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NYMPHENBURG PALACE
Munich’s Wittelsbach Royal Summer House
Munich’s
Nymphenburg Palace is one of the main attractions to visitors to the
city for its Baroque splendor and formal gardens. Schloss Nymphenburg
was for most of its practical life the summer time residence of the
rulers of
Bavaria. Located in the Neuhausen suburb to the west of Munich,
about a 20 minute tram ride from the old town center, it was at the
time
of
its
first
construction at the end of long carriage road into the wooded country,
where it’s long pool and fountains framed the grand approach
to main hall and added galleries. Begun 1675 as a present to his wife
by
the Elector Ferdinand Maria, when Bavaria was duchy and not yet a kingdom,
then added to by five generation of the powerful Wittelsbachs who combined
rule over large portions of Germny under one family, (see Benrath
Palace Dusseldorf). The Nymphenburg Palace is still a royal
home to the current head of the
Wittelsbach family, the Duke of Bavaria.
Maximillian I, who
built Bavaria onto a kindom gave out his last breath at Nymphenburg
and his great-grandson, King Ludwig II (the “mad” one),
who built the later Bavarian country palaces of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof
and Chimensee was born there.. Ludwig II’s birth room is one of
the favorite sights of the Palace. The other principal attractions of
the Nymphenburg Palace are the banquet hall with its high ceiling of
fresco paintings, just inside the entrance. In the south wing is perhaps
the palace’s most famous feature, the “Gallery of Beauties”.
A room adorned with portraits of the various daughters and wives of Bavarian
royalty, some of them quite beautiful and some - a little less so. For
the more sensational, look here for the portrait of Lola Montez, the
tabloid queen of her tiime. Born in Ireland as Lola Gilbert to the illegitimate
daughter to an Irish lord and an army soldier, she made her way into
the great circles of European society as "Lola Montez, the Spanish
Dancer", famous on stage for her erotic “spider dance” and
famous off-stage for her smoldering beauty that made her a sought after
courtesan. When she became the mistress of King Ludwig I, he made her
a Countess, much to the dismay of his people, and the scandal eventually
brought down his rule.
Wandering outside the palace, in the stables wing, can be found the Marstallmuseum of royal carriages, with the ornate carriages and snow sleighs of Ludwig II and the great imperial coronation coach of Emperor Charles the VII of France, used in his investiture in Paris in 1742. Next to the carriage house is the Nymphenburg Porcelain collection. Bavarian Royal procelain was actually manufactured on the palace grounds. More porcelain can be found at the Residence Palace in central Munich (see Residence Crown Jewels and Roman Emperors).
The Schloss Nymphenburg Gardens take up most of the land behind the main palace, the green park divided by a canal. Five 18th century pavillions of different styles can be explored, from the octagonal Pagoda to a fake ruin, a neoclassical temple, and rococco hunting lodge with its own hall of mirrors.
If visiting Nymphenburg, save a little extra time to head about five blocks south (on Hirschgartnerallee past the stables) to the Hirshgarten (Deer Garden), the largest and to some the best beer garden and open air restaurant in Munich, and indeed in Europe. In summer, the grounds have room for several thousand guests. The Hirschgarten was once a royal park for deer. There is still an enclosure with deer and some other animals kids can visit as a petting zoo. For an indoors meal in good or bad weather, the Koniglicher Hirschgarten Restaurant has been serving traditional Bavarian food since 1791. Just don't tell the kids about the venison (Rehfleisch) on the menu.
To get to
Nymphenburg Palace from the altstadt mitte of Munich you can take the
number 17
Tram from Stachaus – Karlsplatz, or take the
S-Bahn from Marienplatz or the Hauptbahnhof to Laim stop (nearest the
Hirshgarten). If driving, there is a parking lot on the grounds. If
it fills up, you can park on the approach road of the Aufahrtsallee along
the canal. © Bargain
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See Also:
MUNICH ART PINAKOTEKS ALTE NEUE & MODERNE
SCHLEISSHEIM PALACES & BAROQUE GARDEN PARK
OBERAMMERGAU PASSION PLAY 2010
SCHLOSS LUDWIGSBURG - PALACE & BAROQUE GARDENS
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