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. DuringContinue reading “The Lüftlmalerei-Adorned Windows of Oberammergau, Germany”
Tag Archives: Oberammergau
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 artContinue reading “Hiking to the Kofel, Oberammergau’s Signature Mountain”
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.’ He isContinue reading “A Peek at Linderhof Palace”
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 winterContinue reading “The Last Days of Summer – Oberammergau, Germany”
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 theContinue reading “Celebrating Mariä Himmelfahrt Day in Oberammergau, Germany”
Angels, Busts, and Saints Dressed in Snow: A Wintry Visit to Oberammergau’s Cemetery
Perhaps it is a bit macabre, but I find cemeteries – particularly those in foreign locales – to be fascinating and fitting spots to reflect upon a place’s culture and history, and upon life itself. When my husband and I last visited Paris, we spent several hours strolling through the city’s famous Père Lachaise Cemetery, passing headstones ofContinue reading “Angels, Busts, and Saints Dressed in Snow: A Wintry Visit to Oberammergau’s Cemetery”
Dizzied by a Dazzling Array of Dirndls in Bavaria
Whenever I see Bavarians dressed in traditional German attire, I can’t help but recall a playful prank that my former American colleagues routinely played on friends and family who would come to visit them in Germany. The husband and wife would get laced up in their finest Trachten-wear (German traditional dress consisting of men’s LederhosenContinue reading “Dizzied by a Dazzling Array of Dirndls in Bavaria”
Twisting Tongues in Bavaria
German words have a reputation for being exceedingly long. Sometimes they’re also rather descriptive. The German language’s penchant for precision is perhaps best described in Mark Twain’s humorous essay, The Awful German Language, which you can read here. Twain penned The Awful German Language in an attempt to describe the frustration he felt while learning German. Twain’s essayContinue reading “Twisting Tongues in Bavaria”
Travels With Tricia 