traveldk.com

The Academy of Fine Arts was built between 1808 and 1886 in the Italian Neo-Renaissance style. The list of students around 1900 is a who’s who of modern art – Kandinsky, Klee, Kubin, Marc.

Since the trade fair moved to Riem, the site of the Alte Messe (old fair) on Schwanthalerhöhe has been imaginatively developed. Elegant residences have been built on the former fairgrounds, and many of the fomer exhibition halls have been converted to cultural uses. The Verkehrszentrum, Deutsches Museum’s excellent branch museum of transport, is housed here in three halls (see The Branch Museums). Bavariapark, which lies nearby, was created by Ludwig I.

Northeast of the Alter Hof lies the Münzhof (1567), the former royal stables of the Bavarian rulers. This stunning Renaissance courtyard with arcades rising across three stories held the stables and coach houses, as well as the library and treasure chamber of Albrecht V. In the 19th century, the complex was converted into the state mint, hence the name Alte Münze, or Old Mint. Coins were minted here as recently as 1983.

Built within the city walls between 1253 and 1255, the former residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty lies northeast of Marienplatz. Preserved in its original form, the west wing features a gatehouse embellished with the family’s coat of arms. A bay window, known as the Affenturm, or Monkey Tower, is another original element. According to legend, a court monkey abducted young Ludwig IV, the future emperor of Germany, and climbed to the top of the tower with the boy before returning him safely to ground level.

Bavaria’s oldest pilgrimage site, Altötting lies on a hill near the right bank of the Inn River. A small, octagonal chapel with a central aisle, the Holy Chapel dates from 750. It was subsequently expanded by a nave. In the interior, a silver tabernacle set into a shell-lined niche on the eastern end contains the votive image of “Our Dear Lady of Altötting” – a revered Black Madonna (c. 1300) carved from linden wood. Another feature of interest is the panorama re-creating the view from Golgotha in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion, which is located in a domed structure east of the town centre. This is a monumental depiction of the Passion of Christ, with life-life figures in the foreground representing the stations of the cross.

Bavaria’s third-largest lake, Ammersee lies in a glacial basin from the Ice Age surrounded by forested moraines. Under clear skies, there is a glorious view of the Alps. Its shoreline is studded with many small towns, offering activities such as sailing, rowing, surfing, cycling, hiking, and much more.

Munich owes its Royal Square, or Königsplatz, to Ludwig I and the vision of architect Leo von Klenze. The Propyläen (Doric) and the Glyptothek (Ionic), housing a magnificent sculpture collection, and the Antikensamm-lung (Corinthian), a collection of antiquities, were all built between 1816 and 1862 (see Glyptothek and Staatliche Antikensammlungen). Directly behind the Propyläen lies the Lenbachhaus (see Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus); and one block farther down, the Paläontologisches Museum. On the east side, the Königsplatz merges with the Karolinenplatz. The obelisk at its centre is a memorial to Bavarian soldiers who died in Napoleon’s Russian campaign. During the Nazi era, Königsplatz was used for rallies and parades. Another relic of that era is today’s Academy of Music and Theatre, then the so-called Führer-Bau, in which the infamous Munich Agreement was ratified in 1938. Today, this magnificent square is used for open-air events in summer.

The Au monastery, founded by the Augustine Canons in the 12th century, occupies an idyllic spot on a bend in the Inn River. It was reconstructed after a fire in the 18th century. The former library, decorated with frescoes, is a highlight of the complex, which is now also home to a restaurant with an attractive beer garden.

In the past, several small creeks ran through Munich, many of which were later filled in with concrete. One of the surviving creeks is the Auer Mühlbach, which is most visible east of the Isar. Just south of Ludwigsbrücke, this creek has formed a small island that is home to a restored ensemble of historic houses. Karl Valentin’s birthplace is nearby at Zeppelinstraße 41. The building is not open to the public.

Located where the Isar River surfaces from an Alpine valley and flows into the sub-Alpine foothills, Bad Tölz is a popular spa and winter resort. On the right side of the river lies the picturesque old town, with its impressive Marktstraße lined with ornate st ucco-work façades, mot tos, and frescoes. Alpamare, one of Germany’s largest waterparks, is favoured by spa guests and fun-seekers alike. A big annual attraction is the Leonhardifahrt, on 6 November, a procession in honour of St Leonhard, patron saint of horses. It is one of the largest processions in traditional costume in Upper Bavaria.