The Monkey Tower
A small corner tower carrying an old story about a monkey that snatched the heir and returned him unharmed.
Fentriss — CC0 · Amrei-Marie — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Amrei-Marie — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikiolo — CC BY-SA 4.0
Not on its own, but it is minutes from Marienplatz and on your route through the old town. Step in for twenty minutes to escape the crowds and see a corner of early Munich that many visitors miss.
An old folk tale says a monkey at the court of Prince Ludwig IV seized his infant son, carried him onto the tower roof, then climbed down and returned him unharmed. There is no historical evidence for it, but it stuck in the city's memory and gave the tower its name.
Marienplatz and the town hall clock are three minutes away, the Frauenkirche with its distinctive twin domes is close by, and the Residenz five minutes off. All on one walk through the old town.
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The Alter Hof was the first residence of the Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria, built in the thirteenth century when Munich was still a small town. It is a square courtyard enclosed by old buildings, entered through a vaulted passage in the old town, and easy to walk past without noticing. The courtyard is free and open, and its best-known feature is the small corner tower called the Monkey Tower. An old story tells of a monkey at the prince's court that snatched the infant heir, carried him up to the roof, and brought him back unharmed. Today the courtyard holds restaurants and cafés and a small free exhibition explaining the history of the place.
A small corner tower carrying an old story about a monkey that snatched the heir and returned him unharmed.
A quiet space enclosed by medieval buildings, away from the crowds of nearby Marienplatz.
A free display on early Munich and the Wittelsbach family who ruled Bavaria for centuries.
Alter Hof 1, 80331 München