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Neues Rathaus Review

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Neues Rathaus

Address: Marienpl., City Center, Munich | Map It

New Town Hall

Category: Government Buildings
Location: City Center

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Fodor's Review:

Munich's present town hall was built between 1867 and 1908 in the fussy, turreted, neo-Gothic style so beloved by King Ludwig II. Architectural historians are divided over its merits, though its dramatic scale and lavish detailing are impressive. Perhaps the most serious criticism is that the Dutch and Flemish styles of the building seem out of place amid the baroque and rococo styles of so much of the rest of the city. The tower's 1904 glockenspiel (a chiming clock with mechanical figures) plays daily at 11 AM, noon, and 9 PM, with an additional performance at 5 PM June-October. As chimes peal out over the square, the clock's doors flip open and brightly colored dancers and jousting knights act out two events from Munich's past: a tournament held in Marienplatz in 1568 and the Schäfflertanz (Dance of the Coopers), which commemorated the end of the plague of 1517. When Munich was in ruins after World War II, an American soldier contributed some paint to restore the battered figures, and he was rewarded with a ride on one of the jousters' horses, high above the cheering crowds. You, too, can travel up there, by elevator, to an observation point near the top of one of the towers. On a clear day the view is spectacular.

Cost: Tower EUR 2
Open: Nov.-Apr., Mon.-Thurs. 9-4, Fri. 9-1; May-Oct., weekdays 9-7, weekends 10-7
Metro: Marienplatz (U-bahn and S-bahn)

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