Crazy Kings and Passionate Plays by Gillian Ivory

Perched on a hill, its sugarcoated walls are crowned with black turrets and its narrow window frames are deserving of Rapunzel and her golden hair. Down below, its moat is zigzagged with iron bridges where trolls are likely to inhabit the spaces beneath. A magical castle replete with imaginary characters, it is surrounded by thickly leaved trees in acres of woods, the lake glistening in the background. It could be Disney, Florida or it could be the set of a Hollywood fantasy epic. But thankfully it is neither, this is the real thing, and to prove it, the famous Neuschwanstein Castle was amongst the 21 finalists of the recently announced ‘Seven New Wonders of the World’.

This is Bavaria, where crazy kings left their mark on history with outlandish architecture, passion plays are re-enacted by entire villages, and quirky traditions are celebrated in ways thought of nowhere else in Europe.

It may be Germany’s number one holiday destination, but it is not all men in funny green felt hats and Lederhosen. Bavaria is home to 12 million people. With towering Alps, crystal clean lakes and cities brimming with history, it is divided into a number of districts. To the north, the Franconians built Nuremburg, a city whose name is recognized the world-over. In the southwest the Swabians converge in Augsburg and to the southeast, the ‘old Bavarians’ are concentrated around Munich.

The largest urban centre in the region, Munich is one of those places you might call a village-city – large in size but with a friendly small-town atmosphere. The Oktober beer-fest attracts those who can hold huge volumes of alcohol, as well as thousands of curious onlookers not so serious about their brews.

But many come to Bavaria for the countryside and the smaller towns where there always seems to be a local festival happening in celebration of some saint or culinary tradition. The wine festivals in Franconia between May and November are legendary - its cluster of mediaeval towns and villages each hold a local fest, culminating in the election of a “wine queen” or “wine goddess”, depending on how you choose to translate. On Lake Staffelsee near Murnau, hundreds of people meet in May on their small boats for a Corpus Christi mass celebrated by the local priest. During Lent, the tradition of brewing strong beer makes it known as Starkbierzeit (Strong Beer Season). Its origins lie with the monks of the 15th century who brewed strong beer to make up for the lack of food intake. In July, a Knights’ Tournament is held in Kaltenberg, with jousting amid a mediaeval market atmosphere.

If they were to design one of those in-company orientation programmes for employees moving to Bavaria, one of the things they might tell you is what you should think if somebody happens to call you a Prussian. The general advice would be to feel neither pleased nor offended - apparently the word is used interchangeably, and often affectionately, with the word ‘foreigner’ – so interpret it as you will.

Perhaps one of the best-known events in this part of the world takes place in the small town of Oberammergau. For those who have been to the great catholic shrines of the world, they will be familiar with the type of paraphernalia on sale – the blue plastic Virgins in Knock, the massive wax candles in Fatima, and gold painted effigies in Guadalupe in Mexico City. Here in Oberammergau there are life sized wooden carvings of catholic saints in the many shops lining the main streets. But this town’s story is different, based on the performance of the "Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ” every ten years, better known as the Passion Play.

It is a story of hope and redemption born from an ancient vow. During the Thirty Years War and after months of suffering and death from the plague, the people of the town swore an oath that they would perform the play if delivered from their terrible fate. That was in 1633 and they have kept their word since. At Pentecost 1634, they fulfilled their pledge for the first time on a stage they constructed in the cemetery above the fresh graves of the plague victims. The next re-enactment will be in 2010, when 2000 of the villagers will perform the Passion Play for the 41st time, although now in a purpose built auditorium.

In Catalonia, the Netherlands, Thailand and the US, varying versions of the Passion Plays are staged. Those in the Philippines are amongst the most dramatic. The Oberammergau event, a little more serious than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar and less harsh in its visual details than Mel Gibson’s Passion of Christ, is a six-hour performance by three generations of locals. In 2010 fathers, sons and grandfathers, along with the women of the town, will be involved either front stage or back in this huge production. Men will have spent the previous year growing their hair, as Ash Wednesday 2009 will be the day of the "Hair Decree" when all the men taking part in the play will be requested to let the hair on their heads and faces grow.

Multiple performances will run between May and September 2010. Whether visitors are Catholic or not, it should be an extraordinary cultural and spiritual event to witness. And when the six hours are over, they will likely wander the town where the facades of the houses bear huge murals in ochre reds and dusty yellows, and the white and blue tones of sunshine and sky float over the Town Hall on the Bavarian flag.

But back to the subject of fantasyland castles, as the construction of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof is another time-honoured story. Just outside the pretty town of Füssen, Neuschwanstein was inspiration for Walt when he designed the Disney Magic Kingdom, now visited by thousands of wide-eyed children in the sweltering heat of Florida. Its origins, however, are more classical.

When he took his place on the throne in 1864, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, known in the annals as Mad King Ludwig, had a passion for art, music and architecture to which he devoted most of his reign, as well as the resources of the Bavarian people. His grandfather, Ludwig 1st, had lost his kingdom for love of the Limerick born Lola Montez, reputedly a woman of some considerable charms. But Ludwig 2nd, born on the same day as Louis 14th and an avid fan of Wagner, took a different route to notoriety.

He chose to channel his architectural passions into the construction of the world’s most elaborate castles. The impact of the first view of Neuschwanstein, best seen when rounding a corner some kilometers away, is similar to a near collision. But like any major attraction the site is so crowded with tourists that during a visit in May a queue out the very ornate door and down the even steeper hillside made seeing the interior quite a challenge. With a gentle reminder that it was on the list of the ‘Seven Wonders Contenders’, we joined the bedlam of other sightseers behind a group of 30 Japanese tourists replete with their high tech video equipment.

And it was magical, despite the throngs. Close by, and also a sight to behold, are the thundering waters of the 45-metre-high Pöllat Gorge. And a little further afield in the Graswang valley, Linderhof Castle is another of Ludwig’s grandiose projects. It houses the Maurische Kiosk with its precious peacock throne, and the Venus grotto, the most adventurous of Ludwig’s fairy tale features. An artificial stalactite grotto, it is a copy of the famous "Blue Grotto" of Capri. Made entirely of cement with rainbows and artificial arc lighting, the design is an attempt to recreate what is described in Wagner's opera Tannhäuser.

In 1886 Ludwig was certified insane and arrested at Neuschwanstein. He drowned in Starnberg Lake the following day along with his psychiatrist - more of a mysteriously tragic demise than a fantasy ending. Whether a crazy monarch or fairy tale king, he left a startling impression on the landscape as well as his mark on the minds of the people.