Exploring Bavaria
Bavaria, Germany’s largest state and one of its most popular tourist destinations is bordered by Austria and the Czech Republic and is well known for its breathtaking mountain scenery and lovely wide rivers that run between the delightful rolling hills.
The picturesque village of Oberammergau is situated in Bavaria and is famous for its Passion Play which takes place only once a decade. The village of Oberammergau itself is worth a visit at any time, not only during the Passion Play. There are charming Bavarian style buildings with painted facades, mostly with religious themes, but fairy tale themes and others can also be seen. Woodcarving is a centuries old tradition in Oberammergau and there are many shops and artists’ studios with various types of woodcarvings available.
There are a number of wonderful tourist attractions surrounding Oberammergau that are well worth visiting. Famous for its glorious views, the Zugspitze Mountain resort is part of the Wetterstein Alpine mountain range that borders Austria and Germany and is surrounded by steep valleys. The resort is very popular amongst both casual walkers as well as hikers due to the choice of trails for all levels. For those who don’t wish to do too much walking there is a cable car with a stop at a panoramic restaurant just below the summit.
Visitors to the area can also enjoy a relaxing time at the beautiful and tranquil Lake Reissersee which has in the past been used for the Winter Olympics Speed Skating events and is not far from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
For those interested in wonderful old buildings, time could be spent visiting the charming French Roccoco style Linderhof Palace and the nearby vast Ettal Benedictine Monastery and Baroque Church as well as the world famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Also known as the Fairytale castle, this beautiful structure was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the nineteenth century, when castles no longer had any defensive purpose.