The Piccadilly Circus or Times Square of Munich, Karlsplatz is dominated by a giant modern fountain where you’ll find locals and tourists jostling to wet their toes in summer. Dating back to 1791, the square is named after Elector Karl Theodor. It’s also known as Stachus, supposedly in honour of the popular innkeeper Eustachius Föderl. The name might also originate from the expression Stachel (prickle), the term given to the arrows of the marksmen who used to try their combating skills in front of the Karlstor during the Middle Ages. Karlstor (Karl's Gate) is your starting point for the Altstadt and, since 1972, the pedestrian precinct.