Almost every city I’ve visited has a few high points from which you can look down on the city. It can be great fun, seeing things you might not otherwise notice, enjoying the thrill of ‘jelly legs’ if, like me, you’re not comfortable at heights, and generally enjoying the view.
Munich has two viewing towers, only a block or so apart near Marienplatz, the big central square. One is the tower of Alte Peter, the Old Peter, or Saint Peter’s church, an ancient landmark of the city; the other is the tower of the Rathaus, or City Hall, built in the early 1900s to look ancient. The tower is also home to the famous mechanical glockenspiel performance.
I chose the Rathaus tower for one reason: It has an elevator. The Alte Peter has 300 steps. That was easy! Although, grafitti at the top of the Rathaus could make you wonder…
At the top, there’s a small walkway around the core of the tower, allowing views in all directions. One of the first sights, as it happens, is the Alte Peter tower and those who have successfully climbed all the way up. We waved at them, but they were actually too far away to notice.
Looking down, there’s a variety of views of Marienplatz and the building surrounding it; the building with the stepped roof and red-topped tower is the old, actually medieval Rathaus, rebuilt after World War II. Just behind it is the green tower of the Holy Spirit Church.
Busy pedestrian traffic and some outdoor dining in Marienplatz, which is also a major shopping area. Below, an aerial view of the Fish Fountain, one of the highlights of the square.
Alte Peter and the Holy Spirit are two of the trinity of Munich churches within steps of Marienplatz; the tower also affords good views of the third, Munich’s Cathedral, another major Munich church, the Cathedral of Our Dear Lady, known almost universally as the Frauenkirche, or Lady Church. Its onion-topped twin towers are among the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
Further on, there’s another important church to be seen: the Theatinerkirche, also with distinctive architecture, in a view partly blocked by another symbol of current-day Munich—a construction crane. Built by Bavaria’s 17th century ruler in gratitude for his wife producing an heir, the interior is Italian baroque in style with a later-added rococo exterior.
Walking around the tower and looking in different directions, it’s easy to see how the city’s appearance changes away from the center. The central area of the city was mostly rebuilt, or built in compatible styles; further out more recent styles appear.
The walk around the tower also offers some views of itself…
George G identified the guardsman above in our One-Clue Mystery this week
At the base of the tower, two interesting signs. One shows the names and shields of Munich’s nine ‘sister cities,’ around the world, including Cincinnati. The other notes the end of the war in Munich with an inscription that appears to paint the city as victim of the Nazis, not as their home. It reads: “To the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who on 30 April 1945 liberated Munich from the National Socialist dictatorship.” Food for thought.
