Marienplatz

This guide to Marienplatz in Munich opens with a 1517 plague and a guild of barrel makers who danced through empty streets daring the city to come back to life. It follows that legend up into the New Town Hall's tower, where forty-three bells and thirty-two figures reenact the coopers' dance alongside a royal joust from a 1568 wedding. You'll also hear about the golden Mary atop her column, raised by a duke fulfilling a wartime vow. Watch for the little rooster crowing at the very top when the show ends.