The two green domes on every photograph of Munich. Free to enter, ticketed to climb, and no building in the old centre is allowed to overtop it.
What it costs
Free to go in. It is the city’s cathedral and it does not charge at the door.
The south tower is ticketed and has a lift, and it is the view most people want β it looks down on the roofs of the Altstadt with the Alps behind on a clear day. It closes for maintenance periods, so check before making it the reason for your morning.
When to go
Closed to visitors during services. The interior is plainer than the outside suggests β it was gutted in the war and rebuilt austerely, which some visitors find disappointing and others find a relief after the Asamkirche.
Getting there
A two-minute walk from Marienplatz; U-Bahn and S-Bahn to that stop.
If you only have an hour
Go in, look at the plain rebuilt interior for five minutes, then take the tower lift if it is running. If it is not, walk to the Asamkirche instead β ten minutes away and the exact opposite in every respect.
What people get wrong
The domes are not a Renaissance flourish β the towers were meant to have Gothic spires and the money ran out, so the caps went on in 1525 and stayed. Munich has a height limit in the old city partly to keep them dominant, voted on by referendum in 2004.
Nearby
Ticketing arrangements and opening patterns as published for 2026 and checked on 4 September 2026. These change without much warning β confirm with the site itself before you travel. More sights, and how they fit together, in Landmarks & Sights.