Oberammergau

In 1633, during a plague outbreak, the villagers vowed to perform a play of the Passion every ten years if the deaths stopped; the first performance was in 1634 and it has been staged nearly every decade since, with interruptions for war and, most recently, a two-year postponement to 2022. Only people born in the village or resident for a set number of years may take part, and around two thousand of the five thousand residents are involved as cast, choir or crew. Woodcarving is the other trade, taught at a state school here. Many houses carry painted facades in the Lüftlmalerei tradition.

What you actually see

• The Passion Play theatre - a purpose-built house used every ten years.
• The painted houses - Lüftlmalerei facades through the village.
• The woodcarving - workshops and a state school teaching the craft.
• The village museum - the play's history and carving collections.

When to go

May to October generally; the play itself runs from May to October only in years ending in zero, when the village is booked out far ahead. Otherwise it is quiet.

Honest expectations

The play happens once a decade and tickets sell years in advance. Outside those years there is only the empty theatre and museum. Much carving sold is imported.

Nearby

Linderhof lies southwest; Ettal Abbey is close.