Description
(Local Name: Residenz) Often referred to as "the ventrical of Bavaria", the Residenz, situated on the northeast edge of the Old Town of Munich, was for centuries the seat of the Dukes, then the Electors, and from 1806 to 1918, the Kings of Bavaria. An extensive complex of buildings laid out around seven courts, it comprises three principal sections: the Königsbau, fronting onto Max-Joseph-Platz; the Alte Residenz, facing Residenzstrasse; and the Festsaalbau (Banqueting Hall wing) which overlooks the Hofgarten. The buildings and their furnishings form a magnificent unified whole, the result of stylistic evolution from the Late Renaissance through the Baroque and Roccoco to Neo-Classicism. At each stage in the process the finest artists of the day were employed to produce furniture, paintings, tapestries, porcelain and gold- and silverwork. Although much was lost forever in the bombing, four decades of intensive renovation have seen the majority of the rooms restored to their former splendor. The site on which the Residenz stands was originally occupied by the Neuveste (New Fortress), a moated castle begun in 1385 as a replacement for the Alte Veste on which the medieval city had started to encroach. Located in the north-west corner of the circle of city walls, the Neuveste was initially enlarged around a courtyard between 1470 and 1500, and fortified with a moat. Further enlargement took place in the 16th C. In 1750 however, the old castle burned down (the foundations of its towers and casemates still survive, buried beneath the Apothekenhof). In the 16th C. Albrecht V (1550-79) built the Antiquarium (7), which still exists, and Wilhelm V (1579-97) added the range of buildings adjoining it to the west (by the Grottenhof). In 1611-19 Maximilian I (1597-1651) commissioned what is now called the Alte Residenz, a masterpiece of the late Renaissance and testimony to the growing power of Bavaria. Most of the buildings designed by Zuccali and Effner and constructed during the reign of Max II Emanuel (1679-1726) were destroyed by fire in 1729.

The rooms of the Residenz were richly decorated in the Roccoco style in the reign of Karl Albrecht (1726-1745). Under his successor Max III Joseph (1745-1777), the royal apartments were furnished and the Residenztheater was built. Ludwig I (1825-48) finally brought the evolution of the palace to a splendid conclusion by adding the Neo-Classical Königsbau, the Festsaalbau and the Court Church.
Hobbies & Activities category: Significant work of art;  Castle, chateau, palace;  Architecture - Roman, Greek, classical;  Town walls, fortifications, gates;  Historic site;  Architecture - Renaissance;  Architecture - Baroque or Rococo
Royal Residence Highlights

Altes Residenztheater (Cuvilliestheater)

The Altes Residenztheater, also known as the Cuvilliéstheater, is located on the east side of the Residenz in Munich. Built by François Cuvilliés in 1750-55 it is the finest Roccoco Theater with
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Munich Treasury

The treasures assembled by the Dukes and Electors over the centuries make this one of the largest, most important and most valuable collections of its kind. The Munich Treasury was founded by Duke
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Royal Palace Museum

Among the most interesting rooms of the Royal Residence Museum are:

Vestibül

The Vestibule in the Grüne Galerie (Green Gallery) range: built in 1733 by François Cuvilliés the Elder.

Ahnengalerie

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Banqueting Hall Wing

Access to the Festsaalbau (Banqueting Hall wing), the interior of which suffered severe bomb damage in the war, is from the Hofgarten. During rebuilding in 1952-53 the former Throne Room behind the
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Exterior

The principal features of the exterior of the Royal Residence in Munich reflect two different phases of building. The Neo-Classical facade of the Königsbau on the south side of the complex (Max
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State Coin Collection

Established by Duke Albrecht V in 1570, the State Coin Collection has been housed in the Residenz since 1960. One of the largest collections of coins in the world, it embraces all aspects of
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Address
Munich - Residenz
Residenzstrasse 1
D-80333 Munchen
Germany
Hours
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
OpenClosed10:0010:0010:0010:0010:0010:00
Closed16:3016:3016:3016:3016:3013:00
Tips
Entrance fee.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Transit
U-Bahn: U3, U4, U5, U6 (Odeonsplatz); Tram: 19; Bus: 53.
Attractions Near Royal Residence, Munich