For four centuries, the Residenz was the seat of Bavaria’s rulers. From 1508 to 1918, the Wittelsbach dukes, electors and kings lived and governed here, and each generation added new wings, courtyards and treasures. The result is one of the largest city palaces in Europe.
What to see
The Residence Museum
More than 130 rooms, from Renaissance halls to the apartments of the kings.
The Antiquarium
The largest Renaissance hall north of the Alps, built in the 1570s to display the dukes’ collection of antique sculpture, with a painted vaulted ceiling.
The Treasury
Crowns, swords and jewels of the Bavarian rulers, among them a famous statuette of St George set with gemstones.
The Cuvilliés Theatre
A jewel-box Rococo theatre designed by François de Cuvilliés in the 1750s, where Mozart’s opera *Idomeneo* had its premiere in 1781.
The Court Garden
North of the palace, the Hofgarten is a formal Renaissance garden with a pavilion dedicated to Diana – free and lovely for a break.
Tips
- Buy a combined ticket for the Residence Museum, the Treasury and the Cuvilliés Theatre; under-18s go free.
- Allow time: the museum alone is a long walk – pick the rooms you most want to see.
- The Cuvilliés Theatre keeps its own hours, often afternoons only.
