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einereiseblog · 1 year

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Heidelberg ist eine der schönsten Städte Deutschlands und befindet sich im Südwesten des Landes. Die Stadt ist berühmt für ihre malerischen Gassen, die historischen Gebäude und die atemberaubende Landschaft. Heidelberg ist auch bekannt für seine vielen Sehenswürdigkeiten, die es zu erkunden gilt. In diesem Reiseführer werden wir einige der besten Sehenswürdigkeiten in Heidelberg vorstellen, damit Sie Ihren Besuch in der Stadt voll auskosten können. Heidelberger Schloss Heidelberger Schloss Das Heidelberger Schloss ist eines der bekanntesten Sehenswürdigkeiten in Heidelberg und ein Muss für jeden Besucher. Das Schloss wurde im 13. Jahrhundert erbaut und beherbergt heute ein Museum, das einige der wichtigsten Exponate der Stadt beherbergt. Der Schlossgarten ist ein weiteres Highlight des Schlosses und ein beliebter Ort für Spaziergänge und Picknicks. Altstadt von Heidelberg Die Altstadt von Heidelberg ist ein weiteres beliebtes Ziel für Besucher. Die Altstadt ist voll von malerischen Gassen und historischen Gebäuden, die einen Einblick in die Geschichte der Stadt geben. Einige der Sehenswürdigkeiten in der Altstadt sind das Heidelberger Rathaus, das Alte Palais und die Heiliggeistkirche. Die Altstadt ist auch ein guter Ort, um einkehren und die lokale Küche probieren. Philosophenweg Der Philosophenweg ist ein beliebter Wanderweg, der sich entlang des Neckars durch Heidelberg schlängelt. Der Weg ist ein wunderbarer Ort, um die Schönheit der Stadt zu erleben. Auf dem Weg können Sie einige der interessantesten Sehenswürdigkeiten der Stadt sehen, darunter den Altenheimberg, die Heiliggeistkirche und das Heidelberger Schloss. Der Weg ist auch ein beliebter Ort für Outdoor-Aktivitäten wie Radfahren und Wandern. Karlstor Das Karlstor ist ein weiteres Highlight in Heidelberg. Es ist ein mittelalterliches Tor, das im 17. Jahrhundert erbaut wurde. Heute ist das Tor eine beliebte Touristenattraktion, die viele Besucher anzieht. Neben dem Tor können Sie auch das Heidelberger Schloss, den Neckar und die Altstadt von Heidelberg sehen. Neckarwiese Die Neckarwiese ist ein weiteres beliebtes Ziel in Heidelberg. Die Wiese befindet sich am Ufer des Neckars und ist ein beliebter Ort für Picknicks und Spaziergänge. Es gibt auch einige Cafés und Restaurants in der Nähe, wo Sie einkehren und die lokale Küche probieren können. Heidelberger Universität Die Heidelberger Universität ist eine der ältesten und renommiertesten Universitäten Deutschlands. Die Universität wurde im 14. Jahrhundert gegründet und beherbergt heute einige der wichtigsten Exponate der Stadt. Ein Besuch der Universität ist ein Muss für jeden Besucher, der mehr über die Geschichte der Stadt erfahren möchte. Kurpfälzisches Museum Kurpfälzisches Museum Das Kurpfälzische Museum befindet sich in der Altstadt von Heidelberg und ist ein weiteres beliebtes Ziel für Besucher. Das Museum beherbergt eine Sammlung von Exponaten, die die Geschichte der Stadt und des Landes widerspiegeln. Ein Besuch des Museums ist eine gute Möglichkeit, mehr über die Kultur und die Geschichte Heidelbergs zu erfahren. Heidelberg ist eine der schönsten Städte Deutschlands und hat viele Sehenswürdigkeiten zu bieten. Ob Sie die malerischen Gassen der Altstadt erkunden, das Heidelberger Schloss besuchen oder den Philosophenweg entlang des Neckars wandern, es gibt viele Möglichkeiten, die Schönheit der Stadt zu erleben. Mit diesem Reiseführer haben Sie einen Einblick in einige der besten Sehenswürdigkeiten in Heidelberg erhalten und können Ihren Besuch in der Stadt voll auskosten.

