Munich Residenz

As it turns out, Munich and its surrounding area is home to many palaces. We were going to visit a palace on Sunday that was a 2.5 hour train ride away from the city, but it appears that frequency of trains are dramatically reduced on Sundays. So, we thought it wiser to explore a palace in the city instead. We were not disappointed. 

The palace we chose, called the Munich Residenz (or Residence), had an extensive audio tour to showcase the opulence of the place. Despite parts of the Munich Residenz being destroyed in WWII much was re-constructed, and there were a ton of rooms, furniture, and jewels to see. Touring the palace was also a great way to avoid the constant rain on Sunday. 

The Grotto 

The centerpiece of The Grotto

It's rare to see a laughing bust

Panorama of the Antiquarium
For a really cool 360 view of this room that we created, follow this link and then click on the picture. You should be able to use your mouse or finger to spin the view around.

Painted ceiling of the Antiquarium

Rainy courtyard of the Residenz

A ceiling painted to look 3D

The Residenz had a miniature portrait exhibit

The elegant chair where the Elektor would meet important guests and conduct business. The painting behind it was of himself. 

Painting of the Nymphenburg Palace that we saw the previous day

Uncomfortable looking bed of the Elektor

Brandon taking a mirror selfie while Tim and my dad in the background are learning about the room through the audio tour devices.

One of the rooms in the Elektoress' suite

An incredibly fancy game table

The music room 

Ceiling painting depicting a prince

Another room of ornate tapestries 

A ultra-decorated, expensive piece of furniture

A lavish room used for banquets

Even the hallway is exquisite 

Eye-catching fireplace and mantle

More intense ceiling paintings 

Fancy dishes for a fancy place

The Residenz chapel

Lavish private chapel

The Green Room in which members of the court would mingle and play games two nights a week

Could this room be more richly decorated? 

Matching hallway to impress guests

Oldest known crown from England

Queen Katie

More palace fanciness 

A necklace for a queen. The emeralds were sold and replaced with glass

Hundreds of sparkling diamonds and rubies

Regal pieces used only for special ceremonies

Look at all that etched crystal depicting stories from the Bible

A queen's chess set 

More fancy etching with a cool lion-head cap

Hopefully these pictures gave you and idea of the largeness and extreme fanciness of The Residenz. I'm sure we would have been poor peasants in those days, unable to take part in such a lavish lifestyle.