Oberammergau - fairy tale houses and passion play

The play house is used year round

History of the Passion Play

What made the town famous, was its performance of the Passion of Christ every decade. It is believed that the Passion Play has been held every 10 years since 1634. A play of life and death, promised in a moment of mortal threat, and so began the history of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1633.  During that time, the Black Plague was sweeping through Europe. The villagers of Oberammergau vowed that if their town was spared, they would perform the Passion of Christ every 10 years. The town was spared, and it is amazing that they have been honoring this pledge from generation to generation.

The Passion Play performance follows Christ from His triumphant entry into Jerusalem through His Trial, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension.

Rear of the Festival house

Many of the houses in Oberammergau feature story paintings on the exterior - really beautiful!

Another story book house in Oberammergau

Unfortunately - we only had time to drive through the quaint village as we travel from the Zugspitze to Fussen.  We drove a scenic route along the German and Austrian border into Reutte then to Fussen

Zugspitze 4 - the descent to the Eisbee Lake cable car station

We had planned to take the cogwheel train down the Zugspitze.  But we found out the train took an hour and a half while the cable car was 8 minutes.  So I just looked up the mountain.  But it was not as scary the second time around!

Rugged granite outcrops of the summit of the Zugspitze on the border of Germany and Austria.  At 9700 feet

Beautiful sky over Zugspitze

We meet the other cable car mid way on the trip back to Lake Eibsee

Hard to imagine that we could climb to the top of the mountain in 8 minutes in a cable car!  But what an amazing view!!

Zugspitze 3 - Views from the top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09MBa2oyJUc

Video of the views from the top

On top of the world - a view of Darrell and Elaine on top of the Zugspitze on the border of Austria and Germany

The restaurant on top of the Zugspitze.

 We had lunch in the restaurant on top of the mountain.  The food was excellent - however the effect of the altitude was felt immediately.

Watching a cable car ascend into the Eibsee cable car control

During the summer - many climb across a very narrow ledge to reach the actual summit of the Zugspitze.  However - no takers today in the snow

The summit of the Zugspitze - marked by a golden cross

Zugspize 2 - Weather stations and View of 400 peaks in the Alps

The roof of the border of Austria and Germany - the Zugspitze sits at 9700 feet with views of over 400 mountain peaks in the Alps from the summit

Observation platform above the Cable car entrance

This is the view of the cable car that ascends from the Austrian side in the Tyrol region

Darrell points out the cable car

Elaine is really thrilled to be on land after the cable car ride!

Some of the weather station instruments are barely visible as the clouds drift across the mountain top.  The weather station does climate research.

Zugspitze 1 German Alps - Garmisch Partenki

We drove from Salzburg into the Bavaria region of Germany.  Beautiful views of the mountains bordered the autostrada along the route.

Darrell enjoyed driving our Audi rental car.  The auto strada has no speed limit.  So we pushed the pedal to almost 130 mph.  But just for a short time!

Views of the German Alps - the Mountain peak the Zugspeitz

 We took the Cable car from the German side of the Zugspitze from Eibsee station.  It is an incredibly fast and basically vertical ascent up the cliff face of the mountain. The Zugspitze sits on the border of Austria and Germany in the Alps mountain range.

 Up a vertical 9700 feet.  Terrifying!

views of the cable car station from our ascent

The ride was about 8 minutes.  We saw views of Lake Eisbee

an alternative ascent to the top of the Zugspitze is a cog rail way that travels both the outside of the mountain then into tunnels.  Time did not allow us to take the train.

We have reached the top!  Which was actually the most terrifying part.  When the cable car was swaying as it rose vertically into the station.

Views of one of the ski slopes on top of the Zugspitze

Mozart's birthplace - Salzburg

Salzburg - historic home of Mozart!  With Mozart influence everywhere in the city

We also enjoyed the fashionable boutiques in the old town.

St. Peter's Church and Cemetery, Salzburg

Historic St. Peter's Church is located at the bottom of the cliff underneath the Fortress.  This cemetery was also featured in the Sound of Music movie where the Von Trapp family hide from the Nazi's just after walking off the stage from the music festival.

Tower of St. Peter's.  Service was going on inside the church.

Fortress Hohensalzburg --overlooks the city of Salzburg

We took the elevator up the cliff side then walked the path around the edge to the Fortress.

Beautiful views of the Salzach River and Old Town Salzburg

Fortified walls of the Fortress

Stiftskeller St. Peter - Dinner and Mozart Concert

Mozart welcomes you to the St Peter Stiftskeller!

Our dinner concerts transport you back to Mozart's time. Enjoy an evening's entertainment in the style of 1790 with candlelight, a menu based on historical recipes, period costume and instruments, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's exquisite music.

Amadeus Consort Salzburg

The Amadeus Consort Salzburg was founded in 1996. The ensemble performs in period costume and usually consists of six musicians and two singers. However, the group has been known to draw on a full orchestra and opera cast when required. All the members of the ensemble are graduates of the Mozarteum University Salzburg and work with renowned orchestras and international opera houses. Some of the singers, Aleksandra Zamojska among them, can also be heard at the Salzburg Festival. Virtuosity and an infectious joy in music-making distinguish the musicians of the Amadeus Consort. In addition to Mozart's divertimenti, serenades and quartets, all the great Mozart operas have been reorchestrated for the Amadeus Consort's chamber orchestra: the The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni are always popular and are sometimes performed with period instruments.

The musical instruments were original to Mozart's time.  The performance included vocal selections from several of Mozart's opera's with a little dramatic flair from the performers who wore period attire.

There has been a restaurant at the Stiftskeller St. Peter since 803 during the time of Charlesmagne.  We had capon.

7 PM May 9

Mozart Dinner - STIFTSKELLER ST. PETER

The best music in the world. Mozart. What else?

the musical programme at the MOZART DINNER CONCERT.
Performed by AMADEUS CONSORT SALZBURG

1st part: Arias and Duetts from "DON GIOVANNI" KV 527
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"Giovinette che fatte all'amore" (Masetto/Zerlina)
"Batti, batti o bel Masetto" (Zerlina)
"Madamina, il catalogo..."; (Leporello), 1. part
"Vedrai, carino" (Zerlina)
"Deh vieni alla finestra..." (Don Giovanni)
Menuetto (instrumental)
"Là ci darem la mano..." (Zerlina/ Giovanni)

2nd part: Arias and Duetts from "LE NOZZE DI FIGARO" KV 492 

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Introduction to the Opera "Le Nozze di Figaro"
"Cinque, dieci, venti..." (Figaro/Susanna)
"Se vuol ballare, Signor contino..." (Figaro)
"Non so piú cosa son..." (Cherubino)
"Non più andrai..." (Figaro)
"Deh vieni non tardar..." (Susanna)
"Crudel, per che finora..." (Conte/Susanna)

3rd part: Arias and Duetts from "THE MAGIC FLUTE" KV 620

"A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC" KV 525

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Serenade „Eine kleine Nachtmusik", 1. movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrP1G3TrSZE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiYH2lt9lkQ

The City of Mozart!

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