One of the pearls of Bavaria is considered to be the Oberammergau ski resort, which has magnificent alpine views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Here you can not only enjoy all the joys of winter sports, but also explore the many cultural attractions that this small but very picturesque town is so rich in. Oberammergau is good at any time of the year, because it is an alpine resort and the air here is healing. This place is created for a relaxing family vacation, but lovers of a more active lifestyle will also have something to do here.

Oberammergau gained world fame back in 1633, when the townspeople “revived” the pages of the Bible with a production of “The Passion of the Christ”. This performance was organized after a terrible plague epidemic, which prayer and a procession helped to get rid of. In gratitude for this miracle, the residents of the city promised to organize performances every 10 years in which they pledged to sing the suffering of Christ. This tradition, starting from the 17th century, continues to this day. Now only local theater troupes participate in the productions, and their duration is about 5 hours. Tourists from all over the world come here to see this colorful show, so tickets need to be bought a couple of years in advance.

Now Oberammergau is a center of cultural and sports life. Here, after conquering the mountain slopes, you can simply walk along the beautiful streets, because this area is known as the “city of craftsmen”. In this town, almost all the facades of houses are decorated with colorful drawings that you can admire for hours. Therefore, the stunning beauty of the Alpine slopes, rich cultural life, a variety of trails for skiers and snowboarders make this resort one of the favorite places for both tourists and residents of Germany.

How to get there

The nearest airport to Oberammergau is in Munich, from where you can get there either by car or by train, a ticket for which can be bought from a machine right at the airport. The train to the resort departs from the main train station with a change at the Murnau or Oberau stations. The journey time will be 1.5-2 hours.

Ski slopes and lifts

The Oberammergau ski region consists of two skiing areas – Laber and Kolben, but despite this, there are not very many slopes here and they are all equipped with night lighting and snow cannons. The slopes here are mainly suitable for children and beginners, but there are also slopes for experienced skiers and snowboarders. These slopes are steeper and start at the peaks, but they do not reach the truly difficult ones. But for cross-country skiers there is enough space – more than 100 kilometers of flat routes passing through a picturesque valley. Also for snowboarders, Oberammergau has a good snow park, where both beginners and professionals will be comfortable.

Due to the fact that the resort does not have a strong branching of the slopes, there are only nine lifts here: one of which is a chairlift and eight are tow lifts. For a small resort, this is enough, so vacationers will not encounter queues and bustle here.

Slope diagram

Ski schools and equipment rental

The resort has several ski schools, whose instructors will teach everyone to ski, regardless of their skill level and age. There are also separate groups for children, where they will be taught all the basic skills in a playful way.

There are also several sports shops at the service of vacationers, where you can rent all the necessary equipment. In addition, some hotels have the opportunity to rent or leave the necessary equipment.

Hotels and cottages

Oberammergau is a very quiet and peaceful resort. Here, vacationers can choose from hotels, apartments and cottages of various classes. A pleasant feature of vacationing in Oberammergau is that the prices here are not very high, despite its proximity to Munich.

One of the best hotels in the resort is the five-star Hotel Maximilian, located in the center of Oberammergau, 700 meters from the Passion Theater. Here, vacationers can expect designer rooms, a fashionable restaurant and a spa center equipped with a massage room, sauna and steam bath. Another place worth noting is the Hotel Alte Post, located in an old house built in 1612. At the disposal of hotel guests: ski and luggage storage, as well as a car rental desk.

Hotel Maximilian

Hotel Alte Pos

Gaestehaus Richter

Pension Zwink

For budget accommodation, you should pay attention to the family hotel Gaestehaus Richter and Pension Zwink, decorated in a traditional Alpine style. In these hotels, the cost of accommodation per person will be about €40.

Romantik Hotel Böld 4 star hotel

This 4-star country hotel is located beside the River Ammer, just 300 metres from the centre of Oberammergau. It offers free Wi-Fi, a modern spa area, and a restaurant serving fresh, innovative cuisine.

The Romantik Hotel Böld is located at the foot of the Kofel Mountain. The non-smoking rooms are furnished in an Alpine style and feature soundproofed windows. Some rooms have a balcony. All rooms offer scenic views of the Ammergau Alps.

A freshly prepared breakfast buffet is served every morning in the Romantik Hotel Böld’s elegant restaurant.

The hotel features a sauna area with various saunas and a steam bath. Free use of bicycles is available.

The area surrounding the Romantik Hotel Böld is popular for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, and tennis. Oberammergau Train Station is 1 km away, and golf courses and swimming pools can be reached in 15 minutes.

