Munich - Marien Square

(Local Name: Marienplatz) Marienplatz has been Munich's central square since the foundation of the town. For many centuries, until 1807, it was the market square, and during the Middle Ages it was frequently the venue of knightly tournaments. The present buildings date mainly from the 19th and 20th C.

The dominant feature of the square is the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), a building of overpowering proportions which occupies the whole of the north side. At the east end of the square stands the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), with its reconstructed tower. The massive modern department store at the southwest corner is one of the most controversial of the new buildings in Munich's Old Town