Marienplatz Munich

Marienplatz, Munich – also known as St. Mary's Square in Munich – is one of the more famous places in Germany. Renamed after the Virgin Mary (its original name was Schrannen) to protect the town from a cholera epidemic, Marienplatz is regarded by many as the heart of Munich City. Functioning as a sort of traditional town square, Marienplatz hosts annual events such as the city's Founding Festival, the Fasching Celebrations and the Christmas Market. Although no longer the site of the city market and tournaments as it had been in the Middle Ages, Marienplatz is still seen as one of the most important parts of old town Munich.

When standing in Marienplatz, one gets the benefit of seeing some of the most remarkable structures in Munich. There is, of course, the one thing you can't ignore at the center of the square – the Meriensäule, or Column of St. Mary. Built to commemorate the end of the Swedish invasion in 1638, the column's crowning glory is an exquisite rendition of the Virgin Mary that was actually sculpted by Hubert Gerhard almost fifty years earlier. Today, it's one of the most photographed landmarks of the city and represents Munich's survival despite war, hunger, pestilence and heresy.

Another structure to behold when in Marienplatz, Munich is Neues Rathaus or the New Town Hall. It is, in fact Munich's city hall and it was built in the late nineteenth century. What makes it so remarkable is that it physically looks like it existed several centuries earlier, thanks to its architectural style and inspiration. Not too far away is the Carillon, also known as the city's Glockenspiel. The Carillon, which is an instrument consisting of bells played with fists and feet via a keyboard of some sort, often chimes in Munich at around noon or late afternoon.

But perhaps the most charming feature of the Marienplatz is the Fischbrunnen, the Fish Fountain. Designed in 1864 and rebuilt after the second World War in 1954, this small fountain is an oasis of peace amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Munich.

There are few places in the world like Marienplatz, Munich; it's age and paradoxically simple complexity is an experience best taken in personally.