Munich - Residenz Munchen

Date of tour: 14th April 2014

After we have done with our shopping in Bayern Munich fan shop for the boys back home, we were heading towards the direction of Residenz Museuem using the city map as a guide. Initial thought was just to inspect how does the famous museum look from the outside. We did not plan to explore the huge palace museum. But, as soon as we arrived, the strong wind attacked us that can be felt to the deepest bones of our body. We quickly took shelter at the museum entrance and hang out there for a while. Anne suddenly dissapeared. I went to look for her and thereafter, she and I enjoyed the most funniest photo shoots with the Bavarian kings. The most memorable 1 was our stupid secret talks only to be known between the 2 of us when we checked the kings portrait 1 by 1.

A way to enter the museuem and a way to the courtyard, the place where we took a shelter from

Before I start sharing all historical notes of this awesome palace, let me first share our beautiful and funniest photo shots at the said courtyard. You may easily find the area on your left side of the entrance museum hall. The courtyard was where the museum staff placed all banners meant to show the museum's visitors the lineage of Bavarian kings. Anne and I were truly had our moments in this small cozy area while having our tiny secret conversations with the late kings which are now kept in a form of photo. It's beautiful anyway.

As time passed by, I decided to enter and see what was on displays at the museum reception. It later brought so much interest that urged me to see the beauty of it with my own eyes after I picked a tourist book of the palace collections from it's rack. Hence, I bought 4 entrance ticket for all of us as a treat to the rest of my travelling partners to show my gesture of appreciation (most importantly I will have a chance to view it's beauty in real life). With the tourist information device in hand, we entered the first area where the room is filled with sea shells decoration. It display story of the myth from the undersea. Later, we passed through a beautiful gallery (Antiquarium) with the whole wall and ceiling painted with stories from the Holy Books beside it's beautiful art decoration. The gallery is furnished with antiquities collection by the former Duke Albret V.   

The Munich Residenz or famously referred to as Munchner Residenz by the locals is the former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs of the House of Wittelsbach in the centre of the city of Munich, Germany. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors for its architecture, room decorations, and displays from the former Bavarian royal collections.

The palace complex contains 10 courtyards and displays 130 rooms. The 3 main parts are the Konigsbau (near the Max-Joseph-Platz), the Alte Residenz (Old Residenz; towards the Residenzstraße) and the Festsaalbau (towards the Hofgarten). A wing of the Festsaalbau contains the Cuvilliés Theatre since the reconstruction of the Residenz after World War II. It also houses the Herkulessaal (Hercules Hall), the primary concert venue for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. There is also a Byzantine Court Church of All Saints (Allerheiligen-Hofkirche) at the east side is facing the Marstall, the building for the former Court Riding School and the royal stables. For the record, our group was at the museum's area as touring the whole area would require full day.

The red room

The room that matches with my outfit

The first buildings at this site were erected in the year 1385 and were financed by the township of Munich as a sanction for a failed uprising against Stephen III (1375-1413) and his younger brothers. The Silver Tower (Silberturm), as the strongest bastion, was significantly situated next to the inner walls protecting the castle against the city. This sturdy new castle (Neuveste - new fortress), surrounded by wide moats at what used to be the very north eastern corner of the new double ring of walls, replaced the difficult to defend Old Court in the middle of the town as residence of the Wittelsbach rulers.

Chandeliers in Green Gallery

Antiquities and Painting collections dates from 17th to 18th century

The Dukes of the often divided country felt the urge to keep some distance from the frequently rebellious city dwellers at the one hand and for some defence against their warlike relatives at the other. As a result, they sought to build themselves a shelter impregnable and easy to leave (directly towards the glacis, without having to enter city lanes) at the same time.

The gothic foundation walls and the basement vaults of the old castle are the oldest surviving parts of the palace. The Residenz's development over the centuries didn't only take place out of its main centre, the Neuveste, but in addition grew out of several single parts and extensions, the first of which used to be the Antiquarium. Finally, after more than four centuries of development, the giant palace had practically replaced a whole former city quarter with barracks, a monastery, houses and gardens. It assembles the styles of the late Renaissance, as well as of Baroque, Rococo and Neo-Classicism.

Huge ancient Tapestry work hung on the wall behind

Visiting this kind of place requires patience and interest. If you are truly an antiquities lover, it's worth spending the whole day inspecting all collections on displays. But the most important room that you should enter is the 3D room (in below photo) where it was first destroyed during the World War II but rebuilt on 100% copied of it's original idea for us to see how creative the first artist was. Yes, to summarise, it was a tiresome adventure but worth the money that I spent for the ladies.

This is what it looks from the outside