Overview
Munich is everyone’s favourite German city. Not only is it the most prosperous in the country, but the attractiveness of the cityscape, the abundance of cultural activity, the relatively relaxed lifestyle and generally amenable ambience make it the most sought-after place to live and work in Germany.
The seat of the Wittelsbachs, who ruled Bavaria from 1255 until 1918 as Counts, Dukes, Electors and, from 1806, as Kings, Munich was a city which grew up around a court, not one spawned by trade or industry. Consequently, artistically and architecturally it is still one of the best-endowed centres in Europe.
There are fine buildings of every period, and it is also a city of museums. The Alte Pinakothek has one of the finest collections of Old Masters in the world, and the Treasury in the Residenz and the classical sculpture in the Glyptothek are among the best collections of their kind.
The accompanying lecturer, Patrick Bade, is an art historian with a wide range of knowledge and a deep understanding of contemporary Germany.
Day 1
Fly at c. 9.00am from London Heathrow to Munich. An afternoon walk passes through the core of the historic city. See the 19th-century city hall and the little Baroque church of St John Nepomuk created by the Asam brothers.
Day 2
By coach along some of the principal streets and boulevards of the city to see architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Disembark in the vicinity of the main art galleries and visit the Alte Pinakothek, one of the world’s greatest collections of Old Masters. After lunch continue to Königsplatz, a noble assembly of Neoclassical museums, and visit the Glyptothek, an outstanding collection of Greek and Roman sculpture. The Lenbachhaus has an outstanding collection of German Expressionist paintings.
Day 3
The morning is spent in the Residenz, rambling palace of the Wittelsbach dynasty, Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria, with sumptuous interiors of the highest art-historical importance from Renaissance to Romantic, and a marvellous Rococo theatre. After lunch visit the excellent collections of sculpture and decorative arts at the Bavarian National Museum.
Day 4
On the edge of Munich, Nymphenburg is one of the finest palace complexes of the 17th and 18th centuries, with main palace, park, gardens and pavilions. The delightful Amalienburg represents the apogee of secular Rococo interiors, and the carriage museum has sleighs made for King Ludwig II. Return to the centre of Munich and visit the Neue Pinakothek, which houses paintings from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.
Day 5
A morning walk includes the vast Gothic cathedral and the Town Museum which displays among many other artworks the famous Gothic Morris dancers, created by Erasmus Grasser for the festival hall of the Altes Rathaus. Some free time. After lunch a guided tour of the Villa Stuck, a museum and historic Art Nouveau house dedicated to the works of the Bavarian painter, Franz Stuck. Fly from Munich to London Heathrow arriving at c. 5.30pm.
Price – per person
Two sharing: £1,780 or £1,600 without flights. Single occupancy: £2,090 or £1,910 without flights.
Included
Air travel (economy class) on scheduled British Airways flights (Airbus A319); accommodation as described below; travel by private coach for transfers and excursions; breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners with wine; all admission charges; all state and airport taxes; gratuities for waiters, drivers and guides; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Accommodation
Hotel Torbräu: a friendly, family-run, 4-star hotel in the centre.
How strenuous?
There is quite a lot of walking and standing around in galleries. Participants need to be able to keep up with a group of averagely fit people.
Are you fit enough to join the tour?
Small group
Between 10 and 22 participants.
Travel advice
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
Patrick was an excellent combination of the witty and the erudite.
Patrick was knowledgeable, amusing and able to bring the art to life.