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Hi, ready for take-off? Fine, this is our goal today (left
pic). No, Ma'm, that's not the Himalaja, would be a little far for me. This
is the highest mountain of Germany, the "Zugspitze". You have never
heard about? But surely you know Garmisch-Partenkirchen? Yeah! Ok, let's drive
in there.
If we take the highway Munich - Garmisch it will needs us
about one hour, the distance to Munich is round hundred kilometers. From Munich
airport it would be 130 km. But I think, highways you are used and you will
prefer to see something of the marvellous landscape of Bavaria. So we will
take another road, needs more time but touch a lot of interesting points.
First we drive a road between the lake of Starnberg
and the "Ammersee", near the Monastery
of Andechs we had visited last time, you remember? Then using a federal
road with the old name "olympic street" we will reach the town Weilheim
from which we turn in direction to Schongau. Today
we don't stop in that nice town from the Middle Ages because I will use some
very beautiful nearly unknown country roads to short the way a little bit.
But going to Garmisch there are some "must be visited-points"
in its district, the first one is our next rest in Oberammergau.
the village, the valley and the alps
This village is well known all around the world by his games
of the passion from Jesus Christ. These games base on an oath sweared by the
citizens of Oberammergau in the 16th century as the plague was brought in by
an poor day worker with homesickness. He was the only who slipped through the
barricades in the valley didn't knowing that he was carrying the death in his
village. After the citizens, dieing like flies, sweared to the Lord to remind
his glory all ten years in remaking the passion story by themselves, nobody
was caught by the plague.
The year 2010 is one of the game years. If you want visit
the games, please order your tickets very early, they are high frequently asked.
Contact page you will find on the end of this page. Oberammergau has beside
the games two other very interesting attractions. Do you see the paintings
on the houses? We name them "Lüftel-Malerei" translatet "paintings
in the air". A lot of them are religious other ones show country elements.
Short stop now for the second point to visit. In Oberammergau you will find
nice wood crafts, a lot of stores offer religious and popular figures mostly
handmade.
Wow, you must not run, you are in vacation. Well, ok, everybody
is in again, so let us visiting our Bavarian King Louis II. No, Sir, he is
not still alive, he died in 1886. But he bequeath several marvellous castles,
you know Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Look
at this, here is the castle of Linderhof.
This Bavarian dream king used this castle to relax. And
in all his "toys" he always used the newest technology they had to
this time. You will see the "cave of Venus", the water there was
warmed up to 27 degrees and the cave was fully illuminated and with aircondition,
1870 !! Or the tale table in his living rooms, called "table-cover-up
yourself". For that he used not a chain-pulled elevator, normal in these
years, no, he bought the "tape-technology". So the cook in the basement
cellar could plate the dishes and glasses filled with vine and with no shakes
like a miracle the table appears out the ground silent. A real tale for the
guests and now for you. The park arrangements contain style from Italy, United
Kingdom and France.
Another impression of the Bavarian history you will get
now. The monastery of Ettal is waiting for us. This monastery of the Benedict
monks was founded 1330. The legend told, the horse of the ruler "Louis
the Bavarian" fell three times down on its knees in face of a huge fir
as he was searching for a place to found a house in honour to the Lord.
In the old times the monastery was rich and even knights
were living there. But in the 30-years-long war at 1600 all knights were gone
and so only one monk tried to save the treasure the monastery had. Well, although
the Swedisch soldiers are fighting in the name of the Lord (for the protestants)
they did not respect the cross. The poor father was killed and the soldiers
took all things of worth. In our days the monastery has a new treasure. No,
not the brewery or the liquor factory, that is normal in Bavaria. What I think,
the most famous thing they have now is their highschool and the pupils in.
For example, in the passion-orchestra of Oberammergau the youngest member from
the violonists is twelf years old and a proud member of this highschool.
Now we leave this valley and reach Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The sports freaks know that town very well, either by the Olympic Games in
1936 or by the masterships of skiing. Although the about 30 000 citizens can
offer 10 000 beds for tourists they still try to keep the county look in the
town.
Yeah, tourists will find nearly everything in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
in summer or winter season. Let's count what. First nice accommodations, good
food national and international, shopping areas and even a gambling house.
That's all for relaxing. Now for wellness: you can walk nice and good signed
travel ways around and up. You can swim, bike, play golf, climb the mountains,
go skiing, even in summer, rafting is possible or sky-gliding.
Look here, this is a wonderful walk through a canyon. We
name this place the "canyon of Partnach". But you will need good
shoes for that.
Oh, you have the same problem like me with walking ? Now,
than let us take one of the trains. There are a lot of lifts in the area and
the main train is just going up to the top of the Zugspitze. Today the weather
is real fine so you can have a view over about 150 Kilometers. And one or two
steps will bring you to Austria. Yes, Ma'm, you are standing exactly in two
countries now. Here runs the border between Germany and Austria, just over
the peak.
Isn't it a marvellous view? This mountain area is named
"Wetterstein-Gebirge", I would tranlate as "mountains of the
weater stones". And in this translation there is some truth because here
the weather can change in a few moments.
Mounteneers must be very carefully and be equipped with
warm cloth and rain coats too otherwise it could be dangerous on some days.
Back to some attractions. The mountain on the right hand is named "Schachen".
There we have a famous Alpin Botanic Garden. Over 1600 different plants can
be seen in this area, lots of them from Asia, the Himalaja region, some of
the Arctis and even from the mountains of North-America. Before I forget to
tell, our King Louis II. had there a lodge you can also visit. But our dream
king and a "lodge"? It is a wooden castle and the whole first floor
is built in Turkish style as a hall including a fountain.
A short view back in history: First settlement in this area
around Garmisch-Partenkirchen was made by tribes of the Illyrics. Then the
Celtics came, later the Romans and first in 1400 the Bavarian tribes. In ancient
times the people here lived by the road and trading fees they charge. As the
trade changed the routes people got big problems with earning money and so
the wood crafts and the violin manufactures (center was in Mittenwald)
started. After the railroad was built in 1900 the touristic branch brought
back work and income to this nice corner in the Bavarian Alps.
My last picture for today is a view to the "Eibsee"
(lake of ...). What do you think, will it be the right place for your next
vacation? I guess so. And you know, give me call, mail or fax and I will you
pick-up at Munich airport.
Before you leave me now you should get the promised adresses.
First the homepage of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
itself. They have a lot of informations and contact numbers on. If you like
to get in touch with the village Oberammergau,
please click on the name. My homepage you still have found otherwise you would
not be here today. Maybe you want send me your comment, than use the email
adress in my usual last sentence. Thanks for driving with me through Bavaria
and to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I hope to see you one day personal.
Cheers, your George
Script by J.W.Lohfink, for any mistakes in
spell or grammar I apologize as a precaution, corrections, questions or comments
please mail to me.
>> German version
And last but not least, if you like to search on my page
more or in the internet,
then you'll find at the bottom the marvellous search-help
by Google.
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