#Baden_Württemberg #Deutschland #Erkunde #Heidelberg #Reiseführer #Sehenswürdigkeiten #Top

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faradaysketches · 6 years

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Karlstor, Karlsruhe, August 2018

#karlsruhe #karlstor #classical #weinbrenner #Architecture #building #urban sketch #urbansketchers #usk #ink drawing #pen #Illustration #steve faraday #cables

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bluesman56 · 6 years

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flickr

Karlsplatz Through the Gate by Tony Via Flickr: The most important buildings dominating the square are on the east side of the Karlstor, a gothic gate of the demolished medieval fortifications together with the rondell buildings on both sides of the gate (constructed by Gabriel von Seidl 1899-1902).

#München #Bayern #DEU #2017 08 25 114234 Germany Munich LR #europe #germany #Deutschland #munich #munchen #city #outdoor #Karlstor #Karlsplatz #gateway #city walls #road

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charlesreeza · 4 years

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The Karlstor (Charles’ Gate) is the only remaining city gate from the medieval wall surrounding St Gallen, Switzerland. It was constructed in 1569-1570 and owes its present name to St Charles Borromeo, the Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, who visited the Abbey of St. Gallen in August of 1570 and was the first high priest to enter the city through this new gate.

The sandstone relief by sculptor Baltus von Salmansweiler (under a modern protective roof since 1993) is an important example of the transition from the late Gothic to the Renaissance style. The extraordinary work of art was almost destroyed twice - at the time of the Protestant Reformation, and again in the turmoil of revolution and Helvetism at the end of the 18th century when a second iconoclastic attack was launched in the "Republican zeal" to eliminate all signs and crests of the aristocracy. Georg Leonhard Hartmann, historian of St. Gallen, successfully opposed the "illiterate government commissioner Erlacher von Basel." This success is considered unique in the history of monument protection.

Since the 17th century, the prison of the canton of St.Gallen has occupied the rooms above the gate.

#historical drama #art history #iconoclasm #medieval #architecture #city gate #Switzerland #Sankt Gallen #Europe #travel photography #renaissance #sculpture #public art

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biointernet · 4 years

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The End of Time

The End of Time (Doctor Who) Doctor Who Christmas special Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part One & Two (DVD) This action-packed two part finale is the blockbuster final story of thetenth Doctor, David Tennant, written by Russell T Davies, the mastermind behind the rebirth of the modern Doctor Who. The story will culminate in the dramatic regeneration of the Doctor, givfans their first glimpse of the eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith. A milestone in the history of the enduring UK sci-fi series Doctor Who is reached with this two-part serial: David Tennant, whose portrayal of the iconic Time Lord is arguably the most popular since the program's launch in 1963, ended his tenure as the Tenth Doctor, along with writer-producer Russell T. Davies, who revived the series to great acclaim in 2003. The End of Time pits the Doctor against his greatest foe, the Master (a terrifically wicked John Simm), as well as the Time Lords themselves (led by Timothy Dalton as an imperious Lord President), who seek to reverse their destruction at the hands of the Doctor at the end of the Time War. The crux of the plot is good old-fashioned adventure, with the Doctor and companion Wilf (Bernard Cribbins) attempting to stay one step ahead of the universe-wide doom the Time Lords hope to unleash, but the real raison d'être for The End of Time is to give Tennant a hearty sendoff for his four years as the Doctor. Davies provides a fond and, at times, quite emotional conclusion for his hero, complete with return engagements by many of his friends and companions (among them Billie Piper's Rose, Freema Agyeman's Martha, and even Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith) before his regeneration into the Eleventh Doctor, the much-discussed Matt Smith. As finales go, The End of Time is solid science fiction from start to finish, and most likely, will leave a few Who fans feeling a bit choked up after Tennant's final scene. The supplemental features on The End of Time are more plentiful than on most of the Tennant/Who DVD releases, though still not quite on par with the archival disc presentations. Tennant is front and center, naturally, for most of the extras; he's on both commentary tracks, with Catherine Tate (Donna) and director Euros Lyn on part 1 and Davies, the amusing Simm, and Lyn on part 2. Both are exceptionally light and upbeat, as are his video diaries, which cover all of the 2009 special episodes. Then it's off to Comic-Con with Tennant and Davies for a 20-minute capsule of their appearance at the 2008 edition of the pop culture juggernaut, as well as some cute BBC Christmas IDs and a handful of deleted and mostly forgettable scenes. Episodes of the behind-the-scenes series Doctor Who Confidential round out the two-disc set. --Paul Gaita

