Architecture of Munich

The city of Munich in Germany has a rich and varied history, which is reflected in its beautiful architecture. Over the centuries, many different styles have shaped the buildings and streets of Munich, creating a city that looks both old and new at the same time.

Munich's architecture tells the story of its past. Some buildings date back many hundreds of years, showing styles from earlier times. Others are more modern, showing how people build today. This mix makes Munich a fascinating place to explore for anyone interested in how cities grow and change.

The buildings of Munich are important not just for their looks, but also for what they tell us about the people who lived and live there. From grand palaces to cozy homes, each structure has its own story to share.

Main architectural examples

Marienplatz and Stachus

At the heart of Munich is Marienplatz, a big open square named after the Mariensäule, a tall column in its center. Here you’ll find the Old and the New Town Hall. The New Town Hall has a special tower with the Rathaus-Glockenspiel, a beautiful clock that comes to life with moving figures showing scenes from old jousting tournaments and the fun "Schäfflertanz" dance.

Near Marienplatz, three old city gates still stand: the Isartor in the east, the Sendlinger Tor in the south, and the Karlstor in the west. The Karlstor is the oldest building at Stachus, a grand square with the impressive Neo-Baroque Justizpalast. Nearby, Lenbachplatz features the Bernheimer-Haus and the Wittelsbacherbrunnen.

Houses of worship in the inner city

The Peterskirche near Marienplatz is the oldest church in Munich's center. It was first built during a time called the Romanesque period and was very important before Munich was officially founded in 1158.

The Frauenkirche is the most famous building in Munich's center and serves as the main church for the area. It was built from red brick in a style called late Gothic and completed in just 20 years, starting in 1468. The Michaelskirche is the largest church from the Renaissance period north of the Alps, built by William V, Duke of Bavaria, between 1583 and 1597.

The Theatinerkirche is a beautiful church in the Italian high baroque style, built between 1663 and 1690, and its dome can be seen from Odeonsplatz. Munich also has many other interesting churches from different time periods, including Rococo, Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic, and Neo-Renaissance styles.

In 2006, a new Ohel Jakob synagogue opened, 68 years after a terrible event during the Kristallnacht. There are also plans for a new mosque near the city center, though this has caused some discussion.

Palaces in the inner city

The Gothic Alte Hof, a medieval castle and first home of the Wittelsbach dukes in Munich, still stands in the inner city near Marienplatz. The Renaissance Mint Yard with its neoclassical front is located between the old castle and the Residenz. The Old Academy next to St. Michael also dates from the Renaissance era.

The large Residenz palace complex (begun in 1385) on the edge of Munich's Old Town is one of Europe's most important museums of interior design. After many expansions, it contains the treasury and the beautiful Rococo Cuvilliés Theatre. The complex has ten courtyards and the museum shows 130 rooms. The four main parts are the Königsbau (near Max-Joseph-Platz), the Alte Residenz (toward Residenzstraße), the Festsaalbau (toward the Hofgarten), and the Byzantine Court Church of All Saints (Allerheiligen-Hofkirche). Opposite the church, the building for the Marstall (Royal Stables) was built. Facing the Hofgarten on the east side is the Bavarian Staatskanzlei ("State Chancellery"), housed in the former Army Museum, with glass wings added on either side of the original building. The updated building was finished in 1993.

Among the baroque and neoclassical mansions still in Munich are the Palais Porcia, the Palais Törring-Jettenbach with its loggia, the Palais Preysing, the Palais Holnstein (home of the Archbishop of Munich and Freising), the Palais Leuchtenberg (former home of Eugène de Beauharnais), and the Prinz-Carl-Palais, the official home of Bavaria's state leader (or Ministerpräsident). All these mansions are located near the Residenz.

The Maxburg, a Renaissance palace north of Stachus, was damaged in World War II, and only a tower remains, which has been included in a modern building. The Neue Landschaftsgebäude at Roßmarkt close to the Sendlinger Tor is a grand building built in 1774 by François de Cuvilliés the Younger for the Bavarian Estates.

Royal avenues, museums and theatres

Next to the Residenz, the grand Nationaltheater was built. Nearby stands the Residenz Theatre, which replaced an older theatre from before World War II.

