Square in the center of Munich with refreshing fountain
Rindermarkt: The meeting point with a fountain in the old town
Rindermarkt in the center of Munich used to be a cattle market. A popular fountain is a reminder of this. Worth seeing are the so called Löwenturm and the Ruffinihaus.
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The Rindermarkt at a glance
- Location : The Rindermarkt (English: cattle market) is a central meeting place in downtown Munich. The sloping square is located just a few meters from Marienplatz and the Alter Peter church.
- Highlight : Cattle market fountain by Josef Henselmann
- Worth seeing: the enigmatic 14th-century Löwenturm (Lion Tower) and Ruffinihaus, an ornate ensemble of houses with traditional shops
- Events : During Advent, this is the site of the "Sternenplatzl," a nostalgic market lane of Munich's Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market)
- History : Until the 19th century, the square was the site of Munich's cattle market with a cattle watering place
Refreshing: The Rindermarkt Fountain
The Rindermarkt Fountain invites guests and Munich residents to relax and sunbathe. The water splashes over the stone terraces into a large basin.
The fountain was designed in 1964 by Munich sculptor Josef Henselmann.
The group of figures with bronze cattle reminds us that from the Middle Ages until the 19th century the Munich cattle market was here.
Shopping in the Ruffinihaus at Rindermarkt
The Ruffinihaus on Rindermarkt actually consists of three houses and was designed by architect Gabriel von Seidl at the beginning of the 20th century. The house owes its name to the salt merchant Johann Baptista von Ruffini (1672-1749), who owned a building on this site. The picturesque frescoes on the exterior walls are of art-historical importance. The building is owned by the city of Munich. In the rows of stores there are traditional stores.
Mysterious relic of the city history: The Lion Tower (Löwenturm)
The 23-meter-high, seven-story brick tower, whose original meaning has not been clarified to this day, has been used in various ways over the centuries. It is believed that the 14th century structure was part of the medieval city fortifications. Another theory is that it once served as a water tower for a city garden that has since disappeared. The interior of the tower, which unfortunately cannot be visited, features a neo-Gothic ribbed vault and 15th century frescoes of birds, trees and characters.
