Concert in the court chapel of the Residenz
About an hour of classical music in the early 17th-century court chapel, with special concerts at Advent, Christmas, New Year and Good Friday, and free cancellation until 24 hours before.
See dates ↗The chapel
Why hear music in the Residenz court chapel
A chapel built for a court
Maximilian I had the two-storey chapel built in the early 17th century. The court worshipped on the ground floor, while the ruling family followed the daily Mass from galleries that led straight from their apartments.
White stucco and a gilded altar
Plaster ornament covers the walls and the vault, and the high altar frames a painting by the court painter Hans Werl, the Virgin in glory beneath the Trinity. Reviewers on the booking page single out the acoustics and the setting.
A programme that follows the date
The organiser names Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn and Mozart, and each date has its own programme. Special concerts run at Advent, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Good Friday, sometimes with flute and harp or a string quartet. Compare two or three dates first.
The evening, piece by piece
A concert in the chapel, piece by piece
A chapel concert has a shape of its own: a courtyard, a box office, a stone room, one painting and an hour of music. Follow the evening in that order.
Who plays, and what, depends on the date. Each date in the calendar names the players where they have been announced.
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The palace
Residenzstraße 1
The booking page gives the address as Residenzstraße 1, in the old town. The Residenz is a huge complex of ten courtyards, so check the meeting point in your confirmation. Several guests found the entrance hard to spot.
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The box office
Tickets at the chapel
Collect your tickets at the box office at the court chapel about 30 minutes before the concert. They are held under your name, so keep your booking confirmation to hand.
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The room
White stucco, tall windows
The chapel is a tall room with arched windows, plaster ornament on every surface and a vault of stucco panels. It was built in 1601–1603, and the choir was added in 1630.
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The altar
The Virgin in glory
The high altar holds a painting by Hans Werl of the Virgin in glory beneath the Trinity. The chapel is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, a choice the palace's own account ties to Maximilian I.
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The music
The programme on your date
Expect about an hour of live classical music. The organiser names Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn and Mozart, and one guest mentions commentary from a musician. The pieces themselves change with the date.
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The cold
Keep your coat close
The organiser warns that the chapel is cool in summer and can be cold in winter. Wear warm clothes, and in winter bring a scarf and gloves.
The room
The room in four facts
The chapel sits inside a palace that is now a museum, and the palace's own account of the room is short. These four facts come from it.
- Built 1601–1603
- Maximilian I replaced older prayer rooms in the Neuveste, the original castle, with a new two-storey court chapel. The choir came in 1630.
- Two floors, two audiences
- The court gathered on the ground floor. The ruling family heard the daily Mass from the galleries, which they could reach from their rooms.
- The altar and the side altars
- Hans Werl's high-altar painting shows the Virgin in glory under the Trinity. The two side altars next to the choir came in the mid-18th century, by the Zimmermann brothers, masters of South German Rococo.
- A museum and a concert room
- Museum visitors enter only the gallery of the chapel. A concert is the other way to be in the room.
Inside and around
The chapel in pictures
The nave from the gallery, the vault, the altar, a stucco panel, the upper wall, the triumphal arch, the Residenz front on Residenzstraße and the court theatre inside the same palace.
Concerts to compare in Munich
Three concerts to compare in Munich
| Concert | What it offers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Concert in the court chapel of the Residenz | About an hour of classical music in the early 17th-century court chapel, with special concerts at Advent, Christmas, New Year and Good Friday, and free cancellation until 24 hours before. | People who want a palace chapel and a programme that follows the date. |
| Residenz Palace concert (second listing) | A separate listing for Bavaria Klassik's Residenz concerts in the old court chapel, with its own rating, fare and notes, including a note on museum entrance. Open its calendar to see what your option includes. | Travellers who want to compare two listings for the same room, or who are also planning a museum visit. |
| Spanish guitar and organ at the Asamkirche | About an hour in the Asam Church, a Late Baroque church built from 1733 to 1746 by the brothers Asam, with guitar and organ. | Listeners who prefer a richly decorated Baroque church and plucked strings to stucco and a chamber group. |
Concerts in the Residenz and nearby
Book a Munich palace or church concert
The first card opens the court chapel concert. The second is a separate listing for Residenz concerts in the same old court chapel, and the third is a concert in a Late Baroque church nearby. More Munich bookings are listed in the strip underneath.
