Dominating the center of old Munich in Marienplatz, the Neues Rathaus or New Town Hall was built between 1867 and 1908 by Georg von Hauberrisser. The facade is immense, measuring over 91 meters/300 feet long. Its elaborate stone façade in a Gothic Revival or Flanders Gothic style is topped by a 79 meter/260 foot tower with carillon, and is one of the most distinctive features of Munich’s skyline. Since 1874, the 400 rooms of the New Town Hall have housed the city government, city council offices, offices of the mayor, and part of the administration. The façade is placed toward the plaza, with the back side on the small park, Marienhof. In the keller (celler) is a large restaurant or Ratskeller, the decorations continuing in the Gothic style. Through the large doors the center court reveals a spiral staircase and many ornate architectural details. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel, or bells are performed daily at 11 AM, 12 PM, and 5 PM, a treat to encounter.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Detail of the Neo-Gothic/Gothic-Revival/Flander’s Gothic façade of the Neues Rathaus or New Town Hall as seen from Marienplatz. 2. Interior Court of the Neues Rathaus, revealing the spiral staircase and many Gothic ornamentations. 3. Exterior doors with metal work of the Neues Rathaus. 4. Wall painting of musicians as seen in the interior of the Ratskeller, the restaurant. 5. Ceiling detail: a medallion connecting several groin vaults in the Rathskeller. 6. Architectural detail: Stained glass window decorating the Rathskeller. Center, Top: The carillon, built in 1908, displays historical figures. On the upper part, a joust is shown, referring to games at the marriage of Duke Wilhelm V and Renata of Lothringen. The lower part of the carillon depicts the “Schäfflertanz”, a dance fist choreographed at the time of the plague (1515-17. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel, the bells and moving figures, perform daily at 11 AM, Noon, and 5 PM. Center, Bottom: View of the Ratskeller restaurant. Right Column: 1. View of the 79 meter/260 foot tower of the Neues Rathaus. 2. Doorway of the Ratskeller Restaurant in the interior court of the Rathaus. 3. Stained glass window in the Ratskeller, depicting the buildings of Marienplatz, including the Alt Rathaus, or Old Town Hall.