BBC Presents: Doctor Who End of Time - In US Cinemas 8/7/19

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly ten years since David Tennant left Doctor Who in his heart-breaking finale “The End of Time”. To commemorate the occasion, BBC Studios and Fathom Events invite you to relive the agony and ecstasy of this absolutely thrilling story on the big screen. You’ll see the full two-part “The End of Time” including appearances by fan favourites Billie Piper, Catherine Tate, John Simm, Elisabeth Sladen, John Barrowman, and many more! In “The End of Time,” the Doctor’s psychotic nemesis the Master (Simm) has been reborn. Reunited with his friend Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins), the Doctor desperately tries to locate the Master only to find that an even greater danger is approaching. As a terrible shadow falls across the entire universe, an ancient trap closes around the Earth. With the sound of drums growing louder, the Doctor and Wilf must fight alone. But sacrifices must be made, and a deadly prophecy looms: “He will knock four times.” The evening will also feature a brand new interview with David Tennant in which he reflects on his time in Doctor Who and all that has come since. You won’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime special cinema event!

The Full History of Time

Exhibition MHC by Kirill Korotkov and Lena Rhomberg Soon The Full History of Time Main Topics: Art, Science, Love, Magic, Technologies, Human Light System, Time Philosophy https://vimeo.com/55459718 Working at the limits of what can easily be expressed, filmmaker Peter Mettler takes on the elusive subject of time, and once again turns his camera to filming the unfilmmable. From the particle accelerator in Switzerland, where scientists seek to probe regions of time we cannot see, to lava flows in Hawaii which have overwhelmed all but one home on the south side of Big Island; from the disintegration of inner city Detroit, to a Hindu funeral rite near the place of Buddha's enlightenment, Mettler explores our perception of time. He dares to dream the movie of the future while also immersing us in the wonder of the everyday. THE END OF TIME, at once personal, rigorous and visionary, Peter Mettler has crafted a film as compelling and magnificent as its subject. THE END OF TIME does Detroit January 10/11/12 & 16! Friday, Jan. 10: 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $5 Saturday, Jan 11: 7:30 p.m. + Q & A with Peter Mettler -Tickets $7 Sunday, Jan 12: 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m. - Tickets $5 Thurs, Jan. 16: 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $5 http://cinemadetroit.com/ THE END OF TIME opens theatrically in NYC Nov 29th through Dec 5th @ Film Society of Lincoln Center The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents: PICTURES OF LIGHT, a retrospective of Peter Mettler's work. THE END OF TIME screens Saturday, November 9, 2013 as part of The White Light Festival. PICTURES OF LIGHT runs November 8-12, 2013. The film is now showing in theaters in Germany. Please check local venues for ongoing schedules. May 9, 2013 BERLIN - Central, Eiszeit May 9, 2013 DRESDEN - Kino im Dach May 9, 2013 FRANKFURT - Mal Seh'n May 9, 2013 FREIBURG - Friedrichsbau May 9, 2013 HANNOVER - Kino im KÅ¸nstlerhaus May 9, 2013 HERRSCHING - Breitwand May 9, 2013 KIEL - Kommunales Kino May 9, 2013 Kâ€¦LN - Filmpalette May 9, 2013 LEIPZIG - Cinematheque May 9, 2013 Mâ€ NCHEN - Werkstatt Kino May 9, 2013 STUTTGART - Arthaus May 16-19, 2013 ERLANGEN - Manhatten May 16, 2013 Nâ€ RNBERG - Filmhaus May 17, 2013 KARLSRUHE - Kinemathek May 20-26, 2013 LEIPZIG - SchaubÅ¸hne May 23-29, 2013 HALLE - Puschkino May 30.2013 HEIDELBERG - Karlstor May 30 - June 6, 2013 KAISERSLAUTERN - Union May 30, 2013 MAGDEBURG - Moritzhof May 30 - June 6, 2013 WASSERBURG - Utopia CANADA Theatrical Release Starts Dec. 12, 2012 TORONTO - Run Extended to January 13, 2013 TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 350 King St. West Daily Screenings CHECK: www.tiff.net Click: Films & Events - See Schedule for THE END OF TIME MONTREAL - Opens 12/12/12 EXCENTRIS 3536 Saint Laurent Blvd Check Local Listings for Showtimes The film is now showing in theaters in Switzerland. Please check local venues for ongoing schedules. Peter Mettler will be in attendance at the following screenings. SWITZERLAND Oct 10, 2012 ZÜRICH PRE-PREMIERE - RiffRaff, 20.30h Peter Mettler in Attendance - Q&A (M.Goldberg) followed by apéro Oct 11, 2012 BASEL SPECIAL SCREENING - kult.kino, 18.30h Peter Mettler in Attendance - Q&A (Eric Facon) Oct 11, 2012 RiffRaff - ZÜRICH, kult.kino camera - BASEL, cineMovie - BERN, stattkino - LUZERN, Kinok - ST.GALLEN , Freier Film -. AARAU, Orient - BADEN WETTINGEN Oct 14, 2012 BERN SPECIAL SCREENING - cineMovie, 10.30h Peter Mettler in Attendance - Q&A (M.Goldberg) Oct 15, 2012 ST.GALLEN SPECIAL SCREENING - Kinok, 19.30h Peter Mettler in Attendance - Q&A Oct 16, 2012 LAUSANNE PRE-PERMIERE - Bellevaux, 19.30h Peter Mettler in Attendance - Q&A (F.Maire) Oct 17, 2012 GENEVE SPECIAL SCREENING - Les Scala, 19.30h Peter Mettler in Attendance - Q&A (J.Perret) Oct 17. 2012 Les Scala - GENF, Bellevaux - LAUSANNE, Apollo - NEUCHÂTEL, ABC - LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS http://www.theendoftimemovie.com/ See also:

Time symbolism

Time is…

Time in physics and time Science Symbolism of Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer

Time and Text

Text, Time, MHC Extinction Rebellion – Time against Life Hourglass and Death on St Thomas’ Church Hourglass – symbol of Death Hourglass and Skeleton “Hourglass and Cards” Exhibition Father and Mother of Time Time Hub The Hourglass, Hourglass History Hourglass symbolism Hourglass Body Hourglass Tattoo Symbols of Time Father of Time Hourglasses Read the full article

#DoctorWho:TheEndofTime #EndofTime #HistoryofTime #Hourglass #TheEndofTime(DoctorWho)#TheFullHistoryofTime #Time

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regioka · 4 years

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Mittelgrund: Links Bundesgerichtshof (BGH); Mitte Baustelle der Kombilösung (Straßentunnel) Vordergrund: Karlstor

Bild: Carmele/ TMC-Fotografie

#Bundesgerichtshof #Baustelle #Kombilösung #Straßentunnel #Karlstor #Karlsruhe

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wfxue · 4 years

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flickr

20200306_F0001: Entering the old Munich by Wei-Feng Xue Via Flickr: - The two towers, Karlstor and Neuhausertor, forming a gate into the city on the old city wall. Some tourists are admiring the towers, or maybe the jester hanging down.

