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Munich · Mysteries & legends

Devils, dragons and Wolpertingers: legendary Munich

Munich’s legends cluster between Sendlinger Straße and Marienplatz. On this route we tell them in front of the façade, stone or bronze where they live, and we always separate what the records say from what tradition has added.

  • 6 stops
  • 1.3 km
  • 1 h 30 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Copper dragon coiled around the corner of the Neues Rathaus, beneath stone reliefs

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Asamkirche, the Asam brothers’ private churchAn artist built a church next to his house so he could see the altar from his window. It is dedicated to a saint who, legend says, died for keeping a secret.
  2. 2 Michaelskirche, the fairy-tale king’s tombA bronze archangel crushes the devil at the door. Down in the crypt lies Ludwig II, the king whose death in a lake no one has ever been able to explain.
  3. 3 The Wolpertinger at the Hunting MuseumA hare with antlers, duck’s wings and webbed feet: Bavaria has its very own fantastical creature, and in this former church they display it stuffed.
  4. 4 Frauenkirche: the devil’s footprintBeside the cathedral door there is a black footprint in the floor. Legend says the devil left it in a rage when he discovered he had been tricked.
  5. 5 Wurmeck, the town hall dragonA copper dragon climbs the corner of the town hall. Legend says it brought the plague to Munich; the records suggest it may all have started with a family coat of arms.
  6. 6 Alter Peter and the saint with the jewelled skeletonIn Munich’s oldest church, a skeleton covered in jewels, brought from the catacombs of Rome, lies in full view.

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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

Devils, dragons and Wolpertingers: legendary Munich

Legends with an address

Every story is tied to something you can see: a footprint, a copper dragon, a bronze archangel.

Record and tradition

From the first record of the coopers’ dance in 1702 to the tombstone of a saint from the catacombs.

A short walk

A flat stroll through the old town that ends near the beer halls, just in time for dinner.

Keep exploring

More routes in Munich

Back to Munich
HistoryFrom the emperor’s castle to the ‘capital of the movement’ 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