Travelogue

Cows grazing near the WieskircheThis was it. The final day in the camper van. I can’t believe it was almost over. It felt like we had been traveling for a year rather than just 4 weeks -- and I mean that in a good way.

Our goal for today was modest - just situate ourselves near enough to McRent to be able to clean and return the camper by 10:00 am the next morning.

That didn’t mean, however, that we couldn’t make a few interesting a fun stops along the way, the first of which was the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, about 18 miles northeast of Fussen, in a lovely alpine meadow on the slopes of the Ammergau Alps.

This lovely somewhat isolated and pastoral setting seemed like an odd place for such a large church, and it would have been if it had not had been for the “miracle” that attracted, and still attracts, thousands of pilgrims each year.

Pilgrimage Church of WiesBack in 1738, when this was just a small abbey, a peasant woman named Maria Lory claimed to have seen tears in the eyes of the dilapidated wooden statue of Christ at the whipping post. Word got out and soon thousands of worshippers were making the pilgrimage here to see this miracle.

Unable to accommodate the throngs, the Steingaden Abbey commissioned the brothers J. B. and Dominikus Zimmerman to design a larger and more worthy church to house the miraculous figure of the Scourged Christ.

The result was a masterpiece of Rococo art and one of the most extravagant and flamboyant rococo buildings in the world. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

We were fortunate enough to have timed our visit while a mass was going on.

Andechs Monastery Pilgrimage ChurchOur next attempt to avoid admitting our vacation was over was a stop at the Andechs Monastery, atop the Heiliger Berg (Holy Mountain) above the eastern shores of the Ammersee. We

Like the Wieskirche, this too was a pilgrimage church, but dating back much further all the way to the 10th century. Its claim to fame and main attraction for pilgrims is a piece of Jesus’ crown of thorns, which is still on display in this lovely rococo and baroque-style church.

However, most of the pilgrims today come for the miraculous beer that the Benedictine monks have been brewing here since 1455.

We would have liked to have tried some beer and Bavarian food in the “Klostergasthof” (monastery restaurant ), but there was literally an army on line in front of us. Seriously, a German army band had just completed a concert in the church and were now ready to be rewarded with some wurst and Andechser Doppelbock.

No more excuses or diversions. It was time to settle in somewhere and start putting the camper back into pristine condition for its return.

We found Camping Ampersee, a pretty little campground on a small lake, just 10 miles from McRent. In between the cleaning, we did manage to squeeze in some time to swim in the lake and dine at their beer garden.

Description

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies is located in a lovely alpine meadow on the slopes of the Ammergau Alps, in the village of Steingaden, about 18 miles northeast of Fussen. It is one of the most extravagant and flamboyant rococo buildings in the world.

The history of this church began in 1738, when a peasant woman named Maria Lory claimed to have seen tears in the eyes of a dilapidated wooden statue of Christ at the whipping post, which prompted thousands to make a pilgrimage to see this miracle.

Unable to accommodate the throngs, in 1740 the Steingaden Abbey commissioned the brothers J. B. and Dominikus Zimmerman to design a larger and more worthy church to house the miraculous figure of the Scourged Christ.

The result was a masterpiece of Rococo art, created to unleash the divine in visible form. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

Admission to the church is free, but donations are appreciated. Guided 30-minute tours for groups can be reserved with advance notice.

Andechs Monastery

The Andechs Monastery is located on top of the Heiliger Berg (Holy Mountain) above the eastern shores of the Ammersee.

Dating back to the 10th century, It is the oldest pilgrimage church in Bavaria. For centuries, the faithful have made the trek across Bavaria to this beautiful rococo and baroque style church to see a piece of Jesus' crown of thorns, which is still on display.

The Monastery is not only famous for its pilgrimage, but also for its beer, which the Benedictine monks have been brewing in this location since 1455. The Andechs brewery produces seven different varieties of beer, with their most popular one being the dark, strong Andechser Doppelbock. There are guided tours to the brewery.

Besides several beer gardens, there is also traditional Bavarian food served in the monastery restaurant “Klostergasthof.”