Olympic Park

TV relay tower

After a high speed elevator ride up the 1000 feet tall concrete tower your breath will be taken away by an incredible panorama of the Alps. Best is if you wait for a heavy Föhn (warm descending wind) day and you'll see the mountains closer than you'd ever believe. The windows on top belong to a rotating restaurant (360 degrees per hour). Close to 312,000 sq miles of olympic park area stretch beneath it. if you like take a dive in a true olympic size pool and swim the lanes Mark Spitz became famous for. Munich's soccer team - the FC Bayern - often trains in the main stadium that can hold 72000 fans. The nearby Olympiahalle hosts many rock concerts, international tennis tournaments and the classic non-stop 6 day(and night) bicycle race.
Construction finished just in time for the 1972 summer olympic games. It is a gravity defying architectue, thousands of cables hold a tent like structure suspended from a few large mast like poles. Translucid panels cover the structure, a constant struggle with plastics exposed to harsh weather conditions.

Artificial hills and lakes

The stadium which can be visited for a nominal fee is surrounded by beautiful landscapes many Müchners enjoy with their families on sunny weekends. A large hill - Schuttberg- just opposite the stadium dates back to 1945 and as its name implies was built with the rubble of houses destroyed in the war. A long standing tradition comes to life on new year's eve, equipped with champagne and loads of fireworks to celebrate the first moments of a new year. Not only can you witness the hundreds of ear shattering rockets launched on the hill but also admire the fireworks going off all over the city.

Long before: father Timmofei

All, maybe almost all, children in Munich heard the story of father Timmofei, a white and long bearded russian adventurer. Long time before 1972 he built a strange looking orthodox church with his own hands on a tiny piece of land in the middle of the park. As the games were approaching the company in charge of exploiting the site tried a few dirty tricks to get rid of this "unconvetional" speck that didn't quite fit into the "grandeur" of a modern olympian Munich. With the help of local newspapers and many private support actions he was granted to stay and keep his church. Today he is surrounded every year by the tent's and makeshift stores during the Tollwood festival

Student housing: talented artists

Crossing the mittlerer ring on the overpass just next to the stadium will bring you to the training fields and former olympic athlete housing. It has been converted to student housing since and many of its inhabitants decided to let their inspiration flow wild and cover the boring grey individual houses. Each according to his or her liking with colorful paintings on walls and doors which blend right into plants and brushes that slowly seem to take over.