Standing in contrast to the Gothic and Roman Cathedrals of Frankfurt, Cologne and Trier The…read morePilgrimage Church of Wies appears as a bright white structure on approach of Steingaden, the relatively humble exterior in no way preparing visitors for the glorious Rococco spectacle inside. Built between 1745 and 1754 to house a statue said to have shed tears, and designated by UNESCO in 1983, do put this on a list of places to visit when traveling through Bavaria.

This place is one of my favourite spots to visit in Bavaria. The first time we visited here was…read morefour years ago in the winter and, this place was standing almost all by itself in the middle of nowhere. I was in awe when we walked into this empty church and looked around. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site and is my favourite church in Bavaria. The insides are done in traditional Bavarian style with beautiful paintings all throughout and beautifully sculpted walls and statues. Take the time to sit down and observe all the detail and enjoy the peaceful surrounding of the church. A must visit in Bavaria.

A wonderful little church up a mountain. It did take quite the trek with our rental car to reach…read morethe church as the paths up the mountain can get winding and narrow, but we managed to snag a parking spot right by the church in an empty lawn-sort of area. You get amazing panoramic views from the church, and it is a great location to meditate and pray at with its peaceful ambience. Nearby there were trails that led towards the philosophenweg and the cable car station. We saw many locals walking their dogs or doing hikes up the area.

It is the Catholic parish church of Oberammergau in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen District (Bavaria),…read moreis an important example of the southern German Baroque. It was built from 1735 to 1749. The sculptures were created by Franz Xaver Schmädl, the pictures and frescoes by Matthäus Günther. A pre-Romanesque predecessor church was probably built as early as the ninth century, possibly replacing an even older wooden church. At this time, the Welfe Ethiko withdrew here with twelve companions to a life in a monastic community. In 1167, the Kempten monastery was given twelve courtyards with the right to present themselves through the church. In 1295 and 1362 they became the property of the Augustinian monastery in Rottenbuch. All pastors of Oberammergau can be completely documented from 1432 to the secularization of the monastery in 1802; they all were Augustinian Canons. The Oberammergau parish was founded in the 12th century by the Rottenbuch canon monastery, with which it remained pastorally connected until secularization. The first church was replaced by a Gothic building in the High Middle Ages. This had become so dilapidated at the beginning of the 18th century that the new baroque building was tackled. The middle picture of the high altar shows the Mother of God as the heavenly helper of those who ask for intercession and contribute gifts. It is replaced by a figure of the risen Christ during Easter and the Passion Play. The statues of the apostles Peter and Paul as well as the outside of St. Joseph and Joachim with their attributes are remarkable. The Lamb of God is enthroned on the book with seven seals above the tabernacle . The two side altars on the choir arch are dedicated to the theme of redemption through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. The left altar shows in a rare representation God's decision to salvation as an "inner conversation" of the Trinity. The saints Martin and Gregory the miracle worker appear at the side. The right altar shows Christ on the cross -- this cross is considered to be the one in front of which the Oberammergau residents took their vows of the Passion Play in the year of the plague in 1633 -- with Mary and John and, on the outside, the "good thief" Dismas and Mary Magdalene . The altars in the side extensions are dedicated to the holy clan (left; altarpiece by Günther) and Saint Anthony of Padua (right; picture by Johann Jakob Zeiller ). It's a very gorgeous sanctuary to say the least (photos).

This is undoubtedly the most significant building in Mittenwald, and it is the pride of the locals…read moreand one of the most popular photo opportunities among tourists in the Karwendel Alps. The Mittenwald church is mentioned for the first time in 1315. The current church building was built in 1734-49 by the Wessobrunn master builder Joseph Schmutzer and decorated with numerous, colorful frescoes by the Augsburg artist Matthäus Günther. The landmark of Mittenwald is the church tower, completed in 1746 and painted with the church patrons Petrus and Paulus (Peter and Paul). You can spot the tower from everywhere in town. In the small square at the base of the bell tower is a monument to Matthias Klotz, who brought the art of violin-making to Mittenwald in 1683. The antique organ was restored in 1999. In summer there are many organ concerts with internationally renowned artists on the sonorous Edskes organ. In the churchyard there are two altars. One is in a beautiful grotto with votives and a Madonna back-lit from above. The other commemorates fallen German soldiers from World War II...a rare display of young Nazis discretely, yet reverently remembered.

If this Castle was good enough for Walt Disney....should good enough for all of us!…read more Awesome over the top Castle with gorgeous designs inside. If you are a Richard Wagner fan this place has tons of homages to the famous classic composser. Stunning views. visit the bridge above for another great vantage point. There is a simple tour you get using a listening device and it is well worth the effort. Highly recommend.

Neuschwanstein Castle itself is absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately the overall tour experience…read morewas very disappointing and there is a lot that could be improved. We took the horse-drawn carriage up toward the castle, which was a fun experience and the horses were adorable. Just be aware that the carriage does not take you all the way to the castle -- you still have an uphill walk afterward to reach the entrance. One thing I really didn't understand was the amount of horse poop all over the road. There didn't appear to be any type of bag or collection system behind the horses, so as you're walking up and around this incredibly popular tourist attraction, you're literally dodging piles of horse poop along the road. With the number of visitors and carriages going through here, it seems like there has to be a better system for keeping the area clean. Our castle tour was scheduled for 1:40 PM, and even though we arrived about 40 minutes early, we weren't allowed inside until our exact tour time. Once inside, there are several flights of stairs before reaching the tour area. That normally wouldn't be an issue for us, but we were traveling with my 70-year-old in-laws, who simply needed a little extra time on the stairs. It would have been helpful to allow guests inside a few minutes early so anyone who needs additional time could make their way upstairs without being rushed. What was especially frustrating was that the tour started before our entire group had even made it upstairs and gathered together. The guide moved very quickly, spoke extremely fast and didn't consistently wait for everyone to enter the room before beginning the next explanation. At times she was so far ahead that the audio through the speaker was going in and out. The tour groups also felt much too large. Splitting the groups in half would make a huge difference. It would give people time to actually enter each room, see what is being discussed and hear the information before being moved along. The castle itself is gorgeous and I'm glad we saw it in person, but the tour didn't provide nearly as much information as I expected because everything felt so rushed. Between the tour organization, accessibility/pacing issues and the conditions along the carriage route, there is a lot of room for improvement here. Beautiful castle, but based on our experience, I would not recommend the tour.