Nymphenburg palace is a historical Baroque summer palace of the Bavarian rulers, located just west of Munich city center.
The building was constructed as a summer palace to celebrate the long-awaited birth of a child (Maximilian II Emanuel, in 1662) to Bavarian Prince-Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy.
PHOTO: Walkway to the palace goes alongside a canal. The canal has, within its clear waters, fish, swans, and aquatic birds. As you approach the palace, you’ll see its magnificent 700 meter (765 yard) long Baroque facade.
PHOTO: Nymphenburg Palace, as seen from the ‘grand parterre’ Baroque gardens side. In the picture, gardens’ statues have been winter-protected by wooden covers.
PHOTO: Nymphenburg central palace was completed in 1675, from plans by court architect (Italian) Agostino Barelli. He also designed the Munich Theatinerkirche.
PHOTO: Current shape for the palace is from 1715, when the exteriors got (pictured) Josef Effner designed busts, pilasters, and arched windows.
PHOTO: Nymphenburg Baroque gardens contain many buildings, including a Rococo Amalienburg, Badenburg royal baths, and Pagodenburg tearooms.
PHOTO: Closeup of the Amalienburg, made in Rococo style. The ‘hunting lodge’ palace was built from plans by François de Cuvilliés, from 1734-1739, as commissioned by Charles VII and his wife, Maria Amalia.
Nymphenburg is located just west of Munich city center, part of the suburban area, but when it was completed, the palace was within countryside.
The current, massive, size of the palace is from extensions done by Prince-Elector Max Emanuel (in reign from 1679-1726)…
…who added the palace wings, thus giving the buildings the famous round, “Schlossrondell”, shape.
Many of the period’s leading artists worked on Nymphenburg as commissioned by Max Emanuel, including…
- Joseph Effner,
- Dominique Girard,
- Jacopo Amigoni, and
- Johann Baptist Zimmermann, who made bas-relief artworks to the interiors.
As the leading artists of the time migrated to Munich to build Nymphenburg, and with many staying here for good, Munich quickly became a center for European art.
After Max Emanuel, each subsequent king and prince-elector wanted to leave his mark on the Nymphenburg.
For example, Prince-Elector Maximilian III Joseph (in reign 1745-77), had statues (of ancient Greek gods) added the gardens.
Inside the palace, highlights include the “Steinerner Saal” (“Stone Hall“), on the main palace.
Steinerner Saal is a grand, richly decorated three-story entrance hall of the palace.
The entrance hall has famous frescoes by Johann Baptist and Frans Zimmermann, including a masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo, portraying nymphs showing respect to goddess Flora.
The palace area also contains “Marstallmuseum”, a museum of royal carriages, on the southern wing.
Marstallmuseum collection includes many highlights, most notably a coronial carriage for Prince-Elector Karl Albrecht (who later became Emperor Charles VII of the Holy Roman Empire), from 1735.
Marstallmuseum collection is, in fact, one of the three most important collections in Europe, together with Wagenburg museum in Vienna, and the Picadeiro collection in Lisbon.
For friends of classical music, Nymphenburg offers an annual, three-week long summer festival, from mid-June to early July.
Nymphenburg Palace
Address: 80638 München, Germany
Official website: Schloss-Nymphenburg.de
- symphony concerts,
- choirs, and
- chamber music…
…with performances ranging from Buxtehude to Brahms.