#Germany #Munich #old town #towers #city wall #Karlstor #Neuhausertor #building #historical #architecture #houses #clouds #sky #people

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coffeenewstom · 2 years

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Macinino Café & Co

Man könnte es im Vorbeieilen fast übersehen, das kleine Macinino Café & Co an der Ecke Neuhauser Straße und Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße nahe des Karlstors. Da, wo die Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße endet und in die Fußgängerzone übergeht, befindet sich die gelungene Mischung aus italienischer Caffèbar und amerikanischen Coffeeshop. Wer meint, das ginge nicht, der sollte sich hier vom Gegenteil überzeugen…

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#Caffèbar #Caffebar #Coffeeshop #Cornetto #Cornetto-Frühstück #Espresso #Espresso-Moment #Espressomoment #Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße #Karlstor #Macinino #Macinino Café & Co #München #München-Altstadt #Neuhauser Straße

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beekaystravels · 7 years

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Germany's oldest and most famous university town -Heidelberg, is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic cityscape, including the famous half ruined #HeidelbergCastle, the #PhilosophersWalk, and the #baroque style #OldTown. Heidelberg draws around 3.5 million #visitors per year according to the @lonelyplanet ! #germany #deutschland #historical #citytrip #beekaystravels #lp #bbctravel #tlpicks #damtraveler #cntraveler #worldnomads #atalantaworld #livingeurope #topgermanyphoto #femmetravel #travelawesome #sheisnotlost #worldtraveler #discoverearth #wonderful_places #blogger #travelgram #architecture #architecturelovers #travelandlife #heidelberg #karlstor #badenwürttemberg (at Heidelberg, Germany)

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valeriemichelle92 · 7 years

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Modeling in Munich with @mollusk.rose #munich #travelgermany #munchen #summerinmunich #hofbrauhaus #bavaria #marienplatz #karlstor (at Marienplatz)

#hofbrauhaus #bavaria #summerinmunich #karlstor #munich #marienplatz #travelgermany #munchen

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irvinghumanrock · 7 years

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#karlsgate #munich #münchen #karlstor #germany #sunrise #rainbow #watter #arquitecturephotography #🇩🇪 (at Karls Gate)

#munich #karlsgate #münchen #karlstor #watter #🇩🇪#germany #arquitecturephotography #sunrise #rainbow

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sir20 · 5 years

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Brunnen Buberl, Karlstor, Munich by sir20

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180abroad · 5 years

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Days 161-162: Munich

Two days after our brief dip into Germany, we dove in for good. Or for a couple weeks, at least.

Once again, we made it to our train with time to spare, but we had to split up anyway because almost all of the seats were reserved. Luckily it wasn’t a very long ride (less than two hours), but we vowed--not for the first or last time--to definitely get reserved seats for all of our long-haul rides in the future (spoiler: we didn't).

Our arrival in Munich went perfectly. We weren’t in any hurry, the weather was nice, we got some tasty sandwiches from one of the many appetizing eateries in the station, and when we found a ticket machine to buy our local transit passes, a couple stopped us and gave us their day pass that they didn’t need anymore. It was only good for the rest of that day, but definitely added to the day’s positive vibes.

We found our tram right where it was supposed to be, and half an hour later we were checked into our flat. It isn’t huge, but it’s much bigger than in Prague or Salzburg, and it’s below ground level. Meaning that it stays nice and cool during the daytime.

Not that we’ll be staying home all that much. We have a lot planned for our week in Munich, and we’re looking forward to all of it.

With most of the afternoon still ahead of us--and a free transit pass in our pockets--we decided to head back into town and wander about. We would need to head that way anyway if we wanted anything for dinner, since all the supermarkets in our suburb were closed for Sunday.

Munich suffered horribly during World War II. Almost all of the city center was damaged or destroyed by Allied bombing. But afterwards, the city worked hard to rebuild itself as closely as possible to what it had been before the bombs fell.

Jessica of course noticed the Bayern Munich FC store, and we found a display window full of cuckoo clocks. (I should clarify that Jessica is not a Bayern Munich fan; she roots for Dortmund in the Bundesliga.)

After stopping for some rest and refreshment at a street-side café, we continued on to Marienplaz, the square that has served as the historic heart of Munich for the past thousand years. It is named for the Virgin Mary, and a brilliantly polished gold statue of Mary stands at its center. Along the entire north side of the square is the spectacular Neo-Gothic New Town Hall, which was built in the late 1800s.

