Blogs from Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany, Europe

Obermmergue, Weissach to Bannwaldsee Schwangau 31 July 2013 Over the last couple of days we have learned how proud Bavarians are of being Bavarians. It’s good to see and hear. So we continued our journey through the region. After staying near the beautiful little village of Weissach in Austria, and before we left we had a walk around the village and along the shore of the Lake. They had made the foreshore really interesting with its different sized brass figurines, representing the music and other arts that is so popular in the area. There were again, many multi-coloured flower pots and hanging baskets. We were then off to Obermmergue. This is where the Passion Theatre was. Why this is famous is that during the end of the 30-war, and during the occupation by the Swedish Army, ... read more

We woke to rain, mist and general gloom. However we were again welcomed warmly at breakfast. Everyone is dressed in Bavarian dress, there are stuffed birds, Boars heads, Deer’s antlers adorning the walls, and Clare even had a “Mr Pheasant” to talk to, though he didn’t talk back like the original one at home. The water in the car is a little down on the last time we looked yesterday, so we will probably go for a small excursion to Oberammergau and see how things go. As thought we took a short drive to Oberammergau, they were in the middle of a series of mountain bike races, so there was music playing (Kylie Minogue seemed the only CD they had) stalls and general hub-bub. The riders were returning extremely wet, cold and muddy, but all the ... read more

It's hard to believe that it is only a little after 2:00 and I have seen so much. I'm making the 20 minute bus ride to Oberammergau, but quite frankly when we passed through here this morning, didn't seem like much to me. But, having seen two of the 4 sites that were on my list, Oberammergau and Wies Church are the next in priority. Oberammergau's claim to fame is the Passion Play, held each 10 years and performed by citizens of the community. In addition, wood carvings and frescos on buildings are a special trade of this region. The driver asked if I wanted off at the bahnhof (trainstation) or town. I told him wherever the shops were. I figured I could at least stroll through the shops and have some lunch to pass the ... read more

It was with much sadness that I woke up at 7:00 this morning. I really didn’t want to leave this part of Germany. The Berchtesgaden area has always been my favorite area but after our brief two day stay this year, the Oberammergau area really climbed in my estimation. There was so much I really wanted to see and there was no way we were going to be able to do it all. I wanted to spend time in Downtown Oberammergau, tour Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, shop around in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, go inside the Wieskirche (yes, visit another church), stand in front of the webcam in Füssen and visit Bavaria Ben’s favorite candy shop somewhere in downtown Füssen, check out the historic town of Kempten, drive up the Romantic Road, and go inside the Abbey in Ettal which ... read more

Oberammergau, Germany, is the location of the famous Passion Play produced every ten years. The tradition began in 1634 in thanksgiving for the town having been spared during the Bubonic Plague. The play is cast and produced entirely by the residents of this Bavarian town. I was fortunate to be able to be there to see the 1970 production of this legendary, and often controversial, dramatic work. In Oberammergau, the townsfolk open their homes to the throngs of visitors coming to see the play. We stayed with a family at their home right in the town. Our homestay family consisted of a mother, father, and teenage daughter, about 17. Dad and daughter were in the play, but not Mom. They kindly provided meals as well as a place to stay. Cast members all had color photo ... read more