We drove through the Bavarian countryside on our way to Ettal and Oberammergau. We stayed in Ettal, only ten minutes from Oberammergau. From our hotel grounds, we could see Ettal Abbey. It was founded in 1330 by Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria and is still a working monastery today. The current building was constructed after a fire destroyed the previous abbey in 1744. I have included pictures of the Basilica and the Abbey complex.

Ettal Abbey is more than just its Basilica. The Abbey also operates a school, distillery, brewery, cheese factory, bookstore, and a large hotel. The brewery was established in 1609. Monks brewed beer using locally-grown malt and hops, and water from the Bavarian Alps. Today, their beer can be purchased in the Abbey’s gift shop and in the village of Ettal.

Because it is a working monastery, much of the complex is not open to visitors. But tours are given of the Basilica. The painting on the high altar is “The Assumption of the Virgin Mary” and dates back to 1786. Beneath the altarpiece is “the Ettal miraculous image,” a white marble figure of Mary with the baby Jesus. This is some information about the miraculous image:

According to legend, an angel presented the miraculous image to Emperor Ludwig IV, the Bavarian, when he was in Rome. He (the angel) commissioned him to found Ettal Abbey. Since the official founding day, Vitalistag in 1330, this miraculous image has been the focal point of the monastery and the heart of monastic life…The boy Jesus stands on one knee of the Blessed Mother and is lovingly embraced by the mother’s arm…Believers from near and far came and still come here to pray before Our Lady, to ask for her protection and help.

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Pictured below are both the altarpiece and the miraculous image. The last picture in this section is the interior of the Basilica’s dome. The dome was designed to look like an open sky with saints in Heaven praising God.

From Ettal we would go by bus to Oberammergau to see the Passion Play. Oberammergau is in a beautiful area. The picture above the blog title depicts the Bavarian countryside near Etall and Oberamergau. The mountain pictured below is Mt. Kofel. It has a cross on its peak and is a common symbol of Oberammergau.

While the Passion Play may be what first comes to mind when one hears the name of Oberammergau, the village is also known for their beautifully painted houses. Many of the homes and buildings in Oberammergau are decorated with paintings called “Lüftlmalerei.” The paintings are applied to fresh plaster using a fresco technique allowing the paint to be absorbed into the plaster and thus able to survive for a long time. The paintings include fairy tales, religious scenes, and pictures of traditional Bavarian life. I have included two of the Lüftlmalerei houses. Pilate’s House is probably the most well-known of these houses. It is so named because the painting shows Pilate condemning Jesus to crucifixion.

Oberammergau is also famous for its high quality woodcarvings. In the 18th century, woodcarvers traveled around Europe carrying a rack on their back called a ‘Kraxe’, which held their carvings for sale. Peddlers are still celebrated in the area today by woodcarvers who sculpt peddlers. Religious carvings are also very popular. We learned about one of Oberammergau’s woodcarvers, Robert Eder, through a Tauck presentation streamed during the pandemic. When on our tour, we used part of our free time to visit Mr. Eder’s workshop. We now have two of his woodcarvings, both peddlers. One is selling clocks and the other is selling toys. Mr. Eder is also a member of the Passion Play cast – we would see him on stage later that day.