Nymphenburg, the Wittelsbachs' summer palace.

What it is

Nymphenburg is the summer residence of the Wittelsbachs, the family that ruled Bavaria for centuries. It was born to celebrate the birth of the heir, Max Emanuel, in 1662: work began in 1664 to plans by the Italian Agostino Barelli, and each successive elector extended it with pavilions, wings and a great semicircle of buildings. The result is a long facade opening onto an enormous park, with canals, ponds and small palaces hidden among the trees. King Ludwig II was born here, on 25 August 1845.

What you see

• The palace. The visit begins in the Great Hall, decorated in the rococo style by Johann Baptist Zimmermann and François Cuvilliés the Elder, and continues through the rooms of the elector and electress. Look for the two galleries of beauties: Max Emanuel's and King Ludwig I's, with portraits of women of their time. The Chinese lacquer cabinet (room 13) is closed for restoration until the end of 2027; the other rooms are open as normal.
• The Marstallmuseum. In the old stables, carriages and sleighs of the Bavarian court, and upstairs the Nymphenburg porcelain museum. Until 20 November 2026 some areas may be closed for cleaning of the carriages.
• The small palaces in the park. The Amalienburg, a rococo hunting lodge by Cuvilliés; the Badenburg, the Pagodenburg and the Magdalenenklause. They only open from April to 15 October.
• The park. It is open and free. From Easter to mid-October the fountains run (from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00) along with the historic pump houses, and from April to October there are gondola rides on the central canal if the weather allows.

Opening times

• Summer (1 April – 15 October): palace, Marstallmuseum, porcelain museum and park pavilions, every day from 9:00 to 18:00.
• Winter (16 October – 31 March): palace, Marstallmuseum and porcelain museum, from 10:00 to 16:00. The park pavilions are closed.
• Last entry: half an hour before closing.
• Closed: 1 January, Shrove Tuesday and 24, 25 and 31 December.

The park opens from 6:00 and closes, at the main gate, at 18:00 from November to March, at 20:00 in April and October and at 21:30 from May to September.

Tickets

Under-18s do not pay; those under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The palace ticket comes with a time slot: you can enter up to an hour after the one you chose and stay as long as you like. You buy online up to the day before, and at the ticket office each day's places are limited. The audio guide costs €3.50 and can also be reserved online.

How to get there and park

It is to the west of the centre. By public transport, metro to Rotkreuzplatz and tram to the Schloss Nymphenburg stop, or S-Bahn to Laim and a bus to the same stop. By car there are about 450 free parking spaces next to the palace, signposted from the motorways.

How long

Allow half a day with the combined ticket in summer: an hour and a half for the palace, an hour for the Marstallmuseum and the rest for the park and the small palaces. In winter, with the park but no small palaces, about 3 hours is enough.

With children and with a dog

Under-18s go in free, and children like the carriages and sleighs of the Marstallmuseum. In the park there is space to run and, in summer, the gondola. Dogs may not enter the buildings and in the park must be on a lead. Eating and drinking are not allowed in the rooms; large items go in the lockers.

To round off the day in Munich, the Glockenspiel at Marienplatz also plays at 17:00 from March to October.