Numerous high-quality cultural monuments in the Ammergau Alps Nature Park bear witness to an eventful past.
Our interactive tour gives you insights into the history and stories of the region.
Sights in the Ammergau Alps Nature Park
Linderhof Palace
Ludwig II was able to complete his Royal Villa Linderhof (1878), the only one of his building projects he ever designed. As he had experienced as a child in Nymphenburg, he created rooms of the greatest opulence and splendor at Linderhof. The park, one of the most beautiful of the 19th century, combines elements of Baroque gardens with magnificent water parterres and English landscape gardens. It features fascinating structures such as the Moroccan House, the Moorish Kiosk, and the Venus Grotto, a vast, artificially created stalactite cave. Linderhof was Ludwig II's declared favorite place.
Passion Theater Oberammergau
The world-famous Passion Play takes place on the stage of the Passion Play Theatre every 10 years. And even between these performances, the Passion Play Theatre is a popular venue with an unparalleled atmosphere.
Regular guided tours take interested people into the auditorium and behind the scenes of this house.
Ettal Monastery
With its imposing baroque basilica and rococo sacristy, the Ettal Monastery Known far beyond the region, the monastery church impresses with its soaring dome, adorned with a vast array of saints. The church's centerpiece, however, is the Ettal Madonna: a marble figure depicting the Christ Child standing on his mother's lap, which has been a magnet for pilgrims since the monastery's founding in 1330.
Churches & Chapels
... are witnesses to the past and the lived faith.
Lüftlmalerei in the Ammergau Alps
Oberammergau is considered one of the centers of this type of facade painting. After all, one of its most important artists, Franz Seraph Zwinck, came from the Passion Play town. His works, as well as those of numerous other artists, lend the village its unique charm.
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Always worth a trip
Excursion tips around the nature park
Murnau and the Blue Rider
Murnau and its surroundings were home to one of the most important artistic movements of the 19th century: the Blue Rider. Among others, Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter, and Franz Marc settled in Murnau and the surrounding towns.
The castle museum and the Münter House in Murnau and the Franz Marc Museum in Kochel have many works of this expressionist movement on display and offer exciting information about the artists.
Neuschwanstein Castle
The most famous of King Ludwig II's castles is always worth a visit. Inspired by the stage sets from the operas of his friend Richard Wagner, the fairytale king had his own knight's castle built in Schwangau. Nearby, you can also visit Hohenschwangau Castle, where the king spent part of his childhood.
Old Town and High Castle at Füssen
A trip to Füssen can be combined with a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle. This town on the Lech River boasts a beautiful old town. The imposing Füssen Castle, perched above the old town, is one of Germany's most important late Gothic castles, captivating visitors with its impressive architecture, artistic facade paintings, and stunning views.
Ski jump Garmisch-Partenkirchen
The Garmisch-Partenkirchen Olympic Ski Stadium was built for the 1936 Olympic Games. Today, the large Olympic ski jump is primarily known as the venue for the traditional New Year's ski jumping competition. Visitors can take a guided tour of the ski jump tower and learn fascinating stories about ski jumping. And, with a view from the tower down into the stadium, they can get a glimpse into the world of the ski jumpers.
Monasteries and churches in the Pfaffenwinkel region
The high concentration of monasteries gave the region north of the nature park the name "Pfaffenwinkel" (Priests' Corner). Even today, a great variety of sacred buildings can be found there: stunning Rococo splendor in the Rottenbuch monastery church and the pilgrimage church of Wies is just as spectacular as the austere Romanesque architecture in Altenstadt near Schongau. Also waiting to be discovered are monasteries steeped in history, such as Wessobrunn, or Benediktbeuren, home of Carl Orff's musical setting of Carmina Burana.