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Munich · History

From the emperor’s castle to the ‘capital of the movement’

This route runs from the Alter Hof, home of Emperor Ludwig IV, to the Königsplatz of Ludwig I, by way of the settings of the 20th century’s most turbulent years. We tell the story of Nazism with verifiable facts and without sensationalism, in the places where it happened and where it is remembered today.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.1 km
  • 2 h
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
The Feldherrnhalle, a three-arched loggia with steps and bronze statues, on Odeonsplatz

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Alter Hof, the emperor’s castleThe first emperor with a permanent home lived here, and this is where Bavaria’s capital began. And on its corner, legend says, a monkey once carried off a prince.
  2. 2 Max-Joseph-Platz, the first king’s squareNapoleon turned a duke into a king, and Munich built him a square to match: a Florentine palace, a Greek-style theatre and a monument the king himself did not want.
  3. 3 The outline of Kurt EisnerA metal outline in the pavement marks the spot where they killed the man who ended seven centuries of monarchy in Bavaria.
  4. 4 Feldherrnhalle and the shirkers’ alleyA Florentine loggia dedicated to two generals where Hitler’s putsch collapsed in under a minute. And behind it, an alleyway that became a small act of disobedience.
  5. 5 NS-Dokumentationszentrum, on the site of the Brown HouseA white cube stands on the site of the Nazi Party’s former headquarters. From its windows you can see the buildings the regime put up all around.
  6. 6 Königsplatz, the Athens of Ludwig IA king in love with Greece built three temples here. A century later, the Nazis paved it with granite for their parades, and it took the city forty years to give it back its lawn.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From the emperor’s castle to the ‘capital of the movement’

Eight centuries in one walk

From a 12th-century fortress to a documentation centre opened in 2015, in little more than two kilometres.

Memory with rigour

The murder of Kurt Eisner, the 1923 putsch and the Brown House, told with dates and sources.

Small gestures

An alleyway that became a quiet way of avoiding the Nazi salute.

Keep exploring

More routes in Munich

Back to Munich
Mysteries & legendsDevils, dragons and Wolpertingers: legendary Munich MixedThe best of Munich: from the Frauenkirche to the Eisbach wave

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Munich?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Munich in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Munich in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Munich in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary