Category: Germany

An Autumn Afternoon at the Neuschwanstein Castle

As we inched closer to the Neuschwanstein Castle, I couldn’t help but think it looked even more fairy tale-esque thanks to the autumnal hues Mother Nature had dressed it in. Rich yellow, copper and crimson leaves framed the world-famous castle on the craggy rocks, contrasting sharply with the lime-green fields below it.
The Lüftlmalerei-Adorned Windows of Oberammergau, Germany

Oberammergau, Germany is famous for the colorful frescoes that adorn the exteriors of its homes and businesses. This painting technique is known as Lüftlmalerei. Luft means ‘air’ in German. It’s believed that the term illustrates how fresco artists must work quickly to apply watercolor paint to the wet plaster before it dries in the open air. During…
Hiking to the Kofel, Oberammergau’s Signature Mountain

Towering over the village of Oberammergau is the Kofel, a Matterhorn-shaped mountain with an elevation of 1,342 meters (4,400 feet). The name Kofel means “cone-shaped mountain” in Celtic, and so hints at the different peoples who once passed through this mountainous part of Germany. The Bavarians we’ve met in this picturesque town are well-versed in the art…
A Peek at Linderhof Palace

Schloss Linderhof is the smallest of three castles built by King Ludwig II in Germany’s state of Bavaria in the mid to late 1800s. Simultaneously referred to as the “Fairy Tale King” and “Mad King Ludwig,” eccentric Ludwig is perhaps best known for having commissioned Neuschwanstein Castle, the so-called “Cinderella” or “Disney Castle.” King Ludwig…
The Last Days of Summer – Oberammergau, Germany

“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Henry James As we welcome autumn to Oberammergau – with its bounty of festivals and harvests – here’s a peek at the scenes we glimpsed during our end-of-summer strolls. Here’s to beautiful fall foliage, and Bavaria’s winter…
Celebrating Mariä Himmelfahrt Day in Oberammergau, Germany

As the clock edged toward nine thirty in the morning, the stream of villagers dressed in traditional German folk costume passing by our window in Oberammergau, Germany grew. Ladies in elaborate Dirndls and men in Lederhosen pedaled by on their bikes. Some navigated their bikes’ handlebars with one hand, with elaborate wildflower bouquets in the…