Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [300]
Gasthof Fraundorfer ( 9270; Ludwigstrasse 24; mains €8-16; closed Tue) Squeeze yourself in between tourists and the odd yokel for this unmissably kitsch part of the Ga-Pa experience. The multilingual menu has a carnivore bias, the decor ranges from baroque cherubs and hunting trophies to the ‘Sports Corner’, and there’s yodelling, shoe-slapping and Bavarian oompah music, every evening.
Isi’s Goldener Engel ( 948 757; Bankgasse 5; mains €9-15) This local favourite has hunting-lodge decor that blends frescoes, stag heads and a gilded stucco ceiling. The huge menu ranges from Leberkäse (meatloaf) to pepper steak in cognac cream, though the best deal is the generous lunch special.
Other recommendations:
Saigon City ( 969 315; Am Kurpark 17a; mains €5-9; closed Mon) No-frills Vietnamese diner serving crispy duck, egg noodles and seafood.
Zirbel ( 716 71; Promenadestrasse 2; meals €6.50-15) Popular, tunnel-shaped pub serving snacks and small meals.
Spago ( 966 555; Partnachstrasse 50; mains €7-30) Alpine kitsch-free cafe-bistro off the main drag with an international menu and a slick clientele.
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Getting There & Around
Garmisch-Partenkirchen enjoys hourly connections from Munich (€17.60, 1½ hours), and special packages combine the return trip with a Zugspitze day ski pass. RVO bus 9606 travels to Füssen, with stops at Oberammergau, the Wieskirche and the castles at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The A95 from Munich is the direct road route.
Bus tickets cost €1.40 for journeys in town. For bike hire try Fahrrad Ostler ( 3362; Kreuzstrasse 1; per day/week from €10/50).
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AROUND GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN
Oberammergau
08822 / pop 5400
Quaint Oberammergau occupies a wide valley surrounded by the dark forests and snow-dusted peaks of the Ammergauer Alps. The centre is packed with traditional painted houses, woodcarving shops and awestruck tourists who come here to learn about the town’s world-famous Passion Play. It’s also a great budget base for hikes into easily accessible Alpine backcountry.
The tourist office ( 922 740; www.ammergauer-alpen.de; Eugen-Papst-Strasse 9a; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat, 10am-1pm Sun mid-Jun–mid-Oct, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat mid-Oct–mid-Jun) can help find accommodation.
A blend of opera, ritual and Hollywood epic, the Passion Play has been performed every year ending in a zero since the late 17th century as a collective thank you from the villagers for being spared the plague. Half the village takes part, sewing amazing costumes and growing hair and beards for their roles (no wigs or false hair allowed). The next performances will take place between May and October 2010, but tours of the Passionstheater ( 923 10; Passionswiese 1; tours adult/concession €4/1; erratic hours, call ahead) enable you to take a peek at the costumes and sets anytime. In the years between Passion Plays, spectacular opera events are held monthly from July to September; ask at the tourist office for details.
The town’s other claim to fame is Lüftmalerei, the eye-popping house facades painted in an illusionist style. Images usually have a religious flavour, but some also show hilarious beer-hall scenes or fairy-tale motifs, like Little Red Riding Hood at Ettaler Strasse 48 or Hansel & Gretel at No 41 down the road. The pick of the crop is the amazing Pilatushaus ( 923 10; Ludwig-Thoma-Strasse 10; admission with museum ticket; 1-6pm Tue-Sat May-Oct), whose painted columns snap into 3-D as you approach. It contains a gallery and several workshops.
Oberammergau is also known for its intricate woodcarvings. Workshops abound around town, churning out everything from corkscrews to life-sized saints and nativity scenes. Some amazing examples can be seen in the little parish cemetery on Pfarrplatz and in the Oberammergau Museum