The Old Botanical Garden is a pleasant place to soothe soles and souls after an Altstadt shopping spree or to see out a long wait for a train away from the Hauptbahnhof. Created under King Maximilian in 1814, most of the tender specimens were moved in the early 20th century to the New Botanical Garden behind Schloss Nymphenburg, leaving this island of city-centre greenery.
The Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain), on the south side, dates from the Nazi period when the garden was turned into a public park. The neoclassical entrance gate is called the Kleine Propyläen and is a leftover from the original gardens. The Old Botanical Gardens are also home to one of Munich's lower-profile beer gardens, Park-Cafe.