Munich, Germany

Monopteros

This beautiful 19th-century temple stands atop the ruins of its predecessor.

This temple looks like it was meant for Ancient Greece, not a Munich park. Wander within it, and you can gaze up at its beautiful domed ceiling or look out to admire the views of the city.

The Monopteros is a round temple designed by famous architect Leo von Klenze and built by Carl August Sckell to honor Bavarian notabilities. It’s located in the English Garden, the largest park in Munich.

Sckell first built a nearly 50-foot-tall structure from bricks in 1832, which now lies hidden below the heaped-up hill. The currently visible 52-foot-tall Neoclassicist temple was erected on top, according to designs by von Klenze. It was finished in 1836. Like several buildings in Munich, such as the Siegestor (Victory Gate), the Monopteros is made of Kelheim Limestone.

The building was partially destroyed during World War II and has been renovated several times. In the 1960s, the Monopteros was frequented by hippies, alternatives, and artists, contributing to the manifestation of the English Garden first as a symbol of counter-culture, then a symbol of Munich’s cosmopolitanism.