In the year 1634, the tiny Bavarian village of Oberammergau was in the terrifying grip of the Great Plague. At that time the inhabitants took an oath that if their village was spared, they would stage a play every ten years depicting the suffering of Jesus Christ. The villagers fulfilled their oath for the first time in 1634 and have continued to do so for hundreds of years as an expression of faith and gratitude for their salvation.

The play takes place on a huge open-air stage against the stunning backdrop of the magnificent Bavarian Alps. The auditorium is completely covered and offers seating for almost 5000 people, the rows of seats are ascending and therefore guarantee everyone wonderful acoustics and a perfect view of the stage irrespective of the weather.

Oberammergau has become one of the world’s outstanding cultural events and, although the text and music have been adapted to the times, the performers original conception of tradition and the compelling oath have remained. The music for the Passion Play was written in 1815 by the Oberammergau school teacher Rochus Dedler. Employing a huge choir and orchestra his work frames the entire play to this day

Famous throughout the world, it is expected that over 500,000 people will attend the performances in 2010. The play runs from mid May to the beginning of October starting at 2.30pm and finishing at 1030 pm with a break for dinner at 5 pm. The performers are drawn solely from Oberammergau and its surrounding villages to maintain the tradition of the solemn vow the villagers made in 1633. Starting from Ash Wednesday 2009 all of the men taking part in the play let the hair on their faces and heads grow so the performers have an authentic biblical appearance.

Oundle Travel are privileged to bring you a selection of Oberammergau holidays for 2010 – From £675.00 per person…..

Oberammergau & Bavaria’s Fairytale Castles

Visits and excursions ~ Neuschwanstein and Linderhof ~ fairytale castles (entrance not included) Innsbruck ~ Capital of the Tyrol.

From £675.00 per person (Limited Availability)

The Passion Play & The Austrian Tyrol

Flights from Birmingham, Stansted or Heathrow

From £879.00 per person (Limited Availability)

Lake Garda & Oberammergau

Luxury Coach Travel
Complimentary two evening’s Full Board and five evenings Half Board plus lunch on your first day in Oberammergau.
Excursion to Verona included
Optional Excursions ~ Lake Garda Tour and Trentino Wines & Castles

Flight included from London Heathrow

From £1499.00 per person (Limited Availability)

Alpine Explorer with Glacier Express - Featuring The Passion Play

Flight included From London Heathrow

From £2359.00 per person (Limited Availability)
Single Rooms available on request at a supplement

Please contact our one of our experienced Travel Consultants for more details and availability ~ 01832 273600