Welcome to Munich - or München [ˈmʏnçn] in German and Minga [ˈmɪŋ(:)ə] in the local dialect. Welcome to a city that is obsessed with beer and sausages but is still called the “northernmost city of Italy”, that is known all over the world for its Oktoberfest and still remains a Millionendorf (a village with a million inhabitants).
While you are here, why not make the most out of your visit to the city and do some geocaching? This multi-cache will take you to some top attractions in the city.
At each stage, you will have to answer one or two specific questions to get the digits you will need to unlock the final cache location. The final location is within max. 15 minutes walking distance from the city centre (City Hall).
All the places mentioned can be accessed free of charge and are open/accessible (almost) 24/7. But I recommend a daytime visit, so that you can combine finding the cache with your sightseeing tour around Munich. Take your time to see as much of Munich as possible!
You can do the stages in any order but here are some suggestions:
- The stages 2 to 13 are within walking distance of the the city centre (stage 1). The longest walking distance from the city centre (Marienplatz) is to the Englischer Garten (30 min).
- From Marienplatz you can do a southern loop 2-3-4-5-6-7 followed by a northern loop 8-9-10-11-12-13. You can do both loops in either direction.
- For getting to places further away from the centre (stages 14, 15) use public transport (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram, Bus) or – in summer – rent a bike! For public transport: look for day tickets or multi-day tickets from MVG and MVV.
1. City Hall and Marienplatz
Marienplatz is the centre of the city. It is a popular place to be at 11 a.m., at noon and at 5 p.m. when the “Glockenspiel” at City Hall is usually played.
Go to: N 48 08.237 E 011 34.523 - You are now standing in front of City Hall.
Tasks: Take a look at the main entrance of City Hall. Close to the entrance gate you will find an engraving about “Herzog Albert III der Fromme”. The second digit of the first year is A. Now take a walk around the square and find the mural of Saint Onuphrius, patron of the city of Munich. There are several legends about Onuphrius. One says that you will have a great day on the day that you look at the mural and that you are not going to die on this day. So, the chances are good that you will find this cache today! The last digit of his address (house number) on “Marienplatz” is B.
2. St Peter (Peterskirche)
The oldest church in the city: Take the opportunity to climb the church tower for an excellent view from a height of 56 meters (the tower closes at 6.30 p.m. in summer).
Go to: N 48 08.200 E 011 34.535 - You are now standing next to Saint Peter.
Task: Walk around the church and find a plaque with a skull and bones of a person who died on the 10th of XXX 1715. The month (Jan=1, Feb=2…) is C
3. Asam Church (Asamkirche)
The Asam Church is one of the most famous buildings in the German baroque style. It was build by the Asam brothers in the 18th century as their private church. Later, it was opened to the public at the request of the citizens.
Go to: N 48 8.102 E 11 34.192 - You are standing in front of Asam Church.
Task: Above the entrance doors, you can see two woodcarvings. The number of persons shown on the two carvings is D (clearly dead persons don’t count)
4. Synagogue Ohel Jakob
68 years after the destruction of the old synagogue in Munich, the new Synagogue, Ohel Jakob (Jakob’s tent) was finally inaugurated. The base of the synagogue is build of travertine stone and recalls the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Go to: N 48 8.075 E 11 34.342 - You are now standing in front of the synagogue close to the city museum.
Task: Walk around the synagogue and find the playground. The number of benches around the playground is E
5. Viktualienmarkt
Viktualienmarkt is the most famous food market in Munich. Stalls and shops on the market are open Monday to Saturday.
Go to: N 48 08.107 E 011 34.566 - You are now standing in the centre of the market.
Task: The market has eight fountains, six of them commemorating famous Munich citizens. Find the fountain with an old lady holding a book. The number of words on the plaque is F
6. Deutsches Museum
CONSTRUCTION WORKS - SEE HINTS
The Deutsches Museum (German Museum) is the world's largest science and technology museum, founded in 1903 and possessing over 100,000 objects. If you are interested in science and technology, don’t leave Munich without visiting it!
