Oberammergau

Walnut shell carvings in Oberammergau

A year ago, I fell in love with a monk. He was smiling as he checked his beer at a flea market in Regensburg. At just a foot tall and surrounded by nick-knacks, I thought 100 euro for the wooden statue was too much, but I never forgot him!

Decorated buildings around the city

With him in mind, we 'carved' an afternoon out of our trip to Garmisch to check out the quaint city of Oberammergau. Our family friends who lived in Germany 30 years ago first told us about the city when they came to town: painted buildings and wood carvings with the alps as a backdrop. Too good to be true?

Oberammergau did not disappoint. There were wood carving shops on every corner, with everything from painted wooden religious statues to colorful signs peppered with cherubs to tiny carvings delicately placed in walnut shells. I soon discovered that maybe I should've taken the 100 euro monk statue and run - I didn't see many that size for under 400 euro. That said, every piece we saw was a work of art and truly remarkable. The time these artisans invest in just one piece is unbelievable.

Typical Oberammergau wood carving store 

Most of the pieces depict religious scenes, and perhaps the reason the artists are able to make their pieces almost come to life is their real-life experience acting out the Passion Play. Every year ending in zero, Oberammergau's citizens band together to put on the Passion Play. This isn't just any play - they take pride in performing with incredible realism, and have since the 1600s. One of the artists told us cutting your hair and shaving is banned for three years. Yes. Those beards are real. The animals used in the play are raised by the people in the town, and they don't just perform at any auditorium: the whole city is the stage for this play.
If you are lucky enough to be in the area in 2020, you better make reservations now. This event is world-famous, and after hearing the effort and pride the people pour into the performance, I can see why!

Close up of a beautiful wood carving in
Oberammergau's church

For those of you visiting in the other nine years of the decade, perhaps the best surprise of our trip was the Parish Church St. Peter and Paul in the middle of town. The unassuming exterior only enhanced an already spectacular interior, flanked with, you guessed it, beautiful wood carvings. The wooden statues were sanded and painted so beautifully it was hard to believe they were wood.

Oberammergau makes an excellent stop on any southern Bavaria road trip. If you are interested in the carvings, do not expect a heavy discount for buying at the source. If you've already ruled that part out, it's still worth a stop to soak in the beauty in this Bavarian city!