I have been without Internet at my Munich apartment for the last three weeks and, therefore, you’ve seen some less content coming through. In the mean time, I have been using the time saved to explore Munich, doing the tourist stuff, and here are some first impressions With the Oktoberfest underway, expect to see more pictures on that one as well.

This one is the Siegestor (the Victory Gate) – commissioned by the King Ludwig I of Bavaria, it was completed in 1852 and dedicated to the Bavarian army in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars (I think).

Artwork under the arch of the Siegestor (Sep. 2014)

Bavaria atop the Siegestor in Munich. It was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, designed by Friedrich von Gärtner and completed by Eduard Mezger in 1852. The inscription dedicates this monument to the Bavarian army (Sep. 2014)

Through the Siegestor, the avenue leads up straight to the Odeonsplatz with its Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshals’ Hall) (Sep. 2014)

The Bavarian Lion is heraldic charge of the House of Wittelsbach, the ruling family of the Bavarian monarchy. Therefore, you will see quite a few lions in the art and architecture in and around Munich. (Sep. 2014).

Artwork under the arch of the Siegestor (Sep. 2014)

A later inscription on the back of the monument reads: “Dedicated to Victory. Destroyed by War. Reminder of Peace”. (Sep. 2014).