Located not far from the Austrian town of Innsbruck, in Southern Germany, Mittenwald is an alpine getaway beautifully known as “the Village of a Thousand Violins”. The story behind this name goes back to the 17th century, when the Klotz family begun working their magic for producing fine strings instruments. By the 19th century, violins were so popular in Europe, that each family in Mittenwald was somehow involved in the process of making or selling them (you can read a great story on how the village feels today here).
Tranquil, yet invaded by charm at every pace, Mittenwald is one of those places sprung out of a fairytale, with scenic narrow streets and colorful buildings. Each of the small dwellings tells a story, whether it is related to its past as a violin workshop or to its trompe l’oeil paintings. In the summer, the many skiing slopes become perfect hiking trails. There is a famous 1,6 kilometer Barfußwanderweg (barefoot hiking trail), which brave travelers choose to experience (we’ve heard it’s not bad at all, except for some fairly bumpy parts and that walking on fresh mountain grass can feel divine).
Cultural traveling is definitely encouraged here, with the violin museum being one of the most visited. Rising above the Obermarkt pedestrian center zone, St. Peter and Paul Church seem to communicate well with the surrounding Karwendel rocky massif, as well as with each building mural said to “depict everyday life laced with an undercurrent of Christian overtones”.
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These being said, we invite you to place the lovely village of Mittenwald on your traveling list for 2015.