Four beautiful streets from the 1800s connect Munich’s center to the outskirts, lined with impressive buildings. The Brienner Straße, designed by Karl von Fischer and Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell for King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, starts at Odeonsplatz and leads west. Along the way, it passes Wittelsbacher Platz, Karolinenplatz, and ends at Königsplatz. Here, you’ll find the Doric Propylaea, Ionic Glyptothek, and Corinthian State Museum of Classical Art. The area around Königsplatz is Munich’s art and museum district, including the Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, Lenbachhaus, Museum Brandhorst, and the Staatliche Sammlung für Ägyptische Kunst. Some of these buildings were damaged in World War II, but others are modern creations.

Ludwigstraße, built from 1816, runs north from Odeonsplatz to Siegestor, passing the Feldherrnhalle, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, St. Louis church, Bavarian State Library, and many ministries and palaces. Beyond Siegestor, it becomes Leopoldstraße, a main street in Schwabing. Nearby is the Academy of Fine Arts Munich.

Maximilianstraße, built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria starting in 1850, runs east from Max-Joseph-Platz, framed by neo-Gothic buildings. It is home to shops, luxury stores, and the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. After crossing the Isar River, it circles the Maximilianeum, which houses a special school for gifted students and the state parliament.

Prinzregentenstraße, built from 1891, runs parallel to Maximilianstraße and is named for Prince Regent Luitpold. It features many museums, such as the Haus der Kunst, Bavarian National Museum, Bavarian State Archaeological Collection, Schackgalerie, and Villa Stuck. The avenue passes the Angel of Peace monument and the Prinzregententheater.

The Bavaria statue stands near Theresienwiese, where the Oktoberfest happens, with a Doric Hall of Fame behind it designed by Leo von Klenze. The Gärtnerplatz Theatre is a ballet and musical theatre, while the Gasteig center is on the opposite bank of the Isar River. Nearby is the Deutsches Museum, one of the world’s oldest and largest science museums.

Palaces in the suburbs

Two large old palaces in Nymphenburg and Oberschleissheim remind us of Bavaria's royal history.

Nymphenburg Palace, about 6 km northwest of the city center, was built starting in 1664. It has a beautiful park and is one of Europe's finest royal homes. It was built for a royal couple, Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, designed by an Italian architect Agostino Barelli. Later, their son Max II Emanuel expanded it. Many artists worked on it, and a special style called Rococo began there. Beautiful small buildings were added to the park, like the Pagodenburg, the Badenburg, and the Amalienburg, a fancy hunting lodge.

The other large old palace is Schloss Schleissheim (Schleissheim Palace), in the suburb of Oberschleissheim. It has three separate homes: Altes Schloss Schleissheim (the old palace; 1617–1623), Neues Schloss Schleissheim (the new palace; 1701–1726) and Schloss Lustheim (Lustheim Palace; 1684–1688). Many parts of this palace are now museums and art galleries.

The Schloss Fürstenried (Fürstenried Palace), a smaller palace like Nymphenburg, was built between 1715 and 1717 southwest of Munich.

The oldest summer homes of the royal family were Schloss Dachau (Dachau Palace) near Oberschleissheim and the gothic Burg Grünwald (Grünwald castle) in the southern suburb of Grünwald. Near Nymphenburg Palace, 2 km to the northwest, stands Schloss Blutenburg (Blutenburg Castle), an old home with a late-Gothic church.

Churches in the suburbs

The oldest church inside Munich is Holy Cross Church in the suburb of Fröttmaning, located next to the Allianz Arena. It features a Romanesque fresco. Another notable church is the Gothic St. Mary's Church in the Ramersdorf-Perlach district of Munich, which has an interior redesigned in Baroque style.

The Rococo church St Michael in Berg am Laim was created by Johann Michael Fischer.

Modern Munich

Munich has many interesting modern buildings, though rules keep most of them from being too tall. The tallest buildings are mostly found in the north part of the city, such as the Hypo-Haus, the Arabella High-Rise Building, the Highlight Towers, Uptown Munich, and the BMW Headquarters with the nearby BMW Welt. You can also find tall buildings close to the city center and on the Siemens campus in the south.

Two famous modern spots in Munich are its big sports arenas. The Olympic Park with its stadium was built for the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics and looks like dewdrops on a web. The Allianz Arena, designed by Herzog & De Meuron, stands in the north suburb of Fröttmaning.

In 2004, people voted on whether to stop building tall buildings in the city center. Because of this vote, some building plans had to change or were stopped. But even after the vote, new taller buildings were built and more are being planned, like ones near the Olympiapark.