Oberammergau — Destination Guide: Overview

Although the Bavarian town of Oberammergau is known worldwide for its Passion Play – a theatrical performance of the passion of Christ presented every ten years, the town is worth visiting at any time for its beautifully painted houses and for the woodcarving. More than 60 woodcarvers have workshops here, producing intricate religious and secular works. The craftsmen make church altars and statues, as well as decorative carvings small enough to hang on a Christmas tree. The Pilatushaus is a workshop/museum where you can watch craftspeople Tuesday through Saturday afternoons, and the Museum of Oberammergau further explores the craft, which ...

Although the Bavarian town of Oberammergau is known worldwide for its Passion Play – a theatrical performance of the passion of Christ presented every ten years, the town is worth visiting at any time for its beautifully painted houses and for the woodcarving. More than 60 woodcarvers have workshops here, producing intricate religious and secular works. The craftsmen make church altars and statues, as well as decorative carvings small enough to hang on a Christmas tree. The Pilatushaus is a workshop/museum where you can watch craftspeople Tuesday through Saturday afternoons, and the Museum of Oberammergau further explores the craft, which began here in the Middle Ages. Along with a number of individual workshops to visit, there are shops selling the local work. The Passion Play began in 1633, during the 30 Years War, as a votive offering for deliverance from the plague, and is performed in years divisible by 10. Oberammergau is a good base for exploring the Ammergau Alps and the churches and abbeys of the surrounding towns, especially the huge Baroque basilica and Rococo vestry of the Abbey of Ettal. Linderhof, perhaps the most beautiful of all King Ludwig II’s palaces, is also nearby.

About the Expert

Stillman Rogers has written more than two dozen guidebooks, including Adventure Guide to Canada's Atlantic Provinces, Guide to Eastern Canada, and Adventure Guide to the Chesapeake.