Go to: N 48 07.804 E 011 35.030 - You are standing in the inner courtyard of the museum’s premises.
Tasks: Look out for the sun that marks the beginning of the Planet Walk. How many steps do you have to take to complete the Planet Walk? The first digit of the number is G. Then, look out for the “live” sundial. The number of footsteps on the sundial is H
7. Müllersches Volksbad and the Isar
The river Isar is the lifeline of the city and turns into the city’s beach in summer. Right next to the Isar, you will find the Müllersches Volksbad, the oldest public swimming pool in the city. Back in 1901, when it was build, it was the largest and most expensive swimming pool in the world. It is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture and worth a visit, so take your swimming gear with you!
Go to: N 48 07.911 E 011 35.292 - You are now standing in front of Müllersches Volksbad.
Tasks: Count the golden flowers on the balcony above the main entrance. The number of flowers is I. Turn left and walk down to the river. Count the lanterns hanging from the façade facing the river. The number of lanterns is J.
8. Hofbräuhaus
There are probably thousands of places for a beer in Munich but apart from Oktoberfest this is the most well known. Ask for a Halbe, a Mass or a Helles or – in summer – turn around and find a cosy beer garden.
Go to: N 48 08.273 E 011 34.797 - You are now standing in front of the Hofbräuhaus.
Task: Find a badge on the base of the building with a 3-digit number below the letters “Niv. P.”. K is the digital root of this number. (DE: digital root = iterierte Quersumme)
9. Max Joseph Square (Max-Joseph-Platz) with National Theatre and Residence
The National Theatre on Max Joseph Square is home to the Bavarian State Opera and the Bavarian State Ballet. Both are recognized to be among the most famous companies of their kind in Europe. Right next to the National Theatre is the Munich Residence, the former royal palace of the Bavarian regents. The Residence houses museums, a theatre and the Hercules Hall, the primary concert venue for the Bavarian Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra.
Go to: N 48 08.389 E 011 34.698 - You are now standing on Max Joseph Square.
Tasks: The number of lions that are used as door handles on the front façade of the National Theatre is L. Get the year (Roman figures) on the statue of King Max I. Joseph, the first king of Bavaria. The digital root of the year is M.
10. Michael Jackson Memorial
The weirdest memorial in the city is not in honour of a Bavarian king but in honour of the King of Pop.
Go to: N 48 08.406 E 011 34.400 - You are standing on Promenadeplatz close to the Michael Jackson Memorial, which was originally build to honour Orlando di Lasso and was seized by Michael Jackson in 2009. But let’s take a look at the other statues.
Task: There are two more statues that were erected by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Find the years in which these statues were erected and deduct the year of Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck’s statue from the year of Maximilian Emanuel Churfurst von Bayern’s statue. You will get a two digit number. The first digit is N, the second digit is O.
11. Art District (Kunstareal)
The Art District is the museum quarter north of the city centre, consisting of three “Pinakotheken”: the Alte (Old) Pinakothek, the Neue (New) Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne (Modern) including the Museum of Architecture, the Glyptothek and the State Collections of Antiques, the Lenbachhaus, Museum Brandhorst and the State Museum of Egyptian Art. The latest addition is the NS Documentation Centre, which opened in 2015. Some museums, such as the Pinakotheken, have a reduced entrance fee of only EUR 1 on Sundays. So don’t miss them!
Go to: N 48 08.878 E 11 34.267 - You are now in the centre of the art district.
