MITTENWALD

'Mittenwald' is a town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany.

Contents

Geography

History

Economy

Notable places

External links

Geography

Mittenwald is located approx. 16 kilometers to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the River Isar, on the northern foothills of the Alps, on the route between the old banking and commercial centre of Augsbourg, to the north, and Innsbruck to the south-east, beyond which is the Brenner Pass and the route to Lombardy, another region with a rich commercial past and present.

History

Its location as an important transit centre on a relatively low (and therefore predicable) transalpine route has been a defining feature of Mittenwald for at least two thousand years: during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries traffic was boosted by large treasure trains sent regularly from Spain to pay troops in the Netherlands, the more conventional sea route having been rendered unreliable by the (usually) discrete but effective sympathy with which the English protestant establishment favoured the Spanish king's rebellious Dutch subjects.

Economy

Mittenwald is famous for the manufacture of violins, and has been a popular halt with tourists since the boom in motorized tourism commmenced in the 1930s.

Notable places

The most significant landmark in the village is the pink coloured Catholic church of Saints Peter and Paul, typical of the region. The church and many of the surrounding buildings, both businesses and private residences, are decorated with elaborate paintings on the exterior walls.

External links

★ Official site

★ Virtual tour of Mittenwald

★ Museum of violine manufacturing