Nothing less than the Acropolis in Athens provided the inspiration for Leo von Klenze's imposing Königsplatz, commissioned by Ludwig I and anchored by a Doric-columned Propyläen gateway and two temple-like museums. The Nazis added a few buildings of their own and used the square for their mass parades. Only the foundations of these structures remain at the eastern end of the square, rendered unrecognisable by foliage. Peaceful and green today, the square comes alive in summer during concerts and open-air cinema.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.56 MILES
Officially called the KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau, this was the Nazis’ first concentration camp, built by Heinrich Himmler in March 1933 to house political…
2.98 MILES
This commanding palace and its lavish gardens sprawl around 5km northwest of the Altstadt. Begun in 1664 as a villa for Electress Adelaide of Savoy, the…
0.7 MILES
Home to Bavaria's Wittelsbach rulers from 1508 until WWI, the Residenz is Munich's number-one attraction. The amazing treasures, as well as all the…
0.26 MILES
Munich's main repository of Old European Masters is crammed with all the major players who decorated canvases between the 14th and 18th centuries. This…
1.08 MILES
The sprawling English Garden is among Europe's biggest city parks – it even rivals London's Hyde Park and New York's Central Park for size – and is a…
0.33 MILES
Germany's largest modern-art museum unites four significant collections under a single roof: 20th-century art, applied design from the 19th century to…
1.21 MILES
Picture the classic 19th-century museum, a palatial neoclassical edifice overflowing with exotic treasure and thought-provoking works of art, a repository…
1.38 MILES
If you’re one of those people for whom science is an unfathomable turn-off, a visit to the Deutsches Museum might just show you that physics and…
Nearby Munich attractions
0.05 MILES
If you're a fan of classical art or simply enjoy the sight of naked guys without noses (or other pertinent body parts), make a beeline for the Glyptothek…
0.06 MILES
This old-school museum is an engaging showcase of exquisite Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities. The collection of Greek vases, each artistically…
0.07 MILES
With its fabulous wing added by noted architect Norman Foster, this glorious gallery is the go-to place to admire the vibrant canvases of Wassily…
0.12 MILES
The mission of the NS Dokuzentrum, located right at the heart of what was once Nazi central in Munich, is to educate locals and visitors alike about the…
0.14 MILES
The curatorial concept of the Paläontologisches Museum could use a little dusting up, but otherwise this archaeological trove of prehistoric skulls and…
6. Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst
0.2 MILES
This small museum of late-19th-century Egyptian finds was moved to a purpose-built site in 2013. The 21st-century-style curation has left things feeling…
0.26 MILES
Munich's main repository of Old European Masters is crammed with all the major players who decorated canvases between the 14th and 18th centuries. This…
0.29 MILES
The Old Botanical Garden is a pleasant place to soothe soles and souls after an Altstadt shopping spree or to see out a long wait for a train away from…