# Munich's Cobblestones Conceal Centuries of Murder and Mayhem

BlackBook Tours has been running The Original True Crime Walking Tour of Munich through the city's Altstadt since the tour's creation, guiding small groups past sites tied to some of Bavaria's darkest chapters — from medieval executions to 20th-century serial killers.

What to Expect

The tour assembles daily at 2:30 PM outside the front doors of Ludwig Beck department store at Marienplatz 11, a short climb up the stairs from Marienplatz U-Bahn and S-Bahn Exit C. Look for the guide holding the BlackBook Tours sign. The format is a small-group walking tour conducted entirely in English, and the operator explicitly notes it is not suitable for young children — a fair warning given the subject matter.

The route winds through Munich's historic core, pausing at locations where the city's violent past is still visible if you know where to look. Stops include Marienplatz itself, where the guide introduces crime stories spanning from the Dark Ages to the present day; the area around the Frauenkirche (Munich Cathedral), associated with the footsteps of the city's most infamous 20th-century serial killer; and Promenadeplatz 7, where a dedicated ten-minute stop draws attention to reminders of grisly crimes reaching back across centuries.

Over the course of the walk, the guide covers a remarkable — and genuinely disturbing — range of criminal history: medieval punishment and public executions, atrocities connected to the Nazi period, acts of terrorism, serial murder, kidnapping, and cases involving cannibalism. Munich presents itself to most tourists as a city of beer halls and baroque architecture. This tour argues, convincingly, that the same streets have witnessed horrors that never make the guidebooks.

The Locations

Marienplatz is the obvious starting point both geographically and historically. The square functioned for centuries as the civic centre of Munich, which in pre-modern Europe meant it was also the site of public punishment. Executions, floggings and pillory sentences were civic spectacles here, and the square's long history gives the guide material stretching from the Dark Ages through to organised crime in the modern era.

The Frauenkirche district carries a more recent and specifically criminal association. The twin-towered cathedral is one of the most photographed landmarks in Germany, yet the surrounding streets are connected — according to the tour — to Munich's most notorious 20th-century serial killer. The operator does not name the individual in its public listings, which only heightens the anticipation for those who book without prior research.

Promenadeplatz 7 receives the longest dedicated stop on the itinerary. The square is best known today as the location of the five-star Hotel Bayerischer Hof, but the tour uses it as a focal point for crimes spanning multiple centuries, reflecting how densely layered Munich's criminal history actually is in a relatively compact area.

Practical Information

Tickets are available directly through BlackBook Tours at €29.99 per person from blackbooktours.com. The same experience is bookable via Viator and TripAdvisor from approximately $40.28 USD, and through Tinggly as a gift voucher at approximately $41.83 USD. All listed prices exclude tips and gratuities.

The tour duration is not explicitly stated in the operator's current listings — contact BlackBook Tours directly for clarification before booking if timing is a constraint.

The meeting point — top of the stairs from Marienplatz Exit C, in front of Ludwig Beck — is straightforward for anyone arriving by public transport. Marienplatz is served by multiple U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines and sits at the centre of Munich's transit network.

Who Should Go

The tour is pitched at curious adults with an interest in history, criminal justice or the darker corners of European cities. It is not a ghost tour or a theatrical performance — BlackBook Tours positions the content as factual true crime storytelling in the tradition of serious crime journalism. Reviewers on TripAdvisor consistently highlight the quality of the guides and the depth of research behind the narrative.

For visitors to Munich who find themselves mildly numbed by the city's relentless celebration of lederhosen and Oktoberfest, an afternoon on this tour is a corrective. The same streets that fill with tourists photographing the Glockenspiel have also been the scene of kidnappings, executions, and murders that shaped the city's real history.

Meeting point: Marienplatz 11 (Ludwig Beck department store, front doors), 80331 München. Daily at 2:30 PM. English language. Small groups only.