In one corner of the square is a fountain with a giant fish on it. We learned later that although this fountain was made after WWII, there has been a fountain in this spot since the 1300s, and the local fishmongers would actually keep their fish in it during market days.

By pure chance, we arrived just before 5:00 pm, when the New Town Hall’s bell tower glockenspiel show performs every afternoon. The performance lasts around ten minutes and includes bell chimes and dozens of revolving figures. They dance, joust, and feast in celebration of a real-life wedding that took place in Marienplaz in the 1500s.

(Also, Jessica and I still can’t help but be amused that the German word for town hall is Rathaus.)

Once the show was over, we simply walked around the old town for a little while longer. We saw some charming window displays in closed shops, the closed up food market, and the Old Town Hall. Even though pretty much everything was closed for Sunday, there was an intoxicatingly pleasant atmosphere about the place. And it wasn't just the beer everyone was drinking, or even that it was the coolest afternoon we’ve experienced since leaving Scotland.

Our wanderings eventually took us to the Munich National Theatre and Royal Residence, which gets to be called a royal residence because Bavaria was technically a kingdom for about a hundred years out of its much longer history as a German duchy and principality.

Between the Residence and the impressively yellow Theatrine Church is the Odeonsplatz, which was easy for us to remember because Odeon is also the name of major chain of movie theaters in the UK. The square also held a massive, statue-filled arcade--similar to the loggia in Florence. We would learn the next day that this was very much intentional and that Munich has even been called the Florence of the north.

As we wound our way back toward the train station to catch a tram home, we discovered a stark stone column topped with an eternal flame. After translating the inscriptions, we learned that it is a monument to the victims of Nazi tyranny.

We also found an interesting-looking Mexican restaurant, but for some reason Jessica wasn't interested. We were tired, hungry, and in need of a bathroom, so we pressed on in search of a grocery store

After way too long of a search in and around the central train station, we found the grocery store in the underground level connecting it to the city metro. It might have been the only one in the entire area that was open on Sunday afternoons, because it seemed like the entire city was standing in the checkout line. Seriously, the queue wrapped almost the entire way around the store and back to the entrance.

But the line moved surprisingly fast, and soon enough we were back home for a nice relaxing evening. Tomorrow, we would enjoy a guided walk through the city so that we could learn what everything we saw actually was. And we’d get to actually go into all the cool-looking shops that had been closed that day.

The next morning, we met up with our walking tour at the train station--again after a bit of slightly lost wandering. This was the first of several tours we'd booked with Radius Tours, one of two similar groups that Rick Steves recommends. We had a great time and would recommend them to anyone interested in good walking tours of Munich and nearby transit-accessible destinations like Dachau and Nuremberg.

Our tour guide was an Irish man with a golden tongue. It may just be selection bias, but almost every Irish guide we met in Europe was a natural storyteller and crowd-wrangler. There was another American woman in out tour group, and she and Jessica were instant friends.

Just outside the train station, our guide pointed out a courthouse known as the Justice Palace. It still functions as a German district court, but it is most famous as the location of the White Rose trials during WWII, in which anti-Nazi student protestors were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment or death. The trials were conducted by "People's Courts," which Hitler had empowered to condemn enemies of the regime outside the normal judicial process and without regard for constitutional rights.

The execution of peacefully protesting German students without a fair trial sent shockwaves throughout Germany and the rest of Europe. It didn't lead to any open revolts within Germany, but it was noted that people were much less inclined to report student protestors to the Gestapo after the White Rose trials took place.

Before heading into the Old Town, we stopped for a few minutes to admire the Karlstor, one of the city's original medieval gates. Back in the day, this was the edge of a walled city surrounded by a moat. A shiny plaque proudly dates the gate to 1302, but the current structure is far younger than that. Much of the gate was destroyed in an accidental gunpowder explosion in 1857, and the subsequently restored gate has been heavily modified in the years since to accommodate increasing levels of street and pedestrian traffic.

