MUNICH — Top Canadian tour operators and retail chains had the chance to experience a unique and “lesser-known” Germany as part of an executive fam trip recently hosted by the German National Tourist Office, Lufthansa and the state of Bavaria.

“In addition to the cosmopolitan city of Munich – including wearing Lederhosen and discovering all of the wonderful beer gardens, visiting BMW World (BMW Welt) and learning about the royal purveyors of the former kings – participants also had the chance to discover unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences like hiking up Neuschwanstein Castle and overnighting in the picturesque town of Füssen (just a stone’s throw away from the castle),” said Antje Splettstoesser, Director, German National Tourist Office.

Splettstoesser led the trip with participants including Kim Clarke, Director of Sales, Globus family of brands; Mike Foster, President, Nexion Travel; Franca Iuele, Director of Marketing Canada, Ensemble Travel Group; Penny Martin, Vice President, The Travel Agent Next Door; and Brett Walker, General Manager, Collette Vacations.

Splettstoesser said the group also learned that “the visit to the small but quaint alpine village called Mittenwald and its wonderful craftsmanship of making violins tastes even better with having lunch in a one-star Michelin restaurant, Das Marktrestaurant.” Here guests can experience world-class cuisine for under Cdn$100 for a four-course menu, she added. “This can be combined with a rejuvenating 2.5 hour walk to the five-star castle Elmau which hosted the G7 summit in 2015. Guests passed by an alpine lake that is so appealing, even Stephen Harper could not resist going for a swim.”
The group also discovered the mystic story of King Ludwig II who, often referred to as the ‘mad King’, is well-loved by his Bavarians even today. “He was a visionary who left the world with three breathtaking castles and brought back the art to Bavaria,” said Splettstoesser.

Ludwig II only travelled at night with a light on his carriages as he did not want to be seen by the public. They learned that this is also the reason why Bavarians light bonfires high up in the mountains every year on the night before his birthday in order to commemorate their King who was found dead in a lake in 1864 – only two days after he was pronounced insane by a doctor who he had never met before. Here’s the twist: the body of the doctor was found dead in the lake as well.

Splettstoesser said the group learned that there are “many stories to be discovered when clients travel off the beaten path”.

The journey continued to the host city of the 1936 Olympic Games in Garmisch-Patenkirchen where the group took a float ride on a special lake, the site of the ice hockey games for the 1936 Olympic Games. “Even though the UK won the gold medal, the group was relieved to find out that the majority of the UK team consisted of Canadians,” said Splettstoesser.
Garmisch-Patenkirchen is also home to Germany highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2962 meters). A new cable car will begin operations shortly, boasting the world’s highest steel column at 127 metres. And no other cable car in the world spans such a distance between support pillars – a staggering 3,213 metres.

According to Splettstoesser, the visit to Oberammergau was the highlight for most of the trip’s participants. The villagers made a vow to God in 1634 to perform the Passion Play every 10 years if God saved them from the plague. No life was lost afterwards, so the village (now with 5,000 inhabitants) continues to stage this monumental production each decade.

The group had the chance to meet ‘Jesus’ (local Frederik Mayet, who played the role of Jesus in 2010) and was fascinated to learn how the Oberammergauers keep everything within the village, from the actors to the orchestra and the costume makers. In order to be in the cast (totaling some 2,000 people) you have to be either born in Oberammergau or have lived there for 25 years. This major cultural highlight will take place again in 2020.

“We had a lot of fun, learned so much about Bavaria’s diversity, outstanding hospitality and traditions, had amazing culinary experiences and thankfully walked more than 10,000 steps every day!” said Splettstoesser.