Marienplatz and New Town Hall

Marienplatz has been the central square of Munich since the city's founding in 1158, and the Mariensäule — a golden column topped by the Virgin Mary erected in 1638 — gives it its name. The square is flanked on the north side by the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), a neo-Gothic facade of dark Kelheim limestone stretching 100 metres across and completed in 1909. Built into the centre of the facade at the second-floor level is the famous Glockenspiel, a carillon mechanism with 43 bells and 32 life-sized gilded figures that perform two scenes: the Schäfflertanz, a dance of coopers from a 16th-century plague legend, and a jousting tournament from a 1568 royal wedding. The Glockenspiel runs daily at 11 AM and noon year-round, with an additional 5 PM performance from March through October. A lift inside the Rathaus accesses the tower viewing gallery (entry fee around €3.50 adults), which delivers 360-degree views of Munich's skyline and the Alps on clear days. The older Altes Rathaus on the eastern edge of the square houses a toy museum. Pedestrian zones radiate from all four sides — Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauser Strasse to the west, Weinstrasse to the north — lined with department stores and specialty shops. The square functions as Munich's main event space: Oktoberfest processions pass through here, the Christmas market fills it from late November, and public celebrations on Fasching and major football occasions draw vast crowds.