Munich Medieval Historical and Archaeological Tour

Be sure to come and join us this Halloween weekend! Come in costume and win a prize! (Something boozy for the adults...something sweet for the kids)
A unique hands-on historical and archaeological tour in English, researched and created by British archaeologist and historian David "Taff" Simon. Get to sample authentic medieval beers and handle original and reproduction artefacts.
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This is not a ghost tour – all the events – every single bone-crunching last one of them – actually happened.

Join Hans von Spanker (or his good pal Taff) to discover the awful truth about:

The Black Death and other nasties

Jewish history, trade and the influence of the Guilds

Dress and how it reflected class and standing

Medieval architecture and defences

Infamous witch trials

Traditions + folklore

Ancient burial rites

Why was beer so important? Try an authentic medieval brew!

Get to handle original artefacts and (blunt) weapons

Archaeology in Bavaria today

And much more besides….

Meeting Point

Fischbrunnen

Marienplatz 8, 80331 München, Germany

We meet at the Fish Fountain, located on the right hand corner of the New Town Hall / Glockenspiel on Marienplatz. Guide has a sign and is in costume

What's included:

• Get to handle original ancient artefacts as well as replica medieval arms and armour.
• Led by an archaeologist and historian, not someone who has memorised a script by rote

What to expect:

Duration: between 2 hours, 30 minutes and 2 hours, 45 minutes

Munich Marienplatz

Munich, 80331, Bavaria

Marienplatz: the ancient market square of Munich. Meet your guide, archaeologist and historian Taff Simon and kick off the tour with a brief overview of the origins of the city and the why it looks the way it does today.

15 minutes

Landschaftstraße

Landschaftstraße, 80331 München, Germany

Today fairly unremarkable, it occupies an area which ran alongside the Medieval Jewish quarter. Here we learn a little about how the community contributed to the economic and cultural life of the city and how they suffered with baseless accusations of "Blood Libel", of spreading the Black Death and of aiding and abetting criminals and witches. We learn about how recent archaeological excavations as part of a new U-Bahn project has contributed to our understanding of this part of Munich.

20 minutes

St. Peter's Church

Peterspl. 1, Munich, 80331, Bavaria

St Peter's: the oldest church in Munich - so it must have the oldest graveyard, right? Learn how to decipher symbols on gravestones and discover the ancient burial rites of the earliest Bavarians up to more recent times, where "Rest in peace" more often than not meant "Rest in pieces". Class, trade and the Guilds are also discussed, as reflected in the gravestones and architectural features of the church. Get to handle and examine original ancient coins - which would have been given as Alms
Note: this stop uses as examples of Dark Age/early Medieval burial rites photos of archaeological excavations that the guide has been involved with (typically on construction sites). This is a sensitive subject but we take the view that the educational value of showing some examples of how the ancients treated their dead and how it can inform us of their religious beliefs and social structure, on balance, is worthwhile. The issue of gravegoods like jewelry and weaponry in graves is also discussed.

25 minutes

Viktualienmarkt

Viktualienmarkt 3, 80331 München, Germany

Today this is a lovely framers market: the locals buy their pretzels and cheese before throwing back a few cold ones in the popular beer garden. In the medieval times though you would be very unfortunate to find yourself here...an outcast no less.Find out why...
Here guests also get to try authentic Medieval beer (samples, not full ones sorry!) and learn about the terrible penalties for making bad beer and pretzels.

25 minutes

Alter Hof

Alter Hof 1, Munich, 80331, Bavaria

The Alter Hof was originally a castle for the Wittelsbacher; the Bavarian Royal family. Here we learn about a murder which shocked medieval Europe and the repercussions this would have for subsequent generations of Müncheners .
Following on from the subject of murder we consider some aspects of Medieval combat, drawing on the theories of Hans Talhoffer, legendary late medieval sword master. Get to handle replica swords and perhaps some armour too.

Time permitting, we look at a fascinating archaeological discovery made here in 1944 when an Allied bomb inadvertently unearthed some seriously ancient artefacts. Get to handle and compare different types of ancient pottery and other artefacts.

30 minutes

Old Town Hall

Marienplatz 15, Munich, 80331, Bavaria

The most vicious "Witch" trial in German history was conducted here in central Munich. Learn about the background to it, the charges, the methods used to gather "evidence" and the subsequent fate of that most unlucky of families, the Pappenheimers. The events that played out here would have far reaching consequences... felt as far away as a little town in colonial Massachusetts....

25 minutes

Munich Marienplatz

Munich, 80331, Bavaria

We end the tour here in the same place as we started. We sum up, recommend further reading and can make suggestions for places to eat and drink in the neighbourhood.

5 minutes