St Peter's Church and Tower (Alter Peter)

Ask a Muenchner where to see the city from above, and most will send you up the Alter Peter, the tower of St Peter's Church, just off Marienplatz. The church stands on a small rise, the Petersbergl, where the first settlement of Munich is thought to have begun, and its roots go back to the twelfth century, before the city was founded; it is the oldest parish church in Munich. The present building was reshaped many times, rebuilt after a great fire in the fourteenth century, remodelled in baroque style and heavily damaged in the Second World War, after which the people of Munich raised money to restore it. Inside, there is a richly gilded baroque high altar, with a medieval statue of St Peter enthroned, and one of the church's oddities: the relics of St Munditia, a catacomb saint from Rome, lie in a glass coffin, her skeleton dressed in jewels, a gift that reached Munich in the seventeenth century. The tower, around 91 metres high, carries eight clock faces, among the oldest documented clocks in the city, and eight bells, four of them cast between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries. The climb is the main event: about 300 steps up a narrow wooden and stone staircase, two-way and tight in places, to a balcony at 56 metres that wraps around the tower. The views are superb: Marienplatz and the New Town Hall directly below, the twin towers of the Frauenkirche close enough to touch, the Viktualienmarkt, the Residenz and, on clear days with the Foehn wind, the whole chain of the Alps on the southern horizon. Entry to the church is free, and the tower costs a few euros, with reduced prices for students and children; tickets are sold at the tower entrance only, and advance reservations are not possible.

How to plan your visit: the tower entrance is at the side of the church, facing Marienplatz. Bring coins or a card for the small fee and allow around forty-five minutes for the climb, the view and the descent. The stairs are narrow and shared by people going up and down, and the balcony at the top is tight, with a high railing, so it is not a good choice for anyone with vertigo, claustrophobia or limited mobility; there is no lift. Rucksacks make the climb harder, so travel light. Opening hours change with the seasons, and the tower closes on Good Friday, Shrove Tuesday and New Year's Day and in bad weather, so check the latest times before you go.

When to go: the classic moment is a clear day with Foehn, the warm, dry Alpine wind that makes the mountains seem close enough to touch, which happens most often in autumn and winter. Time your climb to be on the balcony at 11am or noon, and in summer also at 5pm, when the Glockenspiel on the New Town Hall plays below, and you can watch the crowds gather from above. Weekday mornings are quieter, as queues build in the afternoon.

How it compares: the Frauenkirche south tower is higher and has a lift, but St Peter's has the better view, because it includes the Frauenkirche itself, and it is right on Marienplatz. In Advent, the Kripperlmarkt nativity market sets up beside the church and the communal carol singing under the Christmas tree takes place here, so combine the climb with the Christkindlmarkt.