The Altstadt’s crown jewel is the Asamkirche Maria de Victoria, a baroque masterpiece designed by brothers Cosmas Damian and Egid Quirin Asam between 1732 and 1736. The church’s mesmerising trompe l’oeil ceiling, painted in just six weeks in 1735, is the world’s largest fresco on a flat surface.
Visual illusions abound: stand on the little circle on the diamond tile near the door and look over your left shoulder at the archer with the flaming red turban – wherever you walk, the arrow points right at you. The fresco’s Horn of Plenty, Moses’ staff and the treasure chest also appear to dramatically alter as you move around the space.
