Tag: Bavaria
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Slap Happy: Dancing the Schuhplattler in Bavaria
In Oberammergau, we witness the rhythmic, energetic Schuhplattler folk dance, a historic Bavarian tradition performed in classic Lederhosen and Dirndls.
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A Bavarian Horse-Blessing Ceremony in Unterammergau, Germany
As we walked from the town of Oberammergau to the neighboring village of Unterammergau, Germany, numerous horses trotted past us. The animals’ beautifully decorated manes and tails blew in the late autumn breeze. Not to be outdone by the horses’ distinguished appearances, the owners also sported fine Bavarian attire. Men wore grey woolen jackets finished…
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Tails from a German Horse-Blessing Ceremony
During the last weekend of October, the village of Unterammergau, Germany honors St. Leonhard, the patron saint of agricultural animals. The event begins with a horse procession through this community of 1,500 people. It culminates in an open-air church service, during which more than one hundred horses are blessed. Unterammergau is the neighboring village of…
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Mount Kofel Dressed in Snow – Oberammergau, Germany
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” John Steinbeck The experience of awakening to the first snowfall of winter is magical, especially when Mother Nature delivers as she did today in Oberammergau, Germany. (There was nothing to shovel, but confectioners’ sugar-like dustings on the surrounding…
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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.
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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…