Thanks to the 1972 Olympics, however, Munich's Old Town is now almost entirely pedestrianized.

As we walked down the bustling Neuhauser Strasse from the gate to the central square, our guide pointed out the beautiful Baroque church façade we'd seen yesterday and identified it as St. Michael's, a Jesuit church. It was an important and influential church during the Counter Reformation, but today it seems mainly known for being under perpetual renovation since it was badly damaged during WWII.

We reached Marienplatz just in time to catch the morning performance of the Glockenspiel. Our guide explained that the moving figures are actually references to two different stories in Munich's history. The top level shows a joust that took place at the wedding of Duke William V of Bavaria--the man who founded the Hofbrau as the official court brewery--to Renata of Lorraine. One of the knights is wearing Bavarian colors, and the other is wearing the colors of Lorraine (or Lothringen, as it's called in Germany). The Bavarian knight always wins.

The lower tier of the display tells another story that takes place a few decades earlier during a plague year. When the city was gripped by fear and discontent, the coopers' guild got together and danced through the city to raise people's spirits and show their support for the duke. The "Coopers' Dance" has since become a symbol of perseverance and loyalty.

And as small as all of these figures look from from down in the square, all of the figures are actually life-sized.

We also learned that the New Town Hall was one of the few buildings that wasn't destroyed by the WWII bombings. Ironically, this means that the New Town Hall is actually far older than the Old Town Hall, which had to be rebuilt after the war.

We saw Munich Cathedral, also known as the Frauenkirche, which is visible from around the city with its distinctive bronze-domed bell towers. We learned that when the cathedral was constructed in the Middle Ages, Munich was just a small market town in the shadow of its much older and wealthier neighbor Freising. Over time--and thanks to some political shenanigans--Freising gradually fell under Munich's growing shadow, and today it is chiefly known as the home of Munich International Airport.

But in the 15th century, that was all still to come. Munich wasn't wealthy, so the cathedral had to be built out of bricks instead of stone. The cathedral's one extravagance was to be a pair of massive bell towers topped with sky-scrapping spires. But even that proved too much, and the builders ran out of money. So instead, they capped the bell towers with simple bronze domes to keep out the rain, and they have stood thus ever since.

As an aside, the name Frauenkirche literally translates as “Church of Our Lady,” exactly the same as the many Notre Dames scattered across France.

It was around this time that I noticed I'd somehow put my shirt on backwards that morning, and for the rest of the tour my mind was half-occupied with looking for an opportunity to fix it.

Retracing our steps from the previous day, we saw the Munich National Theater and Royal Residence. We also learned one of our favorite facts of the entire trip--right up there with Col. Shrapnel in Gibraltar.

A long section of the Residence's outer walls are flat with paintings of intricate architectural embellishments. Jessica and I had seen similar designs throughout Europe and had just assumed the day before that this was done out of a similar aesthetic style. But that's not it at all.

After the almost total destruction of central Munich during the WWII, the people of Munich were largely left to rebuild their city on their own. I had always assumed that this had been covered by Marshall Plan--an American program that lent billions of dollars to rebuild Germany and the rest of Western Europe after the war. But the Marshall Plan funds were earmarked for rebuilding Germany's industry and commerce, not its heritage. The rebuilding of all the historic structures in Munich was done with what little money the locals could put together themselves.

They did a fantastic job, but there was only so much they could do. And the Residence, with its extraordinarily ornamented architecture, was simply beyond their means. So the people of Munich did the next best thing: they painted the walls to show what the building would have looked like if they had been able to rebuild it the way it actually was.

Our guide also pointed out the statue-filled loggia and confirmed that it was inspired by the one in Florence. He also pointed out the two lion statues flanking the stairs leading into it. The loggia is directly between the Residence and the Theatrine Church, and the two lions were meant to represent the co-equal powers of church and state in Bavaria.

Turning back into the Old Town, we headed over to the Hofbrauhaus, the largest and most famous beer hall in Munich--as well as one of the oldest. It can seat 1,300 people at once, but for the first 250 years of its existence it was the private property of the Bavarian nobility and closed to the general public. Since 1828, however, locals and tourists alike have been filling its benches and drinking beer by the liter.

