With the air of a capital city about it, Munich draws visitors from around the globe. Students love to study here; people from around the world love to live here, and writers, painters, and musicians come here for inspiration. Munich resonates big city flair yet rural charm, traditional customs yet a high tech aura. It’s this "Munich mix" that allows the Bavarian capital to remain so intriguing.
Located in the heart of Europe is the capital of Bavaria: beautiful Munich. The city's people have long been noted for their love of the arts, and the architecture and masterpieces that fill the area's buildings and streets are a perfect backdrop to enjoy a festive culture that fills the air.
Munich is southern Germany’s main metropolis, with its lively international atmosphere, beautiful buildings, and countless shops. If you love culture, there are fascinating museums through which you can wander. It’s also perfect for peaceful strolls through the park, exploring royal palaces, or checking out the hottest technologies. Not only is it a spot for everyone, it’s also a culturally enriching experience in a country with some of the Church’s most faith-promoting history.
It took perseverance to finally get the Church rolling forward in Germany. Daniel Carn was the president of the first German mission in Hamburg in 1852. His first months were both peaceful and successful—he baptized twelve and participated in a miraculous healing. But shortly after arriving he was arrested and imprisoned for his missionary efforts. Carn was released, but only after consenting to leave Germany within eight days. Fortunately, the work continued in Hamburg for about two years until the mission was closed due to more missionary arrests.
Following the short-lived Hamburg Mission, the work in Germany met endless resistance as it continued slowly. After World War I began, the missionaries once again had to be evacuated, but missionary efforts finally began to pay off when in 1924 the Swiss-Germany Mission had more members than any LDS mission in the world with 1,795 converts that year. And that’s not all; by 1930 Germany had more non-English speaking members than any other nation, and more members than any country outside the United States.
But these successes didn’t end hardship for the Saints. During World War II, bombs destroyed the mission home in Berlin, along with many meeting halls. About six hundred Saints and two local German mission presidents lost their lives. The end of the war brought transportation and utility breakdowns, food and fuel shortages, and widespread disease. But the faithful Saints moved forward with the help of many others. Although the Dutch suffered harshly during the war, in 1947 the Saints in Holland sent most of their sixty-ton potato harvest to the afflicted German members. Many Germans later said they would have died without this help.
These many hardships, however, have not halted the work of the Lord for the members in this region. Today Germany has 36,721 members, 14 stakes, 89 wards, 92 branches, 4 missions, and 2 temples. Such growth could never have occurred without the faithfulness and devotion of Saints during trying periods in earlier days of the Church.
Four Places You Must See in Germany
1. Frankfurt Temple
Although it’s a four-hour car drive north of Munich, you may be flying in and out of Frankfurt anyway. If this is the case, you must visit The Frankfurt Temple, which sits in the picturesque town of Friedrichsdorf, Germany, just nine miles north of Frankfurt. After battling intense opposition from religious leaders, this temple with white granite walls and a copper roof, was finally built and later dedicated in August of 1987 by President Ezra Taft Benson.
The Frankfurt Temple covers 24,757 square feet and has a single spire standing eighty-two feet tall. It not only serves stakes in Germany, but also Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, northern France, and a small portion of Austria.
2. Neuschwanstein
Located a two-hour train ride southwest of Munich is the most famous castle in the world, Neuschwanstein. You’ve probably seen pictures of this illustrious castle, or at the very least you’ve seen the Disneyland castle, which was modeled after it. It was commissioned in 1868 by the eccentric monarch King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He wanted an enchanting castle built in the style of the ancient German knights’ castles, and that’s basically what he got. His grand project began in 1869, but Ludwig’s early death at the age of forty-one kept him from seeing the castle completed. In fact, it’s still not finished inside.
3. Garmisch-Partenkirchen
With its soaring mountains overlooking the classic German village, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is that it’s breathtaking. It’s a winter sports resort situated on the northern slope of the Wetterstein Mountains. Here is where the Zugspitz, Germany’s highest mountain at 10,000 feet, is located. In 1936 Garmisch and Partenkirchen were merged for the Winter Olympics. Although Garmisch-Partenkirchen is one of the most popular ski resorts in the area, there’s also lots of camping and hiking available in the summer.
