April 29, 2015

1552 GERMANY (Bavaria) - Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Mittenwald

Mittenwald - The spire of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul,
with Viererspitze in background

Mittenwald is located in the Valley of the River Isar, by the northern foothills of the Alps, on the route between the old banking and commercial centre of Augsburg, to the north, and Innsbruck to the south-east, beyond which is the Brenner Pass and the route to Lombardy, therefore it was for a long time an important transit centre on a relatively low transalpine route. It is also famous for the manufacture of violins, violas and cellos which began in the mid-17th century by the Klotz family of violin makers, and has been a popular stop with tourists since the boom in motorized tourism began in the 1930s.

The most significant landmark in the village is the pink colored Roman Catholic church of Saints Peter and Paul (completed in 1746), which is 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 (Lüftlmalereien). The area surrounding Mittenwald is a paradise for vacationing. From nearly any spot of the village is visible Viererspitze, a small peak with steep slopes to all sides. It is named after a natural rock formation on its north-west face, which looks a bit like a huge four.

About the stamp, which is part of a common issue Romania - Germany, Biertan Fortified Church - UNESCO World Heritage Site, I wrote here.

References
Mittenwald - Wikipedia
Viererspitze - summitpost.org

Sender: Dani / Kolkrabe (postcrossing) DE-1320466
Sent from Nürnberg (Bavaria / Germany), on 04.04.2012 

No comments:

Post a Comment