Travel through Goethe’s ‘picture book’ in Bavaria’s Mittenwald
Feature by Maryalicia Post Eye on Travel
he German writer, Goethe, who Mittenwald specialty since statue of Klotz stands in front of the church stayed here in 1786, described the early 18th century.The and in one of Mittenwald’s prettiest old TMittenwald as “a living picture book”. church tower, unique in houses, there’s a small museum of Surprisingly, it still is. Germany, had been instrument making and a violin-making A small village in the palm of the Bavarian frescoed to look as if it school that attracts students from around Alps, it’s probably best known now for ski were made of pink, grey and the world. Even violins made by Mittenwald runs in the surrounding mountains – notably green marble. It features painted alcoves for students are sought after, selling for around the seven-kilometre Dammkar, the longest in painted saints. Huddled around the church, ¤2000; a violin made by a master will cost Germany – and for snowboarding, sleigh like chickens around a mother hen, were the about ¤8000. riding and 130 kilometres of hiking trails in even more fancifully decorated buildings of lasted 200 years until shipping Mittenwald is little mentioned in guide the Karwendel and Wetterstein mountain Mittenwald. routes took away the business in the late books, but the Frommer’s Guide does ranges. One of these was the Alpenrose Gasthaus, 17th century. accurately state “the main attraction in But it retains the gentle beauty that where I was staying.The façade of this 19- impressed Goethe: the tidy cluster of houses room inn, once an Augustinian cloister, is decorated with astonishing wall paintings, the covered with 18th century depictions of The I walked for an hour or so through the village streets, glory of its rococo church, and its long and Madonna, the Seven Senses, and the Virtues. noble reputation as a centre for handcrafted Inside, the inn was no less picturesque, with expecting the spell to be broken at any moment. But there violins. old carved furniture, hunting trophies on the The train from Munich takes about one- wall, and a private dining room fitted into an was no shopping mall hidden behind the church, no and-a-half hours to reach Mittenwald.When ancient chapel. I boarded it at Munich’s Hochbahnhof one When Goethe visited Mittenwald, it had suburban sprawl of bungalows and the nearest thing to a January afternoon, it was almost empty. already lost its importance as a market town Once away from the city, the route ran on the Venice-Augsburg trade route.Those McDonalds was a bright pizza shop on the Obermarkt between wide fields bordered by high glory days are commemorated by one of the mountains. Snow lay a foot thick on fence town’s frescoes: it depicts a ship with Happily, one of Mittenwald’s sons, Mathias posts and farmhouses. At stops nearing “Venice” painted on its stern beached, so to Klotz, had apprenticed for six years in Padua Mittenwald is the town itself”. I walked for Mittenwald a few Monday afternoon skiers, speak, in Mittenwald. It wasn’t quite that and returned in the 1680s as a skilled an hour or so through the village streets, their skis over their shoulders, got on. easy. Laces, ribbons, damask and velvet, violinmaker. He established a flourishing expecting the spell to be broken at any When we reached Mittenwald, they spices, fruit and wine had to be transported centre in Mittenwald where the basic moment. But there was no shopping mall trudged off to the right to the Karwendel ski in covered wagons from Venice over the materials - maple and spruce - were in good hidden behind the church, no suburban lift and I turned to the left for the five- mountains, through the Brenner Pass to supply.The fame of the town’s stringed sprawl of bungalows and the nearest thing to minute walk into town.The vividly painted Augsburg, a route of 345km.They returned instruments spread throughout Europe. a McDonalds was a bright pizza shop on the bell tower of Mittenwald’s Church of Saints with tin, lead, brass, and English cloth.At Mozart’s concert violin was made in Obermarkt, the pedestrian street leading to Peter and Paul drew me on. designated market towns like Mittenwald, Mittenwald. At one time, 400 violinmakers the church. Luftimalereien – frescos painted on the the merchandise was profitably re-sold were kept busy in the tiny village.There are What I did see were old-fashioned coffee exterior walls of the buildings – have been a before being forwarded.This golden period about a dozen workshops now. A bronze shops behind the bakeries, wood carvers’
Photos: M. Post
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shop windows, and the workshops of sleighs through the town and on to a the violinmakers, where instruments snow-packed road in the foothills of hanging up to dry could be glimpsed the Wetterstein Mountains. behind the upper windows.Wandering At first, we caught glimpses of the out to the edge of town I found the town below but soon the steadily “Raftsmen’s Church”, with its beautiful trotting horses were pulling us onion dome.As late as 1905, through timber forests, where the merchandise bound for Munich was limbs of evergreens bowed into transported down the Isar River; fantastic shapes from the weight of the raftsmen prayed here before setting snow dropping from a grey sky. For off. two hours, the only sounds to be It had snowed before I came and heard were the crunch of the snow snowed again while I was there, beneath us, the breathing of the perfect weather for a horse-drawn horses and the rhythmic tinkling of the sleigh ride.Tickets for these outings bells.We crossed over black brooks, can be bought at the village travel skirted white meadows, and arrived at agent, or arranged for through the the Alpengut Inn in Elmau, formerly a Alpenrose. So at 12:30 one day I rest stop for King Ludwig on his way arrived at the starting point, the village to his hunting lodge. car park at the only traffic light in In the big warm room, with its town. Brightly painted carriages were green tiled stove, we had coffee and arriving one behind the other and hot apple strudel and waited for there was a distinctly old-fashioned gloves and scarves to dry on the bustle about finding one’s sleigh, heaters.Then we bundled under the climbing up into it and tucking the lap lap robes again for the homeward robe firmly in place. ride.When we got to Mittenwald, it Six of us climbed into the red was dusk and still snowing.The village Alpenrose sleigh to ride with a husky looked as if it were made of coachman and two sturdy brown gingerbread houses with marzipan horses bedecked with bells.The roofs and lights from the windows vehicle was fitted with wheels as well spilled out onto the snow. It could as runners and equipped with a canvas have been a scene on a Christmas roof. It had side curtains too, in case card or an advent calendar. In any the wind-blown flakes flitting across us case, it was Goethe’s “picture book” from time to time became heavier.We come to life. set off in a jingling caravan of six
Getting to, staying in, and enjoying Mittenwald
Getting there: The nearest airport is in Innsbruck, 38 kilometres away. I flew to Munich and took the train.
Staying there: A double room with shower and WC at the Alpenrose ranges from ¤66 to ¤85 depending on the season, breakfast included. The hotel’s excellent restaurant offers Bavarian entertainment. Contact: Alpenrose, 1 Obermarkt, 82481, Mittenwald, Germany Tel: 08823/92700 Email: [email protected] Website: www.alpenrose-mittenwald.de
While you’re there: The Karwendel cable car reaches an elevation of 2,244 metres where there’s a restaurant, children’s playground, sun terrace, and a circular path with panoramic views of the entire Alpine chain. The cable car serves the Dammkar downhill ski run, which is open well into the month of May. Karwendel has something for skiers of all levels of expertise including a children’s ski school. For more information visit: www.karwendelbahn.de
A chairlift on the other side of town ascends the Kranzberg to 1,250 metres. There’s a lodge where visitors can rent sleighs and toboggans.
The Geigenbau Museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm but closes from November 5 to December 16 as well as between December 24 and 31. For more information, visit: www.geigenbaumuseum-mittenwald.de
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