Munich's Old Town: A Family-Friendly Tour of Its Secrets and Legends

Munich's old town rewards the curious – look closely and you'll find dragon statues, backwards clocks, and golden lion noses hiding in plain sight. On this walking tour, you'll uncover the legends and secrets that most visitors walk straight past. You'll also discover how rebellions, royal scandals, and medieval trade shaped one of Germany's most storied cities.

The tour starts at Odeonsplatz, where King Ludwig I's Italian obsessions left their mark on the skyline. You'll pass through the Viscardigasse – Shirkers' Alley – where golden cobblestones commemorate a quiet act of resistance against the Nazi regime, and into Marienplatz, Munich's main square, where a dragon clings to the New Town Hall façade and a golden Mary watches over warrior angels battling plague and war.

From there, you'll wander through the Viktualienmarkt, an open-air market that's been feeding Munich for over two centuries, learning why chestnut trees are inseparable from Bavarian beer garden culture and how a royal decree meant to crush brewers accidentally invented the tradition of bringing your own food. The tour ends at the Fischbrunnen, the Fish Fountain on Marienplatz, where the mayor still publicly washes the city's empty wallet every Ash Wednesday.

On this 90-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Rub the golden lion noses at the Munich Residenz, polished bright by generations of students seeking exam luck
• Walk through Viscardigasse and see the golden cobblestones commemorating quiet resistance during the Nazi era
• Spot a pretzel hidden in the ceiling frescoes of Heilig Geist Church
• Hear the legend of the Monkey Tower at the Alter Hof, where a royal pet kidnapped a baby who grew up to become Holy Roman Emperor
• Browse Dallmayr, once purveyor to the Royal Bavarian Court and still Germany's most luxurious grocery store
• Find Juliet's bronze statue, a gift from Verona, tucked beside the Old Town Hall tunnels
• Try a warm Schmalznudel at Café Frischhut, a traditional Bavarian deep-fried pastry beloved by locals

Lace up your walking shoes – Munich's streets are full of stories that no guidebook will tell you.