Nestled at the western edge of the snow-dusted Bavarian Alps in a forested valley is the picturesque town of Oberammergau. It bears the façade of a sleepy alpine community but comes alive once every ten years with countless visitors anticipating its unique passion play, a spectacle unlike any other. Since 1634, the play has been performed faithfully by the town’s residents in gratitude for the divine intervention that spared them from death during the plague. It’s a polished production today, but at the heart it remains a powerful act of worship symbolising an unwavering commitment to an ancestral vow. Our tour combines this unmissable performance with the opportunity to experience the breathtaking landscapes of Bavaria in southeastern Germany and more. Our journey begins in the adjacent Austrian Tyrol, a spectacular alpine playground of rugged peaks, luxuriant pastures, glacial rivers and onion-domed chapels. After being settled by Bavarian tribes in the eighth century, the Tyrol was a medieval dukedom until a regional branch of the Habsburg house was established here. Innsbruck, the Tyrolean capital, is a sight to behold and an ideal introduction to the area with a splendid Habsburg palace presiding over a picture-postcard Old Town. To the north, the formidable peaks of the Karwendel Alps shelter a number of places so special they’ll be forever etched in your memory. One such haven is the enchanting lakeside village of Pertisau, which we visit by taking the historic Achensee railway. Then we’re off to sophisticated Salzburg, which until 1816 was an independent city-state ruled by powerful prince-archbishops. For many, this is quintessential Austria boasting the best of the country’s Baroque architecture, subalpine scenery and a musical heritage dominated by the city’s most famous son, Mozart. Heading west we cross the German border and pass through the Bavarian Alps, first to Oberammergau and then the municipality of Schwangau. Meaning ‘swan country’, Schwangau is home to these regal birds and the swan motif can be seen throughout the bewitching castles of Bavarian kings. We pause to visit perhaps the most fantastical of these castles, Neuschwanstein, on our journey along the German alpine Road. Continuing further west, we find ourselves on the shores of great Lake Constance and spend the day discovering its lovely gems. We explore the beautiful city of Konstanz near the Swiss border and the sub-tropical paradise island of Mainau, which seems to have drifted up from the Mediterranean with its colourful explosion of flora! For a once-in-a-lifetime holiday that combines the poignancy of the Oberammergau passion play with the majesty of alpine landscapes, legendary castles and medieval towns across Austria and Germany, our riveting tour has it all.