Tom's Tours

04/06/2026

Had a great day with 4 Americans in Nymphenburg palace and garden today.

09/05/2026

Nymphenburg on a sunny day. What could be better? And with such great guests too.

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29/04/2026

Having a massive History nerd on the tour is always a pleasure so thank you Mikka!

20/04/2026

20/04/2026

Perfect weather for a tour to Nymphenburg palace and gardens.

20/04/2026

Enjoying a beer with a fun group from the USA in the Kloster Andechs resturant.

Andechs brewery is still owned and run by the monks of Andechs and their centeries old tradition and passion makes for one of Bavaria's best beers.

27/03/2026

A Royal Gift

In 1797, the 40 year old widower Prince Elector Maximillian Jospeh married the twenty year old Karoline of Baden. Overweight, balding, and already the father of four young children, Max Joseph probably wasn't what the young Karoline had imagined her future husband to look like. Max himself was also painfully aware he wasnt the type to make young women go weak at the knees but as he wrote to Karoline's mother 'Tell her that if an upright and honest character could cause her to overlook my age and my status as a father of four. I beg her not to reject my humble proposition.' (Him being one of most powerful princes in the Holy Roman Empire probably didn't hurt his chances either).

The marriage itself turned out to be a success. Max was an unpretentious family man who clearly loved his second wife and even allowed her to keep practising her protastant faith. There was no small thing in a state where protestants were effectively banned. Karoline herself, if never madly in love, was no doubt fond of her husband, although not above throwing a tantrum to get her own way with her soft hearted husband and in the course of their marriage became pregnant eight times.

In 1821, Karoline decided to gift Max a painted album of their rooms in the Residenz. Such gifts were currently in vouge with the nobility, and she commissioned a small team of painters to get it done. The servants were commanded not to tell the now King Maximilian Jospeh of her plan on 'pain of royal disfavour'. Unfortunately, one day, Max Jospeh surprised one of the artists at work while he was in Karolines throne room. The queen gave a rather weak excuse, so the suspicious king wheedeled the truth from a maid then commanded none of the servants could tell the queen he knew her secret.

Needless to say, the gift was much appreciated by Maximilian, who must have put on a good show of being surprised by it. Today, the album is an invaluable resource showing us how the monarchy lived in the Residenz. Sadly, the suite of rooms were destroyed in the war and never rebuilt.

Join us to learn more about the royal family.

Copyright: München, Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds.

26/03/2026

17/03/2026

We're escaping the cold today in Ludwig I's Greek inspired (and very yellow)throne room.

29/01/2026

Motzart premieres the Ideomeno in Munich

On the 29th January 1781, Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, to give his full birth name, premiered his opera the Ideomeno in the Bavarian Court Theatre, today know as the
Cuvilliés Theatre. By all accounts, the opera was a rousing success, but despite this, no commission from Prince Elector Karl Theodore was offered, so Motzart moved to Vienna, seeking better things.

Today, this failure to offer Motazart a position as a court composer is one of Karl Theodore's greatest blunders and one of Munich's great missed opportunities. If Motzart had stayed here and composed his works, Munich would have become one of the great musical cities in the world, rivalling London, Milan, and Paris, but now it is Vienna that claims the prize.

Still, even though he failed to gain employment in Munich, Motzart had many happy memories of Munich. 'In all truth, I amused myself too much.' He would later write. He was especially fond of the Hofbräuhaus and even wrote a poem entitled 'Among all Cities'

Of all the cities that I stayed made much, and my instruments played
I took up residence in Munich
I gave a fine concert there at court,
the opera Ideomeno in 1780 there I wrote,
and often sought refreshment in the Duke's brew house.
The beer there really pleased me
And the guests never ceased to amused me
Anyone whose been there will agree with me!

If you want to follow in Motzarts footsteps join us on a tour see where he lived, drank and the theatres he played in.