Where : Frauenkirche, Munich
Munich feels organized and demonstrates a very intuitive metro system. Once in the city central vicinity, everything is accessible on foot. Our first discovery day, we easily made our way to the Old Town with the help of Google maps.
We entered the old town through Karlstor, which led to a corridor of stores. Uninterested in shopping, we proceeded toward the larger architectural structures. Minutes away from Karlstor, we found Frauenkirche. The latter is the Cathedral of Our Dear Lady. It is also considered a symbol of the Bavarian capital city. The building structure has huge towers and beautiful wooden carved doors.
According to Wikipedia, Heinrich von Straubing designed the impressive high ceiling which arches. There is also a rich collection of 14th to 18th century artwork which decorates the interior of the cathedral. Notable artists like Peter Candid, Erasmus Grasser, Jan Polack, Hans Leinberger, Hans Krumpper and Ignaz Günther contributed.
More notably, there's a story that left an imprint on us. We urge you to visit the church's foyer. There you will find a 'foot print' and the description of the legend. We encourage you to read on if you would like to know more about it.
The legend states that it's the “Devil’s Footstep”. This is a black mark resembling a Devil’s footprint. It is said that long ago the devil visited the church and stood at this very spot. He curiously regarded the church and ridiculed the 'windowless' structure.
Alternatively, there is another version that depicts how the devil made a deal with the builder. He would finance the construction of the church with the condition that it contain no windows. Finally the builder tricked the devil by hiding the windows behind architectural columns. Consequently, there were no windows visible from the foyer. Once complete, the devil discovered the hidden windows. Alas, it was too late, the church was complete and already consecrated. As a result, the furious devil could only stand in the foyer. So he demonstrated his anger by stomping his foot in the very spot which left the dark 'foot print' that remains visible until today.
Additionally, the legend also states the devil later rushed outside and manifested its evil spirit in the wind that furiously rages around the church.
For these reasons, we enjoyed visiting the Frauenkirche. Certainly the story intrigued us and allowed us to interact with some 'supposed history'. Whether the legend is true or not, it's up to you to determine. However, we encourage you to visit the church and try it out for yourself !
Our Ratings
Serge: 4+ Eli: 5
Do we Recommend? Yes, it's a beautiful church with interesting legends.
Even more! Here are places we recommend discovering in Munich listed here:
* Asam Kirche church
* Marienplatz (New town hall)
* Hofbrauhaus Beer Heaven
Discovering Munich images found here
