The Residenz

Not my photograph but this is what it looks like from the outside.

During our stay in Munich I was very interested to visit The Munich Residenz and Treasury.  As luck would have it, we would only have time to tour one but not both.  So we skipped The Treasury this time.  There is always next time.  We toured The Residenz after touring the Deutches Museum.  It was a cold, rainy day and my ankle was at it's most painful during the walk through The Residenz, I am thankful that there were not as many steps as the museum.  I thought my foot was breaking every time I had to take a step down stairs.

I hope you like the pictures I took.  I tried to adjust them as best as I could, some rooms were very dark!  Other rooms had bright lights that gave me some problems with taking good pictures. 

The fountain court.

The antiquarium with it's collection of antique sculptures.

The Black Hall a flat ceiling that was painted to give it the illusion of a vaulted ceiling.

Up close look of the above mentioned ceiling art.

There was an extensive collection of porcelain and china.

Check out how many doors we walked through while touring different rooms. 

A scale model of The Residenz.

That is one HUGE mirror!!!  I had to take a picture.  I think if my sister Lily had her way, she would have tried to smuggle it out some how.

These doors are so big! 

This table top was damaged during the bombings that took place during 1944-45.

Dinner for how many?!  This wasn't even all of it, they had a separate room just filled with more dishware!

This and the following pictures are from the relics special exhibit.  There are various holy relics and even the bones of saints!

Bones!

That's a skull wrapped in silk and decorated with pearls.

Through the glass you can see more bones.  The top pane of glass has a skill behind it!  Check out the photo below for a close up.

It's hard to see but those are dogs attacking a big animal, I want to say it's a bull but I could be wrong.

This one is also of dogs getting destroyed by a bull.  I really wish these rooms had more light in them.  But they have to protect the paintings and tapestries in them; so no flash and no bright lights!

You can't see it but the wall is fuzzy! Rather the red pattern is fuzzy kind of like velour.  No, I didn't touch it!  I just looked at it really closely.  I really wish the picture could have turned out better.  Just touch a velour track suit and look at the picture, that should give an accurate representation.

Another giant mirror!

I really wasn't sure what to make of this guy and his sexy(?) pose.  Or maybe he was just naked, drunk and leaning on a table to avoid falling over drunk?  I don't know, it was and still is very confusing.

This room had mirrors every where.  I know mirrors help give the illusion of space but this was just overkill!

This and the two below are pictures of miniature works of art.  They took famous paintings and made mini replicas.  Some of the paintings were made with one hair for a brush!  Talk about attention to detail.

Another mirror!  This room was very tiny and super dark.  So I guess the mirror was helpful in bringing some light in.

This is my second favorite porcelain piece in the whole place!  

This one of course being my favorite.  How ridiculous is that?!  I wish my dogs could play me a tune.

Some pope hats, they had other papal vestments there but the pictures were really terrible so I saved you the trouble.  Least you get to see the hats and really the hat is the only article of pope gear I would want to wear.  

Some of the amazing bronze statues we saw, this one was my favorite.  Bye bye Medusa.

You can see the cut marks on some of the paintings.  They were cut out during World War II and stored away safely.  Now they have been returned and restored but you can still see the cut marks on the paintings.

Since it was the end of the day, the latter end of my tour was a tad rushed.  If I go back I intend on revisiting The Residenz but not before checking out the Treasury!  If you visit, opt for the long tour not the short one.  You won't regret it; I didn't and I was reeling from pain and exhaustion.