Residenz Palace concert (second listing)
A separate listing for Bavaria Klassik's Residenz concerts in the old court chapel, with its own rating, fare and notes, including a note on museum entrance. Open its calendar to see what your option includes.
See dates ↗Spanish guitar and organ at the Asamkirche
About an hour in the Asam Church, a Late Baroque church built from 1733 to 1746 by the brothers Asam, with guitar and organ.
See dates ↗More to book in Munich
Plan the evening
Plan the evening
Finding the chapel
The booking page gives the address as Residenzstraße 1. Guests describe the entrance as easy to miss and the sign as small, so allow extra time and read the meeting point in your confirmation.
Collecting tickets
Tickets are collected at the box office at the court chapel about 30 minutes before the concert and are held under your name.
Getting there
The Residenz's own page lists the Marienplatz stop on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn, the U-Bahn and bus stop at Odeonsplatz, and the Nationaltheater tram stop. The palace has no visitor car park; the underground car park at the Nationaltheater charges a fee.
What to wear
Dress warmly. The organiser says the chapel is cool in summer and can be cold in winter. Layers and a coat are sensible, and winter evenings call for a scarf and gloves.
Access
The ticket is marked wheelchair accessible. The Residenz's access page describes the courtyards as largely level, but it does not describe the concert entrance, so confirm step-free routes with the booking page before you travel.
The museum
The Residenz museum and its treasury are separate visits with their own tickets and opening hours. The palace suggests allowing two to three hours for the museum.
The chapel, the palace and the music: guides
The chapel, the palace and the music: guides
Which concert, and how to book Munich Residenz concert: booking
How to book the classical concert in the court chapel of Munich's Residenz: what the ticket is, which date to pick, the winter specials and how it compares.
Read the guide → Getting in, keeping warm Residenz concert: entrance and cold
The practical guide to the Residenz court chapel concert: finding the entrance, collecting tickets, getting there, the cold, clothing, children and access.
Read the guide →FAQ
Questions before booking
How long is the court chapel concert?
About one hour. The calendar shows a start time for each date.
Where is the concert held?
In the court chapel, the Hofkapelle, of the Residenz in Munich's old town, at Residenzstraße 1. It is a separate room from the museum rooms and from the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche, the All Saints Court Church.
Where do I collect my tickets?
At the box office at the court chapel, about 30 minutes before the concert. They are held under your name.
Is it cold in the chapel?
It can be. The organiser says the chapel is cool in summer and can be cold in winter, so wear warm clothes.
What will be played?
Each date has its own programme. The organiser names Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn and Mozart, and there are special concerts at Advent, Christmas, New Year's Eve and Good Friday. The calendar entry for a date names the pieces once they are announced.
Did Mozart really play in this chapel?
The organiser and the booking page say so. The Residenz's own page on the chapel does not mention it, and I found no dated record, so treat it as the organiser's claim. Mozart did work at the Residenz: his opera Idomeneo premiered in its court theatre in 1781.
Does the ticket include the Residenz museum?
The first listing covers the concert. A second listing for Residenz concerts mentions museum entrance, so open each calendar and compare what your option includes.
Can I attend in a wheelchair?
The ticket carries a wheelchair-accessible label. Ask the booking page about step-free routes and seating before you travel.
Can I cancel?
Yes, free through GetYourGuide up to 24 hours before the concert starts.
About an hour of classical music in the court chapel of Munich's Residenz, free to cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Reserve a place in the chapel ↗Fares are quoted per adult in US dollars; the booking site converts them into your own currency.