There is no hotel pick-up. Your Bavarian Film Studios Tour starts in front of the “Karstadt” department store, across from the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhofplatz). Please make your own arrangements to reach this place. You will be then be picked up in an air-conditioned coach. A bilingual (English and German) guide will accompany you on this tour.
First on the agenda is a tour of the Bavarian Film Studios. You’ll be taken to the south of Munich in Geiselgasteig, where the Bavarian Film Studios are located. Here, you’ll be given a behind the scenes tour of the studio. You’ll get a close up view of sets and props from The Neverending Story, Das Boot, Marienhof, and many other films. In this guided tour you’ll learn about the studio’s long-standing tradition and will see what goes on behind the scenes of television and motion picture sets.
Afterwards, you’ll take a drive past many of Munich’s historical landmarks, including:
• National Theatre: The National Theatre in Munich is the home of the Bavarian State Opera. This 2100 seat theatre is actually a glamorous opera house. The original theatre was built in the 18th century and was a fine example of Rococo architecture. However, the theatre you’ll see is the 3rd opera house built on the Max-Joseph-Platz site, as the first two were destroyed in fire and war.
• New City Hall: Munich’s New City Hall a.k.a Rathaus was completed in 1909. This beautiful building has 400 rooms and interesting Gothic Revival style intricacies on its exterior. Bells in the tower known as the Glockenspiel draw crowds to the hall daily. The Glockenspiel in Munich is the largest in Germany and the 4th largest in Europe, with 43 bells, the largest of which weighs over 1,300 kg.
• Old City Hall: The Old City Hall, a.k.a. Altes Rathaus stands poetically on the Marienplatz. Altes Rathaus has endured the centuries. It was rebuilt after a 13th century fire and again after World War II. Although the exterior is quite simple, the interior is beautifully ornate. While once a very important center for politics, that function has now been switched to the New City Hall. The building is still in use for various exhibitions, one of which is a toy museum situated in four rooms inside the tower.
• Cathedral: Munich’s Cathedral, a.k.a. Frauenkirche is one of the city’s dearest landmarks. It stands in the old part of the city, at Marienplatz. It is easily recognized by its two onion shaped domes that tower above all other buildings in that area.
The tour ends at the starting point, where you will be dropped off.