Oberammergau has much to offer. Consider taking an excursion to either the Berg Laber, the mountain which rises to the east of the town, or Berg Kolben, to the west. Berg Laber, slightly more dramatic, is accessible via an enclosed cable-gondola (tel. 08822/4770) that offers a sweeping alpine view. The 10-minute ascent costs 15€ ($24) per person. The top of Berg Kolben is accessible via a two-passenger open-sided chairlift (tel. 08822/4760), with exposure to high winds that is a lot more primal. The cost is 12€ ($19) round-trip. Both are open mid-July to mid-October and mid-December to March daily 9am to noon and 1 to 4:30pm.
Aside from the actors in the Passion Play, Oberammergau's most respected citizens are woodcarvers, many of whom have been trained in the village woodcarver's school. In the Pilatushaus, Ludwig-Thoma-Strasse (tel. 08822/949511), you can watch local carvers, as well as painters, sculptors, and potters, as they work. June to October, their hours are Monday to Friday 1 to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 12:30pm. Many examples of their art are throughout the town, on painted cottages and inns, and in the churchyard.
Heimatmuseum, Dorfstrasse 8 (tel. 08822/94136), has a notable collection of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century Christmas crèches, all hand carved and painted. It's open mid-May to mid-October Tuesday to Sunday 2 to 6pm; in the off season (Apr through mid-May and mid-Oct to Oct 29), hours are Saturday only 2 to 6pm. Admission is 6€ ($9.60) for adults, 1€ ($1.60) for students and children ages 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and under. The museum is closed from October 29 to March 29.
When strolling through the village, note the frescoed houses named after fairy-tale characters, such as the "Hansel and Gretel House" and "Little Red Riding Hood House." The citizens of Oberammergau have a long tradition of painting frescoes on their houses, most often based on scenes from fairy tales. The most famous frescoed house is Pilatushaus on Ludwig-Thoma-Strasse, which today is a home to artisans. The frescoes here are the most beautiful in town, the creation of Franz Seraph Zwinck, who was the greatest of the town's fresco artists. They were known as Lüftmalerei painters. Zwinck based his fresco not on a fairy tale, but on a depiction of Jesus Christ coming before Pilate -- hence the name of the house, Pilatushaus.
