Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshalls' Hall)

A lions' den

Two whopping lions guard the entrance to Feldherrnhalle (1841-1844).

IMPOSING: The monument is based on Florence's Loggia.

If you've ever been to Florence this one may ring a bell. The hall was designed with the Tuscan capital's Loggia dei Lanza in mind.

Like many of the buildings around it the Feldherrnhalle was commissioned by King Ludwig I as the southern bookend to Ludwig Strasse, the grand boulevard he hoped would rival Paris' Avenue des Champs Élysées.

The hall became an important Nazi shrine following the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, and after Hitler took power in 1933 passersby had to give the Nazi salute.

Those who preferred not to ducked down an alleyway behind Odeonsplatz then dubbed Drückebergergasse (The Dodgers' Alley).

NOBLE: Two lions guard the entrance.

Famous failures

I find the choice of statues in the hall mildly baffling. The hall was built to honour Bavarian generals but holds statues of a pair of military whack-jobs.

On the left we have Johann von Tilly (1559-1623) commander of the Catholic League who was known for brutality. He surrendered Munich to Protestant Swedish forces during the Thirty Years War. And he wasn't even from Bavaria.

On the right is Karl Phillip von Wrede (1767-1838) who wasn't a general, but a lawyer and had a habit showing up to late to the few battles he was ever invited to. Between them at the back is a memorial for the Bavarian army, added by Prince Regent Lutipold in 1892.

Cats with a view

Stand on the steps in between the lions for a great view all the way down Ludwig/Lutipold Strasse. There's an equestrian statue of King Ludwig I a few hundred metres up on the left.

Further up is the Geschwister Scholl Platz, a fountain-crowned square and the heart of Munich's main uni. The two towers to the right mark the Ludwigskirche.

The Siegestor triumphal arch is dead centre and beyond you can make out the outline of Munich's tallest skyscraper (146m) Uptown München.

LOOKING OUT: The view from the hall.

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