Marienplatz is the most famous Christmas market in Munich. The market is abuzz every year between the first advent and Christmas Eve and is a favorite with the tourists. It surpasses others with the abundance of traditional Christmas items, food, and woodcarvers' stands. In recent years, there has not been much snow at market time but the atmosphere is always very special.

The New Town Hall was built in the 19th century at a time when the city of Munich enjoyed great economic prosperity. The Old Town Hall was found to be too small to function as the office of the local government and a new building was constructed nearby. The site for the New Town hall was chosen near the Old Town Hall on Marienplatz in Munich. Twelve buildings were demolished to make space for the new structure. It was designed by young architect, Georg Hauberrisser who was 24 years old at the time. The building was constructed between 1867 and 1908. The New Town Hall building has a Gothic Revivalist architectural style. It has 400 rooms and covers an area of over 9000 square meters. It faces the Marienplatz and there is a small garden at the back called the Marienhof. The Ratskeller restaurant occupies the basement and the first floor has a balcony from where visitors can view events like football matches and concerts taking place on Marienplatz. The 85 meter main tower is accessible using elevators. One of the main attractions of the New Town Hall is the mechanical Glockenspiel or Carillon with two levels. The upper level has dolls reenacting the wedding of Duke William V and Renate of Lorraine and the lower level has dolls performing the Schäfferltanz, a dance arranged as a celebration to mark the end of a plague epidemic. The Glockenspiel show takes place every day at 11am, 12pm and 5pm.

The Residenz Royal Palace used to be the seat of government and the residence of Bavarian dukes from 1508 to 1918. The complex used to be a castle during the 13th Century and later expanded to house magnificent palaces and gardens. The spectacular architecture, grand décor and exhibits of historical furnishings makes it one of the most opulent and beautiful palaces in the world. The walls, windows and even the ceilings are decorated with Renaissance paintings and frescoes.

The Feldherrnhalle or Field Marshall’s Hall is a large loggia built to commemorate two brave Bavarian military leaders and the soldiers who laid down their lives during the Franco Prussian War. It is best remembered for the skirmish between the Bavarian Police and Hitler’s followers in 1923, called the Beer Hall Putsch.
The Feldherrnhalle was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and designed by Friedrich von Gartner. It was built between 1841 and 1844 on the site of one of the old city gates, the Schwabinger Tor. The design was modeled along the lines of the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. It is located at the southern end of Ludwigstrasse, near the Palais Preysing.
The Feldherrnhalle has large bronze statues of two revered Bavarian military heroes, Johann Tilly and Karl hilipp von Wrede, created by sculptor Ludwig Schwanthaler. In 1882, another sculpture to pay tribute to the Bavarian army’s exploits in the Franco Prussian war was created by Ferdinand von Miller Jr. and placed at the center. The steps leading up to the monument has two lions sculpted by Wilhelm Ruemann in 1906. The growling lion sculpture faces the Residenz Royal Palace while the other lion, with its mouth closed, faces the church. It was at this spot that Hitler and his followers were arrested by the Bavarian police after the Beer House Putsch.

The Hofgarten was commissioned by Duke Maximilian I and built between 1613 and 1617. Presently it is a peaceful garden in the middle of the city. The Munich War Memorial is located adjacent to the Hofgarten. The memorial inscription that was added after WWII remember the 22000 dead, 11000 missing Munich soldiers and 6600 victims of the Allied bombing attacks.

The Haus der Kunst is an art museum that was built during the Third Reich as an example of Nazi architecture and as a means of Nazi propaganda. It is used today as a venue for trade shows and visiting art exhibitions, and houses a popular high-end nightclub called P1.
The Haus der Kunst was designed by architect Paul Ludwig Troost. It was constructed between 1933 and 1937. The first major exhibition here was the Grosse Deutsche Kunstausstellung, or Great German Art Exhibition, displaying works that the Third Reich considered Germany’s best examples of art. Unlike most other buildings in Munich, it survived the World War II bombings with little damage. After the war, it was occupied by the US and allied forces and used as an officer’s mess.
The original purpose of the Haus der Kunst can still be seen through the swastika motifs on the ceiling and portico. It became a museum again in 1946 and the large exhibition halls were partitioned into smaller rooms. The first major exhibition after the Third Reich was held in 1949, featuring works of contemporary artists, like Picasso, Kadinsky, Braque and others, that were banned by the Nazi regime. The purpose of the exhibition was to shake of the past where contemporary art was condemned as degenerate art.

The Führerbau is a Nazi party building located in Königsplatz. It was constructed to the design of Paul Ludwig Troost. On 29 September 1938, Hitler met Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier here. Currently the Führerbau houses the School of Music and Performing Arts, Munich. The convention hall has been converted into a concert hall.