A lush green hill conceals remnants from the Second World War, a serene lake sits below, a towering landmark stands proud, and architectural marvels—futuristic tent-like roofs—grace the park…

At this moment, you find yourself in Munich’s Olympic Park, established for the 1972 Games, now serving as a symbol of one of Germany’s most beautiful cities.

The stadium within the park is globally renowned; it was here that Marco van Basten scored one of football’s most stunning goals, while our own Dejan Savicevic outmaneuvered Bayern’s defense. The Olympic Hall—referred to as “Olimpijahale” in German—might be less famous.

Tomorrow, Montenegrin handball players will vie for glory at the European Championship in this venue, which is inscribed in golden letters in the annals of Olympic history and the sporting legacy of the former Yugoslavia.

Handball debuted at the Olympic Games in 1936 as the traditional outdoor version, but the true journey of this sport at the Games began in Munich 52 years ago.

The first Olympic champions in handball were the Yugoslav team, coached by Vlad Štencl, who dominated the competition and clinched the Olympic gold medal undefeated. Their names are proudly displayed on one of the plaques (acting as a monument) in the Olympic Park, honoring all the victors of the Munich Olympic Games.

Abaz Arslanagić, Petar Fajfrić, Hrvoje Horvat, Milorad Karalić, Djoko Lavrnić, Milan Lazarevic, Zdravko Miljak, Slobodan Miskovic, Branislav Pokrajac, Nebojsa Popovic, Miroslav Pribanić, and Zoran Zivkovic remind all who walk by the Olympic Park of the best handball played that summer of 1972.

In the years following the Games, the “Olympijahalle” has hosted a plethora of sports events—from cycling and ice hockey to figure skating and basketball, and handball is making its return after the 2019 World Cup this January.

The European Championship is set to captivate an audience of 12,000 spectators, with reports indicating that tickets are nearly sold out.

It’s notable that the entire Olympic Park cost Germany 1.35 billion marks at the time (around 2.9 billion euros today), with its creators including Günter Benisch, Brother Otto, Ginter Gžimek, among others.

The iconic tent-like roofs that define the Olympic Park have recently been recognized as a historical symbol of engineering excellence in Germany, with the decision to reject a proposal for a football stadium within the complex in 1972 underscoring the value of the renovations made for the 2002 Games.

Germany has preserved the original appearance of the Olympic Stadium, while Munich now boasts a new football facility a few kilometers away: the Allianz Arena, constructed for the 2006 World Cup.

While many locations in Munich echo with history, the true sports spirit of this city is best embodied by the Olympic Park.

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