Royal heritage
March 8, 2011
The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria for more than 700 years. Until 1918, Munich was home to the royal family. Their passion for architecture and for art changed the face of the city. Spacious boulevards, magnificent buildings and squares make Munich a truly majestic city that manages to harmonize traditional and modern urban life.
The royal palace, located in the center of the city, is a museum of court tradition, with a gallery featuring over 100 portraits of royal ancestors and a Renaissance-era hall of antiquities nearly 70 meters in length. The Bavarian kings used the hall for lavish banquets.
The palace also has its own theater as well as extensive gardens. The Alte Pinakothek, a gallery featuring the Bavarian state collection of old masters, is located nearby, as is the Pinakothek of Modern Art, one of Europe's largest museums for modern and contemporary art, architecture and design.
Munich's famous Maximilian Street also owes its magnificence to the Bavarian kings. It still features a number of stores that are holders of royal warrants and remains a trademark for high-quality goods.
Thomas Zufall runs a pub called München 72 located in the popular area known as the Glockenbachviertel. Join him on a tour of his city, which includes his top three insider tips: His ice skating at the Prinzregentenbad, shopping at Gärtnerplatz, and enjoying a glass of beer at the Weisses Bräuhaus beer hall the old market square in central Munich.
Text: DW-TV
Editor: Kate Bowen