Tasks: Find the bronze sculpture "Two-Piece Reclining Figure" by Henry Moore close to your current position, between the Alte Pinakothek and the Neue Pinakothek. Study the inscription! The sculpture is part of an edition of seven sculptures. This sculpture is number P of 7 (engraving "Moore P/7"). (In winter the inscription might be covered by snow. Please feel free to contact me in case you cannot identify the inscription. I will help you out.) Cross Barer Straße and walk over to the Pinakothek der Moderne. The digital sum of the number of pillars in the outdoor area of the north entrance (“Eingang Nord”) is Q
12. The English Garden (Englischer Garten)
The English Garden is Munich’s largest park, stretching from the city centre to the northern suburbs. Almost four square kilometres in size, it belongs to the largest city parks in the world. Together with the Isar, it is one of the favourite places to hang out in the city.
Go to: N 48 8.991 E 11 35.453 - You are now at the Monopterus and have a view of the southern part of the English Garden. (location changed 2022)
Task: Isn't that a wonderful view from up here? But how many pillars support the roof of this little temple? The number of pillars minus 2 is R.
13. The Eisbach
Just past the “Haus der Kunst” art museum, the Eisbach ("ice brook") enters the English Garden where it forms a standing wave. This wave has become an extremely popular surfing spot so take your time and watch the surfers for a while before continuing…
Go to: N 48 8.601 E 11 35.253 - You are now standing on the bridge over the Eisbach.
Task: Find the engraving “ANNO DMN 18?0” on the bridge. The missing digit is S.
14. Nymphenburg Palace (Schloß Nymphenburg)
This baroque palace in the western part of the city used to be the summer residence of the Bavarian regents, the House of Wittelsbach. Today the palace (entrance fee) and park (free) are open to the public. You have to access the park in order to answer the questions. It is open until 6 p.m. (Nov-Mar), 8 p.m. (Apr, Oct), 9.30 p.m. (May-Sep).
Go to: N 48 9.494 E 11 30.171 - You are now standing in the park in front of the castle.
Tasks: TU is the number of steps you have to climb on any of the two outside staircases to get up to the balcony (a two digit number, first digit is T, second digit is U; Hint: all steps count and TU is an odd number). Now grab a map or take a look on the maps along the entrance to the park. Take a short walk to “Amalienburg”. V is the number of vases on the roof divided by the number of busts depicting a man with a beard.
15. Olympic Stadium and BMW Welt
The 1972 Olympic Games were intended to be the “cheerful games”, and they were cheerful, at least until 5 September, when 11 Israeli team members were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September. During an attempt to rescue them, the hostages were killed, an unprecedented event for the Olympic Games. On the athletic side, we should not forget to mention Marc Spitz, who won seven gold medals in the swimming competition, all with new world records! Close to the Olmypic Stadium, the BMW Welt opened in 2007.
Go to: N 48 10.591 E 11 32.871 - You are now standing on the bridge in front of the Olympic Stadium.
Tasks: Find the memorial for the victims of the Munich massacre. The value of the first letter (A=1, B=2…) on the plate in front of the memorial is W. Walk over the bridge towards the Olympic Stadium. The number of street lamps on the bridge is X. (Hint: X<7)
Check: Digital root of ABCDEFGH=4; IJKLMNOP=8; QRSTUVWX=5
If you experience any difficulties with the above stages (not accessible, destroyed, …) please write a message and explain the problem. I will try to help you to complete this multi.
If you like, upload a photo of your favourite place in Munich!
Cache location:
N 48 0((C+R+V)/O).(H-L+W)(U-I+A)(B-J+M)
E 11 3((G*E)/(O+T)).((X-Q)*N)(P+S-T)(D+F-K)
The cache is located an area with lots of bars and restaurants, so why not come here for dinner and collect the cache as an appetizer... :-)
Check your coordinates with GeoChecker.com
This cache was inspired by GC2XYBM „A Tourist in Copenhagen“. Thanks to all good spirits for doing the beta test and for checking the English translation :-)
Premium members can combine this cache with the exceptional GC5G596 "I <3 MUNICH (Wherigo Cache)". Activate your Wherigo device while visiting the locations mentioned in the listing above and earn at least 10 points of the 15 points required to receive the coordinates for the cache location.