When Jessica mentioned that the main beers she enjoyed were wheat beers (hefeweizen or weissbier in Germany), our guide made sure to point out the nearby Schneider Weisse beer hall, where an unparalleled variety of weissebiers are on tap. There are seven different weissbiers in their main line, labelled "Tap 1" through "Tap 7," plus a further selection of seasonal and special-release weissebiers on tap at any given time. All are made by the family-owned Schneider & Son brewery in the nearby city of Kelheim.

Jessica's interest was thoroughly piqued. I had never particularly enjoyed wheat beers before, but I was willing to give it a try. We eventually did try it, and it was fantastic, but that's a story for a future post.

Our last stop was the Viktualienmarkt, a huge open-air food market centered around a massive beer garden. We learned that the beer garden is co-owned by the six Munich breweries, and they take turns so that all six make the same amount of profit. The current brand on tap was Spaten, which is generally considered to be the least-best of the bunch.

We also learned about Bavaria's beer garden culture. Before refrigeration was invented, beer kegs were stored in underground cellars to keep them cool, and trees were planted above the cellars for even more insulation. People soon realized that cool beer and shady trees make a perfect combination in the summer, so they started showing up at the breweries to drink beer and eat packed lunches.

When you visit the Viktualienmarkt or any other traditional beer garden, you will notice a mixture of tables with and without tablecloths. The tables with tablecloths are for traditional table service. You sit down and wait to be given a menu. But the tables without tablecloths are for the traditional picnic experience. You can get a group of friends, wander the market picking out tasty things to eat, then sit down at an unoccupied table and order a cool beer to wash it all down.

After the tour was over, went back to the Hofbrauhaus and had an excellent lunch at the nearby Augustiner restaurant. While Hofbrau is the most internationally famous Munich brewery, Augustiner is the oldest and most popular among native Münchners. While we never had a bad beer in Munich, we'll go along with the consensus that Augustiner is probably the best of the bunch. Which is sad, because they don't export their beer. It's hard to find it even in other parts of Germany.

I had their helles pale lager, and Jessica had their weissbeir. Both were top-notch.

For the food portion of our lunch, we each enjoyed the beer garden staple of liberkäse--a mixed-meat sausage similar to bologna, baked into a loaf and cut into thick slices--pan fried and served under a fried egg. It also came with Bavarian potato salad, which is very different from American potato salad. It is thin and a little vinegary, but light and refreshing on a warm day.

We struck up a nice long conversation with an American guy at the next table who was doing his own extended European trip. I also took the opportunity to run to the bathroom and fix my shirt.

After lunch, we strolled around the shopping area and found a lot of stores selling cute if touristy Bavarian souvenirs. I found a nice stoneware mug that I really liked, but I decided to hold off and think about it for a bit. There was also a nice stationery store where I was severely tempted to buy a bottle of limited-edition Mont Blanc fountain pen ink that was on sale for half the price it is in the US. I didn't need it, though, and I wasn't eager to add a heavy glass bottle to my pack. Plus, I already had my sights set on some bottled inks that were waiting for me down the road in the Netherlands.

Jessica had fun too. She found a new friend at one of the aforementioned Bavarian souvenir shops, and we also found a whisky store specializing in fine Scotch. It seems almost heretical to sell Scotch in this mecca of beer, but we couldn’t resist. Jessica ended up buying a bottle of the Little Bay she’d enjoyed so much in Oban.

Don't worry, though--we never drank Scotch instead of German beer or wine, just in addition to it.

Yes, there was quite a lot of drinking that got done during this week, and we may have gone to bed toasted more times than not. But that didn't stop us from seeing and enjoying a ton of what Bavaria had to offer--including some sites that were truly sobering.

Next Post: Neuschwanstein (and the story of Mad King Ludwig)

Last Post: Salzburg & Berchtesgaden

#180abroad #munich #germany #history #beer #food #scotch

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