Dedlerhaus 3 star hotel

This family-run guest house with free Wi-Fi is located in the centre of Oberammergau, next to the town church and several ski slopes. It offers Alpine-style rooms and a sun terrace on the roof. A shuttle service to Oberammergau Train Station can be requested.

It offers modern rooms with elegant wooden furnishings. Each room at the Dedlerhaus features a modern bathroom, a CD player and satellite TV, and some also have a terrace.

A varied breakfast buffet is served in the country-style dining room in the morning. Guests can enjoy a glass of German beer or wine on the terrace.

Guests can go hiking, cycling or skiing in the Bavarian Alps.

The Austrian border and the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen are a 20-minute drive away. Free private parking is available.

Ferienhaus Alpinissimo 5 star hotel

These apartments are located in a quiet and picturesque residential area of Oberammergau. It offers free Wi-Fi, a fully equipped kitchen, a balcony and a terrace, and an outdoor pool with panoramic views of the Ammergau Alps.

The Ferienhaus Alpinissimo combines modern and Alpine styles. The apartments are furnished with high-quality wooden furniture. Amenities include a flat-screen TV, DVD player and washing machine. The bathrooms are fitted with a shower and a heated towel rail.

Guests can prepare their own meals in the kitchen, which includes a microwave and a refrigerator. Tea/coffee making facilities are also provided. For convenience, there is a drinks vending machine on site, and free bread rolls are delivered to the apartments in the morning.

The property features a large flower garden, ideal for sunbathing in fine weather. Facilities also include a sauna. All guests receive a free Königscard, which offers over 180 free benefits for attractions and services in the region, including museum admission, cable cars, swimming pools and entertainment facilities.

These apartments are just a 5-minute walk from the NATO School and the Wellenberg Entertainment Centre. Oberammergau Train Station is 2 km away. The A95 motorway is 10 km away, connecting the town with other motorways throughout Bavaria.

Ferienwohnung Barbara

Ferienwohnung Barbara is a self-catering apartment with free WiFi located in the commune of Oberammergau, 300 metres from Laber-Bergbahn Cable Car and 2.6 km from Kolbe-Zesselbahn Cable Car.

The accommodation features a terrace, a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, and a private bathroom with a shower and a hairdryer. You can enjoy mountain views from the windows.

Ferienwohnung Barbara offers a terrace and free parking.

Memmingen Airport is 77 km away.

Restaurants and cafes

The resort has a variety of restaurants and cafes, where the hospitable hosts will treat you to delicious local cuisine and a mug of real German beer. The most popular establishment in Oberammergau is the Ammergauer Maxbrau, located in the Maximilian Hotel. Here they prepare the best national dishes, especially the famous shank, which will appeal to even a true gourmet. The menu will also please with a variety of famous Bavarian beers. Vacationers should also visit the atmospheric place – Theater Cafe, the walls of which are painted with ancient frescoes. Here you can try the best German desserts at very low prices.

Ammergauer Maxbrau

Theater Cafe

Another interesting place is the Italian restaurant La Montanara, located in an old house. Its owners are an Italian couple who are happy to welcome new guests. They prepare the best pizza and pasta in the resort. Lunch at this restaurant will cost only 10-15 €.

Sights and entertainment

Oberammergau is rich in cultural entertainment and attractions, but for lovers of loud parties it will be boring here, since there are no night discos and clubs in the resort. Despite this, there are a lot of interesting places here that are worth visiting:

The Leberbergbahn cable car, which takes everyone to a height of 1683 meters above sea level. From here you can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and lakes.
The Wellenberg Water Park, which has several outdoor and indoor pools, various slides, a beach volleyball court and saunas. It is very easy to find – it is located at the foot of Mount Laber, a 10-minute walk from the historic center.
The Church of St. Peter and Paul, built in 1741. Inside you can see frescoes of incredible beauty.
The Passion Theater, where biblical stories have been played out for many years. Every ten years for four centuries, the residents of the city have put on a stunning musical performance on the theme of the Passion of Christ. To see this incredible phenomenon, tickets must be booked years in advance.
The marble crucifix of Christ, installed on the Osterbichl hill in 1875. It was made in honor of the famous Passion play, which was attended by King Louis II himself.
The facades of the buildings are one of the city’s main assets. All of them are painted with various biblical and fairy-tale scenes, and are also decorated with carved shutters, stylized clocks with a zozule, birdhouses and other unique details. It is worth paying attention to the following buildings: Pilate, Forestry, Judas, Judge, Doctor, Dedler House, Kölbl House and the old post office building