All Saints Day in Ramsau

November 1, 2008 All Saints Day. This day fell on a Saturday that I didn't have any plans. I had recently updated my "places to see" list and decided I wanted to check another town off my list. So, I picked a location that seemed reasonable for a day trip, Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. Most people have never heard of it but its church by the water is beautiful enough that it has been reproduced on postcards and travel book covers for Bavaria. My intentions were to drive to Ramsau, have a picnic, and take some pictures of the town. However, when I arrived I knew there was something big going on in the town. I hadn't even thought about it....it was All Saints Day and the entire town was either already at the church/cemetery or walking there. German tradition is to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives. So, I still continued with my plans - I ate lunch on a bench by the water and watched as family after family crossed the bridge and went into the cemetery to find the grave(s) of their loved one(s). Is was actually a really neat scene to watch and I could see it all happening very well when I hiked up the hill across the church and could see the entire cemetery. *You can see this in one of the pictures* Sunday night, back in Garmisch, I walked through the cemetery with two friends to admire the lights and flowers.

Decorating the graves

Hintersee, a lake beside Ramsau