Opposite one end of the Old City Hall is the entrance to the Mädlerpassage, one of the charming old shopping arcades that tunnel through buildings in the heart of the old city.
It leads to two other passages, Königshofpassage and Messehofpassage. Originally connecting merchants' houses and shops in the trade fair days, these covered alleyways protected tradesmen from the weather, and gradually they became the elegant arcades they are today.
Other European cities have such passages, but nowhere else is such an extensive network preserved.
