So .. what to do if you arrive on a wintry Sunday when most of the restaurants, shops and museums are geschlossen (closed)? Well, the trains still run and so you go where you can ogle some old architecture. (Hopefully today, Monday, I will get to see some newer architecture!). Marienplatz (Mary’s Square) is ground zero for the city center and that is where the New City Hall (neues Rathaus) on the north side is found .. ‘new’ being a very relative term here.
This is 11 am on Sunday morning, and I am watching the Glockenspiel in the main tower of the City Hall building. There is a upper and lower carousel with marionettes that go around and around .. and at the end two knights with lances ‘charge’ each other and one is mortally wounded !
The main gate is a work of art (well, the whole building is a work of art).
Cool restaurant facade off Marienplatz .. I like the ‘tulip’ style light fixtures that blend into the building’s face.
Montgelas Memorial (artist Katrin Sander, 2005) at Promenadeplatz square in the old city. Maximilian Josef Garnerin/ Count von Montgelas (1759–1838) was a Bavarian statesman.
The Bayarischer Hof hotel off the Promenadeplatz square.
I don’t know the name of this charming old department store off Marienplatz .. will find out and add its name in here.
Always great to find a mirror for a self portrait ! I just hopped off the train behind me, at the Marienplatz U-bahn station.
I’m not sure how this sign works ! It’s possible that some signals are for cars and others for trams or buses. Most crossings have buttons for pedestrians. I ALWAYS wait for the green ‘robot’ light and never jaywalk in a strange city.
The ‘Kings Court’ hotel near Karlsplatz station. It was just refreshing to see a somewhat modern design after all the old buildings.
Orleans Street runs by Ostbahnhof where my Marriott hotel is. Even here in the outskirts of the city there are plenty of taverns and bars for quaffing a great German beer.
U-bahn entrance to Marienplatz station
The Christmas markets are quiet now, but this friendly fella was outside a restaurant that still hosted an outside area with beer drinkers, making use of all of 2012’s merry-making !
These beautiful Christmas market lights were still up, around Karlsplatz .. lucky for me.
Christmas store display nearby
Feldherrhalle (Commander’s Hall) at Odeonsplatz. It gets dark at 4.30pm already! I had to use the ISO 1600 setting on my camera to boost the light for the picture dramatically.
Theatine Church at Odeonplatz
Here is the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) at night. The building on the right is a department store. There is also an Apple store close by (sacrilege!).
These two old gentlemen waiting for the train are sporting traditional Bavarian outfits (at least I think it is, even though it is not lederhosen that they are wearing).
Great Bavaria documentation 🙂