Munich Residenz Antiquarium: The Largest Renaissance Hall North of the Alps for a €10 Ticket

Most visitors to Munich spend their money in beer halls and their time on Marienplatz. A few hundred metres away, the Residenz, the old palace of the Wittelsbach dukes and kings, holds one of the most extraordinary rooms in Germany, and it's rarely busy.

The Antiquarium was built between 1568 and 1571 for Duke Albrecht V, to show off his collection of ancient sculpture. It was the first part of the new Residenz. The hall is about 66 metres long, a single barrel-vaulted room painted from end to end, and the Bavarian palace administration calls it the largest and most lavish Renaissance hall north of the Alps.

The Antiquarium in the Munich Residenz, a long barrel-vaulted hall with painted ceilings, classical busts along the walls and a checkered floor

Seen from the raised end of the hall. The vault covered in frescoes, the window bays painted with views of Bavarian towns, rows of marble busts on brackets down both walls, and a red-and-white floor that pulls your eye to the far end. The figures down there show how big it is.

What it costs

The Antiquarium is part of the Residenz Museum route, a long walk through the palace's state rooms. In 2026 the museum ticket costs €10, or €9 reduced. The Treasury, with the crowns and jewels, is another €10. The museum and Treasury together cost €15, and a ticket covering both plus the rococo Cuvilliés Theatre costs €20. Under-18s go free.

From April 1 to October 19 it opens daily from 9:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00. From October 20 to March 31 the hours are 10:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:00. So from October 20, the day loses an hour at each end.

Who goes

In 2025 the Residenz Museum counted 560,780 visitors, up from 536,746 the year before. The Cuvilliés Theatre had 118,932. Compare that with the 7.4 million who came to Oktoberfest this year, or the 9.3 million arrivals Munich logged in 2025, and you see how few tourists find it.

That's the argument for going. The Antiquarium at 9am on a weekday can be nearly empty. Start there, then follow the route through the state rooms and the Ancestral Gallery. Two hours is about right. Finish in the Hofgarten next door, which is free and has a nice little temple in the middle. Then go and find a beer.