Nymphenburg Park

This single-storied hunting lodge was built by François Cuvilliés in 1734-39 for Maria Amalia, wife of Karl Albrecht. Regarded as the finest example of Court Roccoco in Germany, it was beautifully restored to its former splendor in 1956-58. Note in particular on the exterior the charming sculpture (group) of the huntress Diana and the busts of satyrs. The interior decoration was the work of J. B. Zimmermann and J. Dietrich together with a number of craftsmen, probably Dutch. Unique in design and coloring is the circular Spiegelsaal (Hall of Mirrors), decorated with hunting symbols in silver on a blue ground. In the Ruhezimmer (Rest Room), which is decorated in silver and yellow, are portraits of Karl Albrecht and his wife in riding costume (from the workshop of Georges Desmarées). The Jagdzimmer (Hunting Room), also in silver and yellow, has hunting scenes by G. Horemans and pictures of animals by F. Hamilton. Also worth seeing are the Hundekammer (Dogs' Room), decorated with paintings on hunting themes and furnished with gun-presses with beds for the hunting-dogs, and the Küche (Kitchen), faced entirely with blue and white and colored Dutch tiles.

The two-storied Badenburg, built by Joseph Effner in 1719-21 as a bathing pavilion for the Elector Max Emanuel, was partially remodeled in the 19th C. in the Neo-Classical style by Leo von Klenze. Restoration work carried out in 1952-53 has successfully erased almost all signs of bomb damage. The ground plan is determined by the oval reception room, which has rich stucco ornamentation (fruit and shells) and a ceiling painting by J. Amigoni, "Apollo in the Chariot of the Sun". The most notable feature of the vestibule (which also served as a games room) is its Chinese wallpaper, with a pattern of birds, flowers and butterflies. The bathing room reaches down to the basement, the bath being faced with Dutch tiles and the walls of the gallery decorated with prefabricated stucco-marble. The bedroom also has Chinese wallpaper, this time with life-size figures.

The Pagodenburg, an elegant two-storied tea pavilion roughly cruciform in plan, was built by Joseph Effner (1716-19). It was mainly used as a place for resting after pall-mall, a ball game played on a horseshoe-shaped "mall" in the Pagodenburger Tal (valley) to the north.The exterior is decorated with stucco masks (Bacchus, Flora, Neptune, Ceres), the interior in the then popular chinoiserie. On the ground floor is the "Saletti", with a ceiling painting by G. Gumpp and walls faced with Dutch tiles. There are three rooms on the upper floor: the Chinese Salon and Chinese Cabinet have paneling lacquered in black and red, and silk wallpaper; the Rest Room is decorated in white, gold and green.

In keeping with the custom of the time the Magdalenenklause (Magdalene Hermitage, 1725-28) was designed as a place of prayer and meditation for the aged Elector Max Emanuel, who died however before it was completed. The architect was Joseph Effner. The single-storied building with two apses and two round bay windows has artificially contrived cracks in the walls and crumbling plasterwork to simulate a ruin. The chapel, occupying about half the building, was decorated with a mosaic made from imitation coral.The ceiling paintings by N. G. Stubers are thought to portray the penitent Mary Magdalene. The crucifix etc. are carved from a narwal tusk. The cells - three of which have heating in the form of stoves with colored tiles - are paneled in stained oak.SalettiThe Saletti, an octagonal pavilion, was built for the Prince Elector Ludwig in 1799.Temple of ApolloThe Temple of Apollo (Monopteros) was erected in 1865 to the design of Leo von Klenze. It contains a stela recording the dates of the various remodeling of the park.HamletThe Dörfchen ("Hameau"/hamlet), a favorite motif in Baroque gardens, consists of a group of little houses. The machinery in the pump-room, still in operation, is a masterpiece of early technology.Pan and the He-goatThe statue of Pan and the He-goat was executed by Peter Lamine in 1815.Marble cascadeThe cascade, designed by Joseph Effner, is constructed from nagelfluh (rock composed of slender pebbles) faced with marble. The reclining figures symbolizing the Rivers Danube and Isar are by Volpini (1717). Other figures: Minerva, Hercules (1720, by Volpini); Flora, Æolus (1725, by Dubut); Mars, Minerva, Thetis (1775, by R. A. Boos); Neptune (ca. 1730, by G. de Groff).