I visited Königsplatz (King's Square) & Olympia Zentrum (Olympic Centre) in May 2002. It was not the first time that I had been to these locations, or the last, but I decided that at some point, I should have some photographs of them. So here they are.

We will start with Königsplatz, it is a spacious and majestic symmetrical square situated slightly to the north in the Altstadt region of the city, and is flanked by three neo-classical temples. It has been nicknamed the Athens-on-the-Isar. The structures were commissioned under Ludwig I in 1816 to house several art museums, but it took a more sinister role from 1933-35 when Hitler paved over the grass covered, tree lined square to stage his national socialist rallies. Nowadays International musicians hold a variety of concerts here instead, they include Sting, Peter Gabriel and Bryan Ferry, to name but a few. It is also the location of city's outdoor film festival during every July.

The buildings are the Propyläen to the west (Doric), Glyptothek to the north (Ionic) and the Ausstellungsgebäude (now the State Collection of Antiques) on the southern side (Corinthian) are symbolic of religion, history and art. Crown Prince Ludwig, later Ludwig I, intended it to be a cultural forum. The Führerbau (Führer Building) and Haus der Kulturinstitute (now the Academy of Music and the State Collection of Graphics) can still be seen on the east side of the square.

Robert with views of the Glyptothek & Ausstellungsgebäude

Robert in front of the Propyläen and Lenbachhaus, which is the Former home of German painter Franz von Lenbach

My second port of call was the Olympia Zentrum, where there are host of things to do and see. In 1972, Munich hosted the XX Olympiad of the modern age. In preperation for the games, the necessary facilities were built on a site covering an area of three square kilometres. The result was the Olympiapark / Olympic Park, a huge complex of sports and leisure facilites dominated by the long shadow of the 290 metre high Olympic Tower. This tower, with observatory and revolving restaurant, commands some of the fines views to be had both of the City and of the nearby Alps.

A great steel and glassroof measuring 75,000 square metres, in a form of a huge spider's web, joins the Olympic Hall, Olympic Swimming Pool, and the Olympic Stadium, which seats 78,000 spectators and now serves as the home football ground of Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich.

The Olympic Swimmenhalle `Swimming Pool` which is now open for public use

This is where Mark Spitz wrote history by winning 7 gold medals

The OLympia Turm `Tower` is the tallest structure in Munich at 290 metres tall

A view of the Olympic Rowing Lake and the Theatron

The Olympiahalle `Olympic Hall` which is now used by a number of the world's leading musicians to host concerts

Robert on the Olympaberg `Olympic Hill` with the Olympic & BMW Tower's in the backdrop

The Olympic Hill is an unusual element of the landscape, it is a 52m high artificial mountain made of rubble left by bombing during the second world war

A view of Munich from the Hill at the Olympic Park with the Frauenkirche

A residential view of Munich

More views of the City from the hill

Robert standing on the Olympiaberg with the Stadium in the backdrop

The 78,000 seater Munich Olympic Stadium

A view of the Stadium from the Olympic Tower

The Olympic Hall, The Swimming Pool, The Indoor Skating Centre & The former Velodrome

The Velodrome is now a Vrtual sporting centre called Olympic Spirit, in the backdrop of it you can see Schloss Nymphenburg

A view around the Olympic park, and the former Olympic Village

der Bayerischen Motoren Werke `The BMW Tower & Factory`

Munich with it's Bavarian Alpine background

A view down the avenue to Scloss Nympenburg, and around the City

All photographs were taken at Königsplatz & the Olympia Zentrum, Munich - Germany on the 29th May 2002.