Countdown to Oberammergau!

It's less than sixty days till the once-in-a-decade Oberammergau Passion Play begins and excitement is mounting! We only have a handful of places left but we're still purchasing more for late-comers, so if you haven't got your ticket yet, give us a call!

I'd like to feature two tours that I'm sure you'd enjoy:

Switzerland, Lutherland and Oberammergau Tour

PPRPK10: June 25-July 8, 2010
Combine seeing the Passion Play with a tour including Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Oberammergau, Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Worms, Mainz, Eisenach, Erfurt, Wittenberg, Berlin and a Rhine Cruise. The tour is hosted by Rev. Dan & Cathy Rinderknecht of Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Billings, MT. 14 days priced from $3,565 land only.




Oberammergau 2010 - The Footsteps of Martin Luther

PPRKN10: July 21-31, 2010

Tour of Germany hosted by Pastor Ron Benson of First Lutheran Church, Papillion, NE (LCMS) and Kaylene Nienhauser of Aur Travel and her husband Jeff. The tour includes Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Eisleben, Erfurt, Eisenach, two nights by the Rhine in Rudesheim, Mainz, Worms, a night in medieval Rothenburg and a drive down the "Romantic Road" to Bavaria.11 days priced from $3,199.

Oberammergau Passion Play tickets going fast!

This time next year, the Oberammergau Passion Play will be up and running and you won't want to miss out! We've already sold out some of our tours and several more are close to being waiting-list only. Below are the tours that still have some room and I invite you to call 1-800-303-5534 to reserve your space.

If you have a group and would like a custom tour, then it's not too late to call. Tickets are still available and we'd love to help.

2010 Luther Land and the Passion Play June 4-15, 2010
Combine seeing the Passion Play with a tour of Germany including Wittenberg, Eisleben, Erfurt, Eisenach, Worms, Mainz, Heidelberg, Rothenburg, Augsburg, Munich and a Rhine Cruise. The tour is hosted by Rev. Randy Prabst and Gail Vachon. 12 days priced from $3,595 land only.


I. N. Network Oberammergau 2010 June 9-19, 2010
Join the I.N. Network on a tour designed to not only connect you with the history and reality of the church in Europe, but also to experience the Passion of Christ for the whole world. The tour includes Prague, Vienna, Oberammergau, Salzburg and Munich. 11 days priced from $3,595 land only.

The Art of the Passion - A Word & Image Tour 2010 June 14-19 /25, 2010
Pastor Caroline Satre and Pastor Brad Davick of St. Paul's Lutheran Church invite you to join them on a tour of Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The tour begins in Bavaria and also includes Lucerne, the Swiss Alps, Torino, the Cinque Terra, Florence and San Gimignano. 6 days from $2,299, 12 days from $3,499 land only.

Oberammergau Tour F: Splendors of Bavaria and Italy June 22-July 5, 2010
Join Frank Drinkhouse, President of Reformation Tours on a fabulous tour from Bavaria to Rome, featuring Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Venice, Florence and Rome. Along the way we'll enjoy Alpine scenery and cultural delights. 14 days priced from $3,749 land only.

Switzerland, Lutherland and Oberammergau Tour June 25-July 8, 2010
Combine seeing the Passion Play with a tour including Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Oberammergau, Rothenburg, Heidelberg, Worms, Mainz, Eisenach, Erfurt, Wittenberg, Berlin and a Rhine Cruise. The tour is hosted by Rev. Dan & Cathy Rinderknecht of Trinity Lutheran Church in Billings, MT. 14 days priced from $3,565.

Oberammergau Tour B: Switzerland, Germany & Austria July 17-29, 2010
Join Frank Drinkhouse, President of Reformation Tours for tour through quintessential Switzerland, Germany and Austria. This leisurely trip includes Geneva, Chillon Castle, Bern, a day in the Swiss Alps, Zurich, the Bavarian Alps and castles, Salzburg and Vienna. 13 days priced from $3,549 land only.

Oberammergau 2010 - The Footsteps of Martin Luther July 21-31, 2010
Tour of Germany and Austria hosted by Kaylene Nienhauser of Aur Travel and her husband Jeff. The tour includes Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Eisleben, Erfurt, Eisenach, two nights by the Rhine in Rudesheim, Mainz, Worms, a night in medieval Rothenburg and a drive down the "Romantic Road" to Bavaria.11 days priced from $3,199.

The Ash Wednesday "Hair Decree"

Today is Ash Wednesday and for the men in the Bavarian village of Oberammergau, that means no more shaving until after the Passion Play performance, unless they are going to play the part of Roman soldiers.

I took this photo when I was on a recent trip to Oberammergau and it shows the official "Hair Decree" that allows men in the police and the military to be excused from the usual rule of being close-shaven. Apparently men have to carry a copy of this as well as their residence cards as they can look a little unkempt as 2009 continues!

Wieskirche and the cows

On Day 4 of the trip with the Bavarian Tourist Office and the National Tour Association we had a morning trip up the Rauschbergaus Mountain via cable car and the views were fabulous. There's a wonderful restaurant at the top and lots of great hiking trails. I recommend it!

In the afternoon we had a stop at Wieskirche, also known as the "Church in the Meadow." The official name is the "Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Savior in the Wies." Back in 1730 Father Magnus Straub and Friar Lukas Schweiger built a figure of Jesus for the Good Friday procession, using parts from other wooden figures, which they then covered in linen and painted. It was such a realistic representation of the suffering Jesus, that the congregation found it too moving and they decided to store it in the monaster's innkeeper Jeremia Rehle's attic. On March 4, 1738, the innkeeper's godmother Maria Lory moved it to her farm, the "Wieshof." During evening prayers on June 14, 1738 she apparently noticed drops of water on Jesus' face, which she interpreted as tears. As you can imagine, many people wanted to see the statue and so it became a popular pilgrimage spot. The side chapel contains many photos, prayers and letters from pilgrims from around the world and an estimated one million visitors visit each year.

The paintings in the church were done by two brothers, Dominikus and Johann Baptist Zimmermann of Wessobrunn. It's now included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage buildings and is a fine example of rococo style.

As well as the beautiful artwork, it was lovely to hear the cows right outside the church. It must have been feeding time as they were pretty vocal!

Weiskirche is featured on many of our tours, especially those including the Oberammergau Passion Play.

Thinking about an Oberammergau tour in 2010?

Although 2010 seems like a long time away, if you are thinking of attending the Oberammergau Passion Play, now is the time to be gathering your group.

Every ten years, this picturesque Bavarian town puts on a spectacular passion play with a cast entirely from the town. For more about the play, click here to read our webpage.

In order to accomodate the literally thousands of people from all over the world who want to attend the play, the town sells tickets that also include 2 nights accomodations, 5 meals (2 x breakfast, 1 x lunch and 2 x dinner). These tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Demand is extremely high and so groups need to gather their group as soon as possible, so they can get seats.

How can we help? We have designed a number of tours for 2010 that feature the Oberammergau Play and there's still space available. Call us today at 1-800-303-5534 or fill out our Oberammergau tour questionnaire. Our tours include the Passion Play with options to visit surrounding countries, such as Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy. We are also able to provide fellowship opportunities, both with fellow travellers and local believers.