News

It may be two years’ ahead but Saga passengers have already booked their holidays to secure seats for Oberammergau’s famous Passion Play.

The once-in-every-decade event is proving so popular that the over-50s holiday company has added more tours and river cruise departures to Bavaria.

Saga is also offering seats to The Passion Play at Sordevelo, Italy, a perfect alternative for those that want to experience the play without the crowds, or perhaps have already been to Oberammergau and want a different experience.

Saga Holidays Head of Special Interest Product and Innovation, Andrew Iwasyszyn said “The response from passengers has been very positive. The Oberammergau Passion Play takes place once every 10 years and our passengers have obviously got the event on their radar and have been quick to book. We have responded accordingly with more availability. We have also introduced Sordevelo which is an exciting alternative and is also attracting considerable interest”

Saga’s Oberammergau Passion Play departures

Oberammergau - Alps and the Passion Play

Discover the Tyrolean Alps before attending the Passion Play. Stay at the Saga-rated 4Q Hotel Jägerhof in the Tyrolean village of Kolsassberg where all 48 rooms have a balcony. The holiday includes tours of Munich, Innsbruck, Lake Achen, Salzburg, a horse-drawn carriage ride in Kitzbuhel and a Tyrolean folklore evening.
7 nights’ half-board accommodation from £1,699 departing June 28, July 4, August 8, September 12, 2020 including flights from London Heathrow to Munich.                                                


Oberammergau Passion Play and the Sound of Music

Discover beautiful Salzkammergut and Salzburg before attending Oberammergau’s Passion Play. Stay at the Saga-rated 4Q Hotel Andreas Hofer in Kufstein, which features a restaurant, bar and atrium garden. A steam train ride, boat cruises on Lake Chiemsee and Lake Wolfgang, visits to Berchtesgaden and Lake Konigssee, plus a city tour of Salzburg are included in the holiday price. 


Six nights’ half-board from £1,649 departing May 31, July 12 and August 23, 2020 including flights from London Heathrow to Munich.

Oberammergau and Lake Maggiore

Attend Oberammergau’s Passion Play and then transfer and relax beside the Italian Lakes while staying at the Saga-rated 4Q Hotel Astoria on the shores of Lake Maggiore. Each of the 99 rooms has a balcony and the hotel features a roof terrace, Turkish bath, swimming pool and gym. Tours to Isola San Guilio on Lake Orta, the Villa Taranto gardens and the lakeside town of Arona are included in the holiday price.

Seven nights’ half-board from £1899 departing July 6, 20 and 29, 2020 including flights from London Heathrow to Munich and returning from Milan.

Oberammergau and a four-country cruise

Discover the delights of the Danube and see the Passion Play at Oberammergau during this cruise and stay holiday. Fly to Budapest to embark Filia Rheni II for a seven-night sailing with calls to Bratislava, Vienna, Durnstein, Melk and Passau before disembarking at Regensburg for a two-night hotel stay near Oberammergau.

Nine nights (two half-board at hotel and seven full board on ship) from £2,349 departing on May 25 and June 8, 2020 with flights from Heathrow to Budapest and returning from Munich.  New dates on the 13^th June*, 17^th August and 22^nd August* added due to popular demand.  * dates operate in reverse.

Oberammergau with Tyrolean and Bavarian Highlights

Explore the Tyrol and Bavaria before watching the Oberammergau Passion Play. Spend six nights at the Saga-rated 3Q Hotel Stern in Obsteig, in the western Tyrol as a base for included tours to Zugspitz mountain to ride the cogwheel train and Gletscherbahn cable car; the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck; the Samnaun Alps; the Bavarian town of Fussen and fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle.
Seven nights’ half-board from £1,749 departing May 23, June 14. 20 & 28 and September 12 & 20, 2020 including flights from London Heathrow to Munich.

European Explorer with Oberammergau – coach tour

Discover five countries, six cities and see Oberammergau’s Passion Play on a 14-night tour which features city tours of Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Zurich, Bolzano, Heidelberg, Cologne and the Rhine Valley.

14 nights’ half-board from £2,499 departing from Folkestone via Eurotunnel on May 22, June 21, July 3, August 14, and September 11.

The Passion Play at Sordevolo

This Italian holiday includes Category 1 tickets to see the Passion Play at Sordevolo, which has been performed every five years since 1816. Stay two nights in Sordevolo at the Saga-rated 4Q Hotel Agora Palace Biella and five nights at the 4Q Hotel Nuove Terme (4Q) in Acqui Terme. The holiday includes guided tours of Biella, Turin and Genoa, a visit to Lake Viverone, wine-tasting in Monferrato and Barolo and a walking tour of Asti in Piedmont.

Seven nights’ half-board from £1,149 departing on June 12, 26, July 2,  August 13 and September 3 & 17, 2020 with flights from Heathrow to Turin and return from Genoa.

For details call free on 0800 092 0803 or visit saga.co.uk/passionplay-2020 and saga.co.uk/sordevolo

Editors:

History notes

In the 17th century, when the bubonic plague was sweeping Europe, the inhabitants of Oberammergau made a promise to God that if their village was spared, they would perform a passion play every 10 years. Legend has it that after the vow there were no more cases of the plague in the village and those already afflicted recovered. The first play was performed in 1634 and it has been performed ever since.

To be a part of the Passion Play, cast members have to be born in Oberammergau or have lived there for at least 20 years. There are 120 speaking parts and more than 2,000 villagers participate in the play. On Ash Wednesday 2019 the male cast (apart from those playing Romans) are requested to start growing their hair and beards ready for rehearsals in Autumn 2019.

The play was originally performed in the parish church but with increasing numbers of people wanting to see performances, a purpose-built 4,700-capacity theatre was created.