Nymphenburg Palace

Nymphenburg Palace, the Baroque summer residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was begun in 1664 by Elector Ferdinand Maria to celebrate the birth of his heir Max Emanuel. Construction continued under successive rulers: Max Emanuel doubled the size after his viceroyalty in Brussels, and his son Charles Albert added the grand circular hall frescoed by Johann Baptist Zimmermann. The design follows a hôtel entre cour et jardin layout with a central pavilion and sweeping arcaded wings extending into the park. The park, originally laid out in French formal style by Dominique Girard, was later partly converted to an English landscape garden while retaining the grand central canal that aligns with the palace facade. The four park pavilions each have a distinct character: the Badenburg contains a period swimming hall with Delft-tiled walls; the Pagodenburg is a Rococo retreat with East Asian motifs; the Magdalenenklause is a deliberately ruined hermitage; and the Amalienburg, designed by François de Cuvilliés, is a Rococo hunting lodge with a circular hall of mirrors. The Marstallmuseum in the south wing displays one of Europe's finest royal carriage collections. Nymphenburg is accessible via Munich tram line 17 and shares its grounds with the Botanischer Garten München.