March 2008
Easter Events in Bavaria
Markets and concerts throughout Bavaria will celebrate Easter traditions this March. On March 1 and 2, decorated eggs and other Easter-related craftwork will be on offer at the Andechser Ostereiermarkt. The market at the Florian-Stadl of the Andechs cloister will be open from 10 am to 5 pm on both days. The Florian-Stadl will also host a concert by the Andechs Choir Society and the orchestra Ensemble Lodron München. Bach’s “Matthäus Passion” will be performed on March 18 at 6 pm. Tickets cost
€ 11–34 and can be purchased online at
www.andechs.de or by calling (08801) 22 11. On the weekend of Palm Sunday, March 8 to 10, the Palmdult in Freising will host stands with everything from gastronomic delicacies to fancy Easter giftware. A merry-go-round will entertain those too young to be excited by giftware. The market will be located in the heart of Freising’s Old Town at Marienplatz. The Tölzer Ostermarkt will also give you the chance to fill your Easter basket with goodies from the Tölz region. Except for Good Friday, the market on Marktstrasse in Bad Tölz will be open from March 14 to 24.
The earliest pages of Bavarian history mention Altötting as a religious center, and about a million pilgrims visit annually to this day. The weeks around Easter traditionally start off the pilgrimage season. Local churches will host a wealth of Easter celebrations: On Easter Sunday, the Basilika St. Anna, for example, will celebrate high mass with an orchestra concert at 10 am. A cappella motets will be performed at Stiftspfarrkirche. High mass starts at 7 pm. Early birds can flock to “Zum Guten Hirten,” the Protestant church of Altötting, to commemorate the
Osternacht at 5 am.
Bayreuth will be the center of more secular seasonal festivities. From March 21 to 30, the 14th annual
Osterfestival will feature concerts of classical music, jazz sessions and lighthearted salon music. The opening concert on March 21 at the Stadtkirche will present a “Johannes Passion” by Gottfried August Homilius (1714–1785), a scholar of Bach. The following nights, the International Young Orchestra Academy will perform symphonies by Mozart and Brahms at the Markgräfliche Opernhaus, one of the most beautiful baroque opera houses in Europe (not to be confused with Wagner’s Festspielhaus). For a detailed schedule of events, see
www.osterfestival.de. Tickets can be also ordered online or by calling (0921) 69 001. <<<
