers, but I decided that Alter Peter would be the best choice because it offers a splendid view of the Neues Rathaus and the Frauenkirche. Looking Northwest, the spires of the Altes Rathaus can be seen in the foreground.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Festive, great pedestrian zone
Cons:Most were rebuilt, not original
In a nutshell:Would love to be back during Oktoberfest

Last visit to Munich: Jun 2003
Intro Updated Jul 16, 2003
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Reviews (8)

Marienplatz Things to Do (8)

Namesake of the square in front of the Neues Rathaus. more travel advice

B&W accentuates the creamy domes - Munich

St. Michael's church Things to Do (8)

The splendid domed interior of St. Michael's Church on Neuhauserstrasse. Surprisingly, contrary to the hustle and bustle... more travel advice

Alter Peter II Things to Do (8)

Another look at Alter Peter including the gorgeous ceiling mural. The interior looks new, as it would since the church... more travel advice

Alter Peter Things to Do (8)

St. Peter's church has a wonderfully ornate interior, one of my favorites anywhere. more travel advice

Comments (5)

ncfg Sep 6, 2003 at 11:38 AM Report Abuse

Amazing pics and very useful info. Thanks
richiecdisc Jul 25, 2003 at 11:23 AM Report Abuse

I have had beer right across from the Frauenkirche but never been inside it. Thanks for the sneak peek but where are your beery experiences, Yen?
MEdelmann Jul 16, 2003 at 8:23 AM Report Abuse

I visit Munich about 6 times a year, but I haven't seen all these church interiors. The problem is that I am always so busy with delivering wine so that there is no time to do any sightseeing .... :-((
herzog63 Jul 15, 2003 at 8:55 PM Report Abuse

These pictures are so amazing! When I compare them to mine...I get sick to my stomach!! Munich is a great city though!!
Henkster Jul 14, 2003 at 12:14 PM Report Abuse

Good start! Yea, Munich has a lot of rebuilt monuments after WWII, but so what - most German cities did NOT rebuilt their monuments as much...