Oberammergau
A Picturesque Alpine Village
The village of Oberammergau, located in the beautiful mountains of Bavaria, is known for its colorful religious and fairy-tale scenes painted on the sides of houses, known other buildings and for its exquisite woodcarvings.
But, Oberammergau is also world famous for its most anticipated event - The Passion Play or, Passionsspiele. It is also the world's longest running play.
This picturesque town (with a population of only 5300 people) draws visitors from around the world for its architecture with ornate frescoes, also known as "Lüftlmalerei", with the Bavarian Alps as a stunning backdrop.
Intricate Woodcarvings - prized for their detail and craftsmanship is a tradition dating back to the middle ages. Highly skilled wood carvers produce beautiful objects ranging from religious items such as crusifixes and nativities to cuckoo clocks and reliefs on doors and walls. The skill is passed down through generations of local Oberammergauans and they take great pride in their work.
Getting There
Oberammergau makes a nice day trip by train or car if you are based in Munich or Garmisch-Partenkirschen. And a day is enough to enjoy the architecture, tour the Passion Theater, have lunch and do some shopping.
The trains from Munich run nearly every hour during the day, (you will have to change trains at Oberau). Travel time from Munich by train is about 2 hours. If you drive, it is about 55 miles (90km).
Warning - If you drive to Oberammergau, traffic can be very heavy at times and can slow you down considerably.
Oberammergau is only 12.5 miles (20km) from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and can be reached by local bus service.
I have found train and bus travel to be economical and less stressful than driving. Gas is very expensive and finding a parking space can sometimes be a pain. It is easy to get the train and bus schedules from the stations, tourist office or from your hotel.
If you are with a tour group that offers an Oberammergau tour as an option, the trip will be well worth it.
Once you arrive, you will find the town center is small and is easy to get around. If you have good, sturdy walking shoes, you can easily walk to your destinations. Pick up a map at the Tourist Office on Eugen-Papst Strasse, just south of the train station(Bahnhof).
My favorite way to get around town (weather permitting) is to rent a bicycle. You can ask about bike rentals at the tourist office or go to Ammergauer Radlladen on Schnitzlergasse. Bicycle rentals are about € 13 for a full day.
Things to Do
Just strolling through the streets and looking at the ornately painted scenes on the buildings is a good start to the day. Many frescoes have a religious motif and others have a scene from a familiar fairy tales, such as Hansel and Gretl and Little Red Riding Hood.
However, the most famous is the Pilatushaus on Ludwig-Thoma Strasse. The fresco is the creation of Franz Seraph Zwinck, who was the greatest of the fresco artists (Lüftmalerei painters). Zwinck's fresco is a depiction of Jesus Christ coming before Pilate. The building is also a studio and gallery for local artisans and is open to the public. It is always amazing to see the work of talented and dedicated artists.
Here is some more information and photos of the luftmalerei.
I also enjoy the guided tour of the Passion Play Theater which takes about an hour. Tours in English are available. The tour guide will tell you about the origins and History of the Passion Play and how it has influenced the people's lives in Oberammergau. You will see the 4,700 seat theater, the stage the backstage area with props and the Passion Play costumes.
Kloster Ettal, just minutes from town is an active Benedictine Monestery founded in 1330. The monks run a thriving business which includes a boarding school, a hotel, restaurant, a brewery and a distillery. The montestery is beautiful and there are lots of goodies to buy in the shop.
Hotels
If you want to relax and spend more time in and around Oberammergau, hotels are plentiful. A popular hotel is the Hotel Alte Post, located in the center of town. It dates back to the year 1612 and is what you would expect of a Bavarian inn. It also has a restaurant.
I was very pleased with Pension Klieber, a bed and breakfast. It is located on Ettaler Strasse. The owners speak English and are very friendly and helpful. The rates are reasonable and the rooms are clean with ensuite baths and the breakfast is wonderful. They even have bicycles for rent!
