I think that, because my husband knew Germany was not my first choice, he let me dictate the first day’s activities. We started with a walk over to Marienplatz, and a relaxing bite to eat at a cafe as we waited for Noon to arrive. The New Town Hall is beautiful and is the perfect focal point for the town square.
You could see the crowds building as it got closer to “showtime”, and once the Glockenspiel started chiming, all heads were tilted towards the sky.
The dolls on the top level act out the wedding of Duke Wilhelm and Renata of Lorraine. The ones on the bottom dance the Schaffiertanz. All the detail of the dolls, and mechanics to make everything run (in sync with music) two or three times a day…books do not do it justice.
If you have young children or babies with you, are very sensitive to some noise or have problems standing, you may want to re-think going. The chimes are very loud, the only seats are in cafes, and the show lasts about 15 minutes.
After the show we we were off to Residenz, the former royal palace. If your theory is that you can just rush through at the end of the day, there is no point in going (at least not in my eyes). There are over 100 rooms and about 10 courtyards.
The Treasury alone could make any jewel lover drool.
Other rooms have stunning ornate decorations and items.
Don’t be like Clark Grizwald from National Lampoon’s Vacation was with the Grand Canyon – look at it for a minute, and then continue on. Take your time when you visit. It isn’t just the objects you should look at, marvel at the architecture and artwork.