THE year 2020 may seem a long way off but Collette is now taking calls from people interested in a 2020 tour incorporating the Oberammergau Passion Play.
This historic event takes place once every decade in the small Bavarian hamlet of Oberammergau and securing seats is akin to booking for a World Cup. Capacity is strictly limited, which is why Collette is now accepting expressions of interest.
Oberammergau's devout villagers first performed the play in 1634 in the hope that they would be spared the "Black Death" decimating Europe. Miraculously, the villagers survived the pandemic and as a token of their thanks to God, they have performed their passion play ever since.
Tradition dictates that the play is performed in years ending in zero with a cast chosen from the villagers.
Locals vie for the 2000 roles as performers, technicians and musicians in this seminal work, performed in German.
Bavarian beards are "de rigueur" with male artists growing their facial hair for a year prior.
Profits are reinvested in the village, ensuring that future generations will experience the show.
Bavaria itself is well worth a visit with its charming villages, distinctive food, beer gardens and striking architecture.
While full details of the 2020 tour have yet to be finalised, Collette plans to make the most of the breathtaking Alpine scenery.
Italy's spectacular Lago Maggiore is the setting for the start of the tour, which then crosses into Italian Switzerland to the beautiful resort town of Lugano. The contrast between the three Switzerlands (French, German and Italian) comes to the fore with a visit to the ski resort town of Zermatt in German-speaking Switzerland.
With haunting vistas of the Matterhorn in the background, visitors will board the Glacier Express, which winds through tunnels, verdant valleys and over rugged mountains to the jetset town of St Moritz.
Chic and glamorous, St Moritz is the departure point for another prized ski resort, Innsbruck in Austria.
The pleasures of the Tyrol continue with a walk around the musical paradise of Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace.
Bavaria is the final stage of the itinerary.
