ODEONSPLATZ
A very nice square in Munich with an Italian piazza feel.
Why is Munich known as the northernmost city in Italy? Stand in the centre of the Odeonsplatz and soak up the surroundings and you'll understand why. King Ludwig I of Bavaria had a deep love for Italy ever since he went to Rome to study. In 1816, while still Crown Prince, he commissioned Leo von Klenze to design Ludwigstrasse. The grand boulevard was designed to form a unique architectural unity with the Odeonsplatz. Look at the Bazargebaude to the east and the Leuchtenberg Palace to the west, these neoclassical buildings directly evoke images of Italy. The southern end of the square is bordered by the Feldherrnhalle. Friedrich von Gärtner, the second court architect of King Ludwig I after L. von Klenze, designed this building in the style of the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The building was completed in 1844, erected in honour of the Bavarian army. The square itself was named after the former Odeon concert hall, now the seat of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior. The Odeonsplatz is also the best open-air concert hall in Munich. Every year it is the backdrop for "Klassik am Odeonsplatz", a classical music event that brings together two of Munich's best orchestras and world-famous classical music stars, as well as numerous traditional markets, the Oktoberfest parade and an LGBTQ choir festival.