Oberammergau & Lake Constance

Summary

Held only once every ten years, the Passion Play of Oberammergau, a spectacular event with a huge cast formed exclusively by the townsfolk of Oberammergau, is a spiritual treat to be savoured. The epic scale of the production, which lasts for five hours with a three hour intermission, is as    breathtaking as the scenery here in the Bavarian Alps.

Equally spectacular is the setting for our preamble to the Passion Play, a four-night stay on the shores of Lake Constance, whose sparkling waters form an ever-present backdrop to our touring. From our base at a comfortable, family-run hotel in Bregenz on the Austrian shore of the lake, we visit a selection of outstanding gardens and impressive palaces.

Pick of the bunch has to be Insel Mainau, one of the most splendid garden sites in Europe. Getting there is half the fun as we cruise at a leisurely pace along the lake, and once there we have a dazzling array of gardens, parks and buildings to explore. Elsewhere we visit a couple of hugely impressive Baroque palaces, from whose gardens we can gaze down upon the bustling lake; a richly decorated monastery in an idyllic setting and, by way of contrast, a homely little private garden set in the hills that surround the lake.

On our way to Bregenz we call in at the unmissable fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein and on the final leg of our journey we end on a suitably spiritual note at the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, a Rococo masterpiece.

Tour highlights:

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• See the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle
• Wander the garden of Insel Mainau, one of the best in Europe
• View Tettnang New Palace, one of the most beautiful palaces in the Bodensee region
• Explore Meersburg New Palace, the picturesque former residence of the prince-bishops of Constance
• Discover the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, a UNESCO World Heritage Site