When it comes to Freddie Mercury’s time in Munich, most people probably think of Glockenbach, where he partied and owned an apartment on Hans-Sachs-Straße. But before he moved into that apartment, he had set up shop in Lehel. The Stollberg Plaza was then, as it is now, a boarding house where the star spent his early days in Munich—and it’s still available for you to rent today.
Freddie Mercury at the Stollberg Plaza
In 1979, Queen came to Munich to record their album “The Game” at the legendary Musicland Studios in the Arabellahaus. Shortly thereafter, frontman Freddie Mercury settled in the city on the Isar to escape the British press. He appreciated that in our city he could walk the streets unmolested and party in clubs and bars in peace. At first, he lived at the Stollberg Plaza boarding house at Stollbergstraße 2 in Lehel. There, he rented apartments 251 and 252 for himself and his closest confidants.
The furnished apartments were on the fifth floor and featured a sun terrace facing the inner courtyard. He enjoyed inviting his acquaintances here—people he’d met, for example, at “Jeans,” a gay bar in the same block. The “Petit Café” was also very close by, and he enjoyed visiting there as well. The café has been around since 1962 and is still open today, just like the boarding house. The “Jeans” bar, on the other hand, no longer exists, but in its place is the legendary Ochsengarten on Müllerstraße, where Freddie was also a regular.
Stollbergstraße today
Freddie’s apartments at the Stollberg Plaza remained in their original condition for a long time until someone purchased them in 2021. At first, the buyer had no idea who his famous former tenant had been. He had the apartments remodeled and combined into one large apartment. To this day, the Stollberg Plaza is a boarding house and long-term hotel where you can rent a furnished apartment on a temporary basis.
In addition, the restaurant “Le Stollberg” is located on the ground floor of Stollbergstraße 2. It serves upscale, French-inspired cuisine. So if you don’t want to rent an apartment right away to follow in Freddie Mercury’s footsteps, treat yourself to a nice dinner instead.
