Germany 2011 - Day 07 - Wine & Ottobeuren
August 21st
Our hotel in Grainau had boasted about having one of the largest wine collections around. After wandering through its storage room (photos 1-7) I can't say I doubt them! On the way back from the Alps, we decided to make a small detour to an exquisitely ornate abbey in Ottobeuren. Although quite large, this Benedictine Abbey is unassuming from the outside and indeed, with its seemingly fresh and somewhat tacky paint job, almost like something you'd see in Las Vegas, one might be forgiven for passing it by. However inside is another story entirely. Maybe some would find it tacky too, but the overwhelming amount of exquisite detail that this abbey contains, is something I do find quite remarkable. Anyone who knows me, also knows that I am not even remotely religious, however I appreciate the amazing amount of work it must have taken to finish the incredibly detailed insides of churches like this.
What about all that gold you see everywhere inside? Well, it's not just paint, apparently most of it is actually real gold-leaf. Inside, there were four human skeletons enshrined (well, at least their skulls in any case), perhaps saints or other figures of religious significance, on gruesome display behind glass. Unfortunately, the central part of the abbey's interior was occupied by scaffolding (visible in the distance of photo 40), in preparation for some restoration work, but there was still so much to see and photograph, it didn't really detract much from the experience. Lastly, there are three large pipe organs in this abbey, the main one is visible in up high in photos 32 & 38 and the two that flank the main altar can best be seen in photo 12 with detail in photo 19. Lastly, I seem to recall reading that the "fake" painted stonework on the outside is actually a traditional style for some abbeys like this and is not just some sort of cost cutting measure, or however else one might interpret this...
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