The Church of Our Lady, Munich, Germany

The Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) is undoubtedly the most famous landmark in the city of Munich. Its impressive domed twin towers rising a hundred metres into the sky can be seen from miles around. This triple-naved late-Gothic cathedral in Munich"s old quarter, which houses art treasures spanning five centuries, is the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Munich and Freising.

The late-Gothic brick edifice with its colossal saddleback roof, erected by Jörg von Hasbach between 1468 and 1488, towers over the other buildings in Munich"s old quarter. The Church of Our Lady is one of the largest hall churches in southern Germany. Despite its dimensions, it is the beauty and simplicity of the church which captivate its visitors. Inside there are many precious art treasures, such as the choir windows from the late 14th century which originate from the previous church, the figures of the apostles and prophets by Erasmus Grasser, and 18th century gilded reliefs by Ignaz Günther depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The oldest tombs of the House of Wittelsbach are found in the royal vault under the choir, among them Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and his sons.

The altars and the side altars, remodelled in the baroque style, are especially beautiful, as are the chapels which contain works by various artists, including van Dyck"s Christ on the Cross. Legend has it that the devil demanded the church be built without windows. When he went inside to inspect the building, he left behind a footprint in the entrance to the church. Thanks to an architectural illusion, no windows can be seen from the 'devil"s footprint' just inside the door, and the devil left satisfied. The towers house a total of ten bells with beautiful chimes, which are rung at different times throughout the day and on special occasions. The bells are amongst the most valuable and historical in Germany.

The Church of Our Lady has seating for 4,000 people and is always well attended. The south tower is open to the public. From the top, which can be reached either on foot or by lift, there is a splendid view of the city and the nearby Alps.

References:

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User Reviews

A. Richardson (3 years ago)
This place is super cool because on the outside they have a concrete sitting area that you can get great shots of the outside structure. There are restaurants located near by as well. Light foot traffic around this area during first week of OCT.

Tyler Christen (3 years ago)
Really awesome historic place. The painting of Mary is a little creepy in downstairs room but it's all pretty cool and also humbling if you are Christian

J D (3 years ago)
I only specifically wanted to visit ‘the devils footprint’ but what I walked into was so much more. The church was amazing. The artistry and architecture were fascinating to look at and admire. It felt a little creepy touching the footprint though!!

Milena Tasheva (3 years ago)
You need to climb 91 very narrow circular stairs before reaching the lift; I was a bit surprised to reach the top and find out it is a closed room, not an open space. The view is great though Entrance was 7.50 and I think it is not worthy

Alex Rybkovsky (3 years ago)
Beautiful piece of architecture. Towers are visible all over the old town. It looks better though from outside. Was expecting more inside. Still a great place to visit.

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