Nymphenburg Schloss Munich Germany

Nymphenburg Schloss  (Munich Germany)

Come to find out, BMW is not the only famous place in Munich.  Since it was a beautiful day and my flight didn’t leave until 11pm, I thought I would venture out and see the sites of Munich; I was not disappointed!  The most famous place of interest in Munich is Nymphenburg Schloss.  

Although called a Schloss in German we would refer to this complex as a Palace.  The Nymphenburg Palace was built by Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy in 1664. The central pavilion was completed in 1675.

Beginning in 1701, Max Emanuel, Ferdinand and Henriette’s son, decided to expand the palace. He added two wings on the north and south and also the court stables. As a balance, the orangerie was added to the north. Finally, a grand circle was completed with what appear to be “Guest houses”.  With the Treaty of Nymphenburg signed in July 1741, Charles Albert allied with France and Spain against Austria. For a long time, the palace was the favorite summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria.

Today, Nymphenburg is open to the public, but also continues to be a home and chancery for the head of the house of Wittelsbach, currently Franz, Duke of Bavaria.

The palace, together with its park, is now one of the most famous sights of Munich. l (In the main hall the ceiling is decorated with amazing frescoes by Johann Baptist Zimmermann it is really an impressive sight. Acting as a grand hall, it occupies over three floors of the central pavilion of the palace

Some rooms still show their original decoration but it is a reproduction which was finished in 1965.  The wall covering is an amazing woven fabric depicting the style of the late 1700s.  Interestingly,  King Ludwig I of Bavaria created a room which he called his “Gallery of Beauties”  Depicted on the walls are over 40 portraits of beautiful women of his time.  It was however a bit scandalous as many of the women were from lessor families (peasant women) This was unheard of at the time as the noble families would never mix with the peasant classes.

The court stables contain one of the most important museums of ancient carriages. Among the main

 Attractions of the museum are the magnificent carriages and sleighs of King Ludwig II

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The park adjoining the Palace was equally impressive.  The artificial river seemingly flowing outward from the Palace is over 1 km long and is adorned by forests on each bank.  There are also many hiking trails winding their way through the forest areas.  From the far end you can barely see the Palace. The palace grounds cover over 500 acres and are a great place to escape for the busy streets of Munich.