Oberammergau is a picturesque village in the Bavarian Alps, reminiscent of a fairytale. It has a tradition of painting colourful murals on the facades of the houses, shops and public buildings, which are fascinating to look at. All the murals are religious or fairy-tale themed.
The town is well known for its Passion Play, which is held every 10 years. We saw the Passion Theatre and wondered what it was all about, then came back to the van and read up about it. More about that below.
Another thing they are well known for is their wood carvings. Oh, and they have several Christmas shops, which adds to the magic
The Passion Play
Passion Play in Oberammergau, Bavaria
In 1633, the Great Plague struck, claiming many lives due to this mysterious illness. The villagers made a solemn vow that, if their lives were spared, the whole village would perform a play every ten years, depicting the story of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. Miraculously, the Plague did not claim any more lives, and so faithful to their vows, the villagers of Oberammergau enacted their first play in 1634.
The tradition, which has continued uninterrupted every decade since, despite wars and other problems, will be observed for the 42nd time in 2020.
The town is only about 45 minutes from the lovely fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle.
Oberammergau murial
Oberammergau murial
Inside one of the lovely shops in Oberammergau.
