Apparently there's a passion play once every 10 years with the next one being in 2020. My wife would like us to go. The problem is that she is already having mobility problems which are likely to be worse by 2020. She walks gingerly with a cane and she already needs wheelchair assistance in airports and places like Disneyland.
Has anyone been to this town or this play ? I'm concerned about how accessible this whole experience is going to be. This town is in the alps and this tradition goes back to the Middle Ages. I've called travel agents but I can't get a clear answer. My wife has her heart set on this adventure, but if its all hills, cobblestones and narrow paths, I don't see how this is going to work.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g187302-i1345-Garmisch_Partenkirchen_Upper_Bavaria_Bavaria.html
Dune
We'll be passing through Berchtesgaden in September. Is it worth going up to Eagles Nest? I've read it's been pretty much stripped of anything historical.
Family as part of E Europe Eurail trip stayed in Salzburg 3 days: my daughter and I took the bus (35 minutes as I recall), but if you're driving. so much the better. Would definitely recommend, the ascent up the mountain--the roads so narrow that German precision has the buses begin ascents and descents to the minute so they can be at the pullovers at the same time. The ride up was filled with anticipation, and we weren't disappointed.
For sure, the Americans and Brits (who bombed Eagle's Nest in the last days of the war) took most that was not nailed down. But the original dining room for Hitler's staff is intact, the elevator that takes you up from the parking level ~300' in the shaft dug in the core of the mountain is the original; the unfinished underground bunkers, air vents, arms caches, inter-bunker communications, the extensive photo displays in the museum at the base of the mountain, Bohrman's home close to the museum (a German friend of mine same age as his kids played there)...totally glad I went.
Just BEING there was worth it aside from the tours of the bunkers, the museum, Berchtesgaden itself is set by a crystal clear river coming out of the spruce and pine clad mountains. If you are looking for Hollywood Glitz, you won't find it. It was basic, dyed in the wool historic venue, and I found it thrilling.
Family as part of E Europe Eurail trip stayed in Salzburg 3 days: my daughter and I took the bus (35 minutes as I recall), but if you're driving. so much the better. Would definitely recommend, the ascent up the mountain--the roads so narrow that German precision has the buses begin ascents and descents to the minute so they can be at the pullovers at the same time. The ride up was filled with anticipation, and we weren't disappointed.
For sure, the Americans and Brits (who bombed Eagle's Nest in the last days of the war) took most that was not nailed down. But the original dining room for Hitler's staff is intact, the elevator that takes you up from the parking level ~300' in the shaft dug in the core of the mountain is the original; the unfinished underground bunkers, air vents, arms caches, inter-bunker communications, the extensive photo displays in the museum at the base of the mountain, Bohrman's home close to the museum (a German friend of mine same age as his kids played there)...totally glad I went.
Just BEING there was worth it aside from the tours of the bunkers, the museum, Berchtesgaden itself is set by a crystal clear river coming out of the spruce and pine clad mountains. If you are looking for Hollywood Glitz, you won't find it. It was basic, dyed in the wool historic venue, and I found it thrilling.
Thanks. I'll make sure we fit it in.
We'll be staying in Salzburg for 4 nights, so have 3 and a half days to see the sights and will have a car for the first two. We also wanted to get up to the lake region as far as Halstatt and obviously spend time exploring Salzburg, probably 2 days. Sounds like we'll be busy.
Salzburg itself is funky, you'll get the hang of it in a day or so and figure out where you want to hang out, the lower square with the globe and giant chess board, from where you can see the Salzburg Fort and walk up that long hike--funky up there. It's a very tourist oriented town, so lots of good eateries, stores/restaurants opened 'til late.
There is a line of cafes, restaurants, and shoppes (for effect) that borders each side of the Salzach River that splits the city (and which, sort of counterintuitively to me) heads well north and east before it merges with the Danube) that are very pleasant to sit at and take the afternoon sun and evening sunsets while quaffing. And in fact the road to Berchtesgaden intermittently follows the Salzach as it heads SSE.
Eva Braun spent much more time at Eagle's Nest than did Hitler who was not fond of the site. She loved the gardens, the spectacular views from the mountain top. From the Nest itself, it's a short hike higher through rocks and meadows and woods. Lots of photos of historic meetings that took place there on the walls and in books. On the way back, the direct bus did not run, so we took the local through picture perfect small German and Austrian villages, an über conservative part of the world.
"Oberammergau Passion Play is a passion play performed since 1634[1] as a tradition by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany. It was written by Othmar Weis, J A Daisenberger, Otto Huber, Christian Stuckl, Rochus Dedler, Eugen Papst, Marcus Zwink, Ingrid H Shafer, and the inhabitants of Oberammergau, with music by Dedler.[2] Since its first production it has been performed on open-air stages in the village. The text of the play is a composite of four distinct manuscripts dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.[3]
The play is a staging of Jesus' passion, covering the short final period of his life from his visit to Jerusalem and leading to his execution by crucifixion, but it is the earliest continuous survivor of the age of Christian drama."
1634? That is some tradiiton ....
P.s. I really didn't know what it was ... ; )