Today was all about exploring the Schwabing area of Munich which is known as Munich’s back garden possibly because it has one of the largest inner-city parks in Europe but more of that later. We walked past the Residence then continued up the road to the University Library. It is said that this has over 10,000 books some dating from the 16th century but although you can go in and have a look round there isn’t a book to be seen anywhere! The entrance is very light and leads to a spectacular staircase but all that is at the top of the stairs are ‘reading’ rooms that have a number of people sitting round on laptops – all very disappointing! From here we walked up to the University Church, Ludwigskirche, which is another light and airy place, this has an alter fresco of Judgment Day which is the second largest in the world although there isn’t any information on which one is the largest! It does look large and very brightly coloured. We walked round a number of university buildings all of which are very large and have a similar look, probably because they were all built around the same time as Ludwig I moved the university to Munich in 1826 from Ingolstadt where it was founded in 1472. At the end of the University Quarter is a triumphal arch Ludwigstrabe and Siegestor built in 1800 which is the start of the ‘Italian mile’ a road of buildings that reflect the Italian renaissance style and links the north and south gates of the city. The arch was built for victory parades. We walked around a number of the back streets visiting Elizabethplatz which was named after the Austrian empress Elizabeth and where a market has been held since 1903, there is a fish section then the rest seems to be dedicated to fruit and vegetables. There is also a little cafe where a number of people seemed to be having a snack and despite the fact it was only about 10:30 enjoying a beer! We continued walking round the streets and visited St Ursula’s church which seems to be having a lot of work done on its roof as they had cordoned off a section of the church incase something fell down! Eventually we found our way to the English Garden which is a massive park area with lakes, canals, fields parkland and a couple of beer gardens. Apparently the name refers to the fact that it is a mix of formal and informal gardens which were popular in the early 1800’s and it stretches from the city centre to the northern limits of the city. We walked around the park which was really nice as it is a lovely day and stopped at the Chinesischer Turn or Chinese Tower which marks one of Munich’s best beer gardens – according to the guidebook! There is a traditional wooden Chinese pagoda whose style dates back to 1789 which is when the first one was built although it has been burnt down and rebuilt a number of times in its history. It has five stories and I am sure would have a great view over the park but you don’t seem to be able to climb it although a band did appear on the first floor during lunch to serenade us. We had a few drinks and some lunch here then headed back to the hotel for a rest before heading out for something to eat probably back at Marienplatz although there are celebrations going on today for gay pride so it may be busy.
