Downtown Munich

Pedestrian zone

All car traffic has been banned from Munich's central pedestrian zone, this place is made for walking. In the Middle Ages the Marienplatz was known to be the center for business and commerce, the wheat market place was called Schrannenplatz. Some of Munich's best known stores and shops attract the Mümchner and tourists alike. Street artisti have long discovered this fact and not a day goes by without a fakir lying down on a bed of nails, clowns jumping and dancing, string quartets playing Mozart and improvised "comedia dell arte".

City Hall and Glockenspiel

The new city hall is housed in this magnificent neo-Gothic (1867-1908) building with flowers pouring over balconies and the strangest gargoyles reaching over the roof lines. Its very slim main tower stretches 260 feet to the sky. Munich's sky line (also featured on our home page) is characterized by the two round towers of the Frauenkirche and just that very sharp needle. An impressive gathering of hundreds of people takes place every day around 11 o'clock in front of the Glockenspiel. Everyone waits for the elaborate mechanism with colorful dressed figurines to start moving traditional bavarian folk dancers on the 11th hour.(Mai through October also at 12:00pm and 5:00pm).

City Symbol: the child of Munich

Munich's best known symbol is a child in a priest's tunic. Featured everywhere from beer mugs to street cars, in city advertisement and subway trains. It reminds us all that Munich was founded by a monastery and called Munichen. The monk-child holding a bible in one hand and blessing its people with the other has been dated back to the 13th century. The Mümchners call it Münchner Kindl: Munich's little one.

Christkindlmarkt: christmas mart

The last four weeks before Christmas - the advent season - the Marienplatz becomes a huge Christmas mart with crafts people selling tree ornaments and handmade items in general. Hot wine with spices and oranges can be smelled from far away. People try to stay warm in this often cold winter season. This year the Christmas mart will last from November 30 to December 24, it is open from Mondays through Saturdays 9:00am to 7:30pm and Sundays from 10:00am to 2:00pm.