Athens on the Isar

This walk traces King Ludwig I's ambitious vision to turn Munich into a German Athens, leading you from Karolinenplatz through the monumental neoclassical temples of Königsplatz.

Listen to this tour in the Mira app →

1. Obelisk von König Ludwig I

The bronze obelisk at the center of Königsplatz stands nearly twenty-four meters tall, cast from the metal of Turkish cannons captured during the naval Battle of Navarino in eighteen twenty-seven. King Ludwig the First commissioned the…

2. Alte Pinakothek

The Alte Pinakothek carries a distinctive Venetian red brick facade that sets it apart from the surrounding neoclassical stone buildings. King Ludwig the First commissioned the gallery in the eighteen twenties to house his massive…

3. Glyptothek

The Glyptothek features a wide, ionic portico topped with pediment sculptures that stand out against the surrounding stone. King Ludwig the First of Bavaria commissioned this building specifically to house his extensive collection of Greek…

4. Staatliche Antikensammlungen

Thirty-two tall, Corinthian columns wrap around the front of the Staatliche Antikensammlungen, creating a temple-like facade that dominates the south side of Königsplatz. King Ludwig the First commissioned the building in the eighteen…

5. Propylaea

The Propylaea stands as a massive marble gateway marked by its thick, towering Doric columns arranged in three distinct portals. King Ludwig the First commissioned the structure in the middle of the nineteenth century to honor the Greek…

6. Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke München

The Museum für Abgüsse Klassischer Bildwerke holds a collection of white plaster casts of antique sculptures. Among the rows of Greek and Roman figures stands a full-scale reconstruction of the Parthenon frieze, wrapping around the…

7. St. Boniface's Abbey

St. Boniface's Abbey features a massive, red-brick facade modeled after Roman basilicas from the fifth century, complete with rows of rounded windows and a flat, unadorned roofline. King Ludwig the First commissioned this church in…

The audio tour continues in the Mira app →