When no music sessions are scheduled, there is time for the other important
component of the Berwang Holiday Music Course: leisure activities and
relaxation. Within a reasonable distance of Berwang
and certainly within easy reach for a 'free day' excursion, there are a variety
of places of great natural beauty or of cultural interest.
These include:
Theatres,
including the one at Oberammergau, famous for the Passion Play Theatre, and the
new theatre on the shore of Lake Forgensee, built to show the King Ludwig II
Musical.
An
ornate fountain in the centre of Oberammergau
-
Oberammergau and the
Passion Play Theatre, recently renovated and extended, where the Passion
Play is performed every ten years, the last one being in 2000. There
are plenty of cafes, hotels and restaurants for lunch before or after a 
tour of the theatre to view the famous stage and learn a little more of
the history of the play. The village itself hosts many interesting
shops and the murals on the buildings here are world-renowned for their
variety and artistry;
-
the new theatre on the
edge 
of the breathtaking lake Forggensee, looking across to the Ludwig
castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, and beyond to the Austrian
Alps. This theatre is where
the new (since 2000) King Ludwig II Musical
was performed nightly until 2003. This musical
celebrated the life
and times of the 'mad king' and included a variety of music – both
classical (Wagner) and folk-inspired, specially- commissioned works. Of perhaps most note, though, were
the special effects brought about by use of the latest technical wizardry.
The theatre is worth a visit even without the
staged production, having a variety of interesting bar, café and restaurant areas, and a delightful terrace. 
This has spectacular views across
the lake that become magical when darkness falls and the fairytale lights
of the castles on the far shore mingle with those of the modern sculptures
in the theatre grounds.
