Take a look at a map of Munich. Much larger than the Theresien-wiese, the expansive grounds and extensive buildings of the Nymphenburg Palace Park beg the question: What could take up so much space? Put on your sneakers, leave visiting Oktoberfesters to the main palace tour and come explore—it can take hours. Elector Ferdinand Maria gave his wife the land for a 17th-century summer residence as a gift to celebrate the long-awaited birth of their son, Max Emanuel. The latter greatly expanded the palace in two stages during the early 18th century. Rococo architects Henrico Zuccalli and later Joseph Effner added the wings and additional outbuildings to support the court. Several books available at the on-site bookstore provide detailed overviews of the palace’s art and architecture. Most notable is the “Gallery of Beauties,” a series of portraits of Munich women, including the scandalous Lola Montez, commissioned by Ludwig I.
The Park & Its Pavilions Invest € 1 to purchase a Nymphenburg Park map, which in addition to speeding you to the outlying pavilions, highlights some of the 18th and early 19th-century garden architecture, such as the perfectly placed Pan statue and the figure-flanked cascade that caps the garden’s central canal. The park pavilions—Pagodenburg (1718–20), Amalienburg (1730s), Baden-burg (1718–21) and the Magdalenen- klause (1725)—are truly miniature masterpieces. The reserved French exterior of Pagodenburg offers no hint of its intricate chinoiserie interior, an exotic combination of Turkish and Far Eastern motifs. The building was used after sporting events held in the park, and many sources also refer to it as a tea house. Painted in a delicate pink with elaborate white trimwork, Amalienburg was built in the 1730s as a hunting lodge. The interior features detailed carving, stucco and mirror-work and paintings. One amusing highlight is the “Dog Room” with recesses for royal pooches and closets for guns all ornamentally painted in the blue-and-white Dutch tile style with hunting, flower and fruit motifs. (The dogs no doubt enjoyed this all very much.) The two-story kitchen is graced with unusually colorful tiles depicting flowers and Chinese scenes. Badenburg is said to be among the first heated examples of a bath in modern Europe. The two-story bath is ringed with blue-and-white Dutch tiles and an elaborate French oil painting on the ceiling depicts Hercules, Diana and Europa with water motifs. In what must have provided the backdrop for some bacchanalian afternoons, the Badenburg also holds a sizable banquet hall with a ceiling showing Apollo and bathing nymphs. Intended to provide rulers with a stark contrast to the high-living of court life, the Magdalenenklause, or Hermitage, combines Romanesque, Gothic and Moorish architectural elements to create an unusual place for prayer and reflection. The chapel’s faux grotto—with shells, coral and pebbles—features a haunting statue of Mary Magdalene.
Time to Refresh By now you’re hungry: The Palm House offers two lovely options—a small kiosk with tables where you can grab a drink or a quick snack, or an elegant restaurant, the Schloss Café im Palmhaus, which is open year round. The adjoining Geranium House, bathed in light from the two-story glass windows, now houses the works of rotating local artists. Tucked away in the former stables of the palace’s south wing are the impressive Marstall Museum and the Bäuml Porcelain Collection. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking them! The Marstall Museum includes more than 30 ornately carved and decorated carriages and sleighs, as well as royal saddles and other horse and riding gear. This collection is truly breathtaking, conjuring up images of storybook royal life from the early 18th to the late 19th century. Over 1,000 wares of the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, founded by Elector Max Joseph III in the mid-18th century to cater to the court’s table tastes and decorative needs, are on display here. This year mark’s the 260th anniversary of the company (which will be the subject of an upcoming “Landmark” feature) and its showroom, located in the “crescent,” a semicircle of residences enclosing the palace’s cour d’honneur, is worth a peek. The Museum of Mankind & Nature, in the north wing, combines natural history with biology. In a concise overview, visitors can walk through the history of the creation of the planet, plant and animal life, including the development of humans. This museum is especially accessible to children, with large school groups visiting year round. Sections include the Restless Planet Earth, the World of Minerals, the History of Life, Brains and Nerves, and Genes. Through September 23, the museum will house the exhibition “Klima Schützen Kann Jeder” (Everyone Can Protect the Climate). A multi-media display (with lots of pictures) drives home the point in every language. See www.musmn.de for details and opening times.
Other Options The Botanical Garden, adjacent to and originally part of the Palace Park, deserves its own separate visit. Other buildings in the complex include the pump house, a school and even a small hospice. The opening hours of the public buildings change seasonally, so check www.muenchen.de before visiting, or call the info center at 17 90 86 68. If you need yet another reason to get to the palace, a “Mozart & Prague” concert will be held on Sunday, September 30, at 6 pm. For details, visit www.Bavaria-Klassik.com