4. Oberammergau
The centuries-old passion play puts this city on the map. It’s the world’s longest-running show and began in 1634 when the town’s citizens promised to present the play out of gratitude for being spared from the devastating plague in 1633. The play is divided into episodes introduced by Old Testament scenes, which connect predictions of the great prophets to incidents of Jesus’ suffering. You can watch these magnificent plays in the enormous Passionsspielhau.
Oberammergau is a delightful village. This is the place in Germany to buy carvings because almost every street seems to have a wood-carving shop.
Munich City Center
There is plenty to do in and around the Munich city center, the first of which should be visiting Marienplatz. This square attracts everyone from fire-eaters and musicians to magicians and acrobats. Plus, if you’re here when the famous glockenspiel chimes at 11 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m., you can watch charming figures pop out of the clock and dance—great entertainment and it’s free! When you’re ready for shopping and a bite to eat, hop on the Kaufingerstrasse, a pedestrian-only area with lots of shops and cafes.
There are also spots kids will love around Marienplatz such as the Spielzeugmuseum (toy museum) where toys from all over the world are exhibited. Children also might enjoy the Jagd-und-Fischereimuseum (hunting and fishing museum) where a vast collection of fishing and hunting exhibits show eye-catching dioramas of the wild animals of Bavaria.
For a taste of history, visit Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). It was rebuilt after World War II and has an exhibit showing bombing devastations, which only makes the current building more remarkable. This church also has dome-topped towers and a magnificent pipe organ. If you visit Frauenkirche in the summer, it has organ concerts. Whatever you do, don’t forget to take the elevator up to the observation deck where you can gaze out across the rooftops of Munich.
The last thing you must see just east of the city center on an island in the Isar River is the Deutsches Museum. It is the most popular museum in Germany and attracts about one-and-a-half million visitors each year because of the way it brings science and exploration to life. It is the largest technology exhibition in the world featuring everything from astronomy exhibits to exhibits of the decorative arts. You’ll find the first petrol-driven car built by Carl Benz here as well as airplanes belonging to the Wright brothers.
Englischer Garten
At the north end of Munich, the Englischer Garten is the perfect place to catch some fresh air. It’s an enormous park designed to imitate the English countryside with the Isar River diverted into the park and small streams trickling through the woods. Here you can go pedal boating on the Kiehasseloher See, a big artificial lake. It’s also a great place for bike rides, picnics in the park, and even horse carriage rides. Enjoy a day of relaxation, but do be careful where you go—there are spots designated for nude sunbathers in the summer.
As for food, if you don’t bring a picnic, the Chinese Tower Biergarten is here. Don’t worry, biergartens aren’t bars, they’re more like open-air cafes. Here you can get some great traditional German food including bratwurst (sausage), spatzle (noodles), and apfelstrudel (apple pastry). In the summer, you can also attend live concerts while enjoying your authentic German meal.
Nymphenberg Palace
Want to see some royal glamour? Visit one of Europe’s most beautiful treasures, Nymphenburg Palace. It’s much more ornate inside than you’d guess from looking at the outside. A seventeenth century confection of high baroque architecture, the palace was dedicated to the goddess Flora and her nymphs. The inside of the palace is a vision of gold and white and includes a Gallery of Beauties featuring portraits of the most beautiful women of the time. On the outskirts of the palace are botanical gardens, which hold Germany’s largest collection of orchids.
Olympic Park
For a little more action, take a ride to the top of the Olympic Tower at Olympic Park. After a speedy but smooth ride to the top you’ll find excellent views of the old city, the Dom, red-tiled roofs, the Alps, and even Austria. Olympic Park was built for the 1972 Olympic games and there are a handful of fun things to do.
The stadium at the park seats 62,000 spectators. If your kids are soccer fans, look into getting tickets to watch the Munich soccer team, FC Bayern. There’s also a swimming pool—indoor and heated—plus a sauna and trampolines for everyone to expend more energy. Olympic Park is another place where you can rent pedal boats or rowboats for cruising the artificial lakes. Minigolf and bike paths can also fill your day at the park.Another museum you must check out is the BMW car museum, which is right by the Olympic Park. This building was designed by K. Schwarzer and looks like a nineteen- story-high, four-cylinder engine! It has over four hundred BMWs that date back as far as 1916, along with over eighty exhibits showing off the latest technologies.