In the summer of 2010 the locals of the quaint Bavarian village of Oberammergau, Germany will again perform their famous Passion Play. Beginning May 15, 2010 and running till October 3, 2010, the town becomes vibrant as it’s packed with pilgrims from around the world to witness what is surely the longest running play in the world.

Facing the devastating plague called the 'Black Death' that had decimated large parts of Europe, in the middle of the Thirty Years War, the Oberammergauers swore an oath that they would perform the "Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ if their town would be spared from further casualties. At Pentecost 1634, they fulfilled their pledge for the first time on a stage they put up in the cemetery above the fresh graves of the plague victims. The town's chronicles relate, "From this day on, there were no further victims of the plague”.

As it has been from the beginning, all the actors in the play are local townspeople with the whole production being community-based. On Ash Wednesday 2009, the village will issue their "Hair Decree” which states: “from this date on all the men in Oberammergau taking part in the play are requested to let the hair on their heads and faces grow” to ensure that the characters in the play look as realistic as possible. Rehearsals will also begin at this time. More than 2,000 Oberammergauers, actors, singers, instrumentalists and stage technicians bring to the stage those events Christianity regards as its central source of life and hope in approximately six hours of playing time And, as can be imagined, the competition for the roles of Jesus and Mary can be fierce.

A visit to Oberammergau is ideal at any time, even without the performance of the passion play. The town is in a wide valley surrounded by forests, green meadows, and mountains. It offers first-class hotels as well as cozy inns.

Being the village of woodcarvers made Oberammergau world famous before the Passion Play as carving has been carried on in in the village for over 500 years. Today the village is home to approximately 120 wood carvers actively carving and selling a large variety of wooden artifacts, from figures of saints to household goods including coo coo clocks of all sizes, shapes and sounds. Furthermore, a Carvers School in town offers courses providing specialist training for wood carvers. It’s best to wait till you reach this village before you make any purchases of wooden products, as the prices are very reasonable if not up to 50% less than found anywhere else she visited in Bavaria.

You’ll also find Fairy tale houses in Oberammergau. For more than 200 years those people who could afford to have their houses painted by local artists had them done with colorful pictures on pretty facades called "Lüftlmalerei”. These frescoes include traditional Bavarian themes, fairy tales, or religious scenes and are now found on many homes and buildings in Bavaria.

Oberammergau also offers opportunities for tennis buffs, mini-golf players, cyclists, swimmers, hang-gliding enthusiasts, and canoeists. Numerous hiking trails lead through the nearby mountains to hikers' inns. The surrounding Ammer Valley is a treasure trove for explorers. Oberammergau is often used as a base for visiting Linderhof Castle, the Benedictine monastery at Ettal, or the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles.

If you are interested in visiting Oberammergau and attending the Passion Play in
2010, it is wise to book your package now. It may seem too early to be planning a vacation for 2010, but tours that include tickets went on sale beginning 2008 and sell out rather quickly. Travel Concepts has three different tours departing in 2010 that include tickets to the Passion Play. These are a 15 Day Heart of Europe Tour departing May 21, 2010 and a 13 day Treasures of Italy, departing September 10, 2010 that both include 2 nights in Oberammergau and a 10 day Scenic Alpine Tour departing July 23, 2010 with 1 night in Oberammergau. A fully refundable deposit of only $200 per person can hold a reservation for any of these departures and the next payment isn’t due till 2009. For more information please call 1-800-229-7228.

This article was written by Diane Pajak a travel agent with Travel Concepts since 1999. She has traveled to over 17 countries including Germany, which included a visit to the town of Oberammergau.