Residenz (Bavarian royal palace)

The Residenz ("Residence") is the humble name given to the extravagant palace of the dukes (later kings) of Bavaria. It is full of over-the-top baroque rooms, everything covered in gold and mirrors except for the paintings drawn from German mythology and 19th-century military history. If the Residenz itself doesn't make you choke on gold and jewels, you can always pay extra for the combined ticket to visit the palace Treasury (Schatzkammer), which is part of the complex.

Note that the place where you pick up the audioguides (included) for both the Residenz and the Treasury is next to the Treasury entrance. Since I just visited the Residenz itself, I walked straight from the ticket desk to the Residenz entrance without spotting the audioguides. I saw all these people who had them, but didn't see where they got them until I left.

I should start out by saying that I am not a big fan of baroque or neoclassical art, and the vast majority of the Residenz is constructed in these styles. I marched from one orgy of precious metals, satiny furniture, and naked cherubs to another, scarcely able to tell the rooms apart. It all honestly just kind of blended together.

The saving grace of the Residenz, allowing it to merit two stars ("average") instead of one ("forgettable"), is its oldest section, built during the 16th century. Two of the most peculiar and memorable sections of the palace date from this era: the Antiquarium and the Grotto. The Antiquarium is a display hall holding an immense collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, while the Grotto is a curious decoration in one of the courtyards, a fountain constructed entirely of seashells!

The Residenz is open seven days a week, which is the main reason I went -- most of the other sites in Munich are closed on Monday. It was not a complete waste of time, but the parts of the visit I truly enjoyed were few. I had an altogether better time sitting on the patio of the Franziskaner brewery, also on Residenzstrasse.