Nymphenburg was the summer palace of Bavaria’s rulers. Elector Ferdinand Maria began it in 1664 as a gift to his wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, after the birth of their heir, Max Emanuel. Over the following century it grew into a Baroque ensemble more than 600 metres wide, set in one of Germany’s great palace parks.
What to see
The Great Hall
The Stone Hall (Steinerner Saal) in the centre, painted with frescoes by Johann Baptist Zimmermann, looks out over the park and the canal.
The Gallery of Beauties
King Ludwig I commissioned 36 portraits of the women he considered the most beautiful of his time, painted mostly by Joseph Stieler.
The birthplace of Ludwig II
The “fairy-tale king”, builder of Neuschwanstein, was born here in 1845; his birth room is part of the tour.
The Marstallmuseum
State coaches and sleighs of the Bavarian rulers – including the gilded carriages of Ludwig II – and a museum of Nymphenburg porcelain.
The park
The park, with its canals, lakes and woodland, is free to enter. Look for the small park palaces: the Rococo Amalienburg hunting lodge by François de Cuvilliés, the Badenburg with its heated bath and the Pagodenburg.
Tips
- Take tram 17 from the city centre to the stop Schloss Nymphenburg.
- A combined ticket covers the palace, the Marstallmuseum and the park palaces (some of which close in winter).
- Bring a picnic in summer and walk along the canal to the Great Cascade.
