Watch the Easter story unfold in Bavaria

Titan HiTours, the escorted tours specialist, has released a special selection of holidays to take in the once-a-decade production of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 2010.

This spectacular play (which tells the story Christ’s trial, crucifixion and resurrection) has been staged every ten years in the Bavarian mountain village of Oberammergau since the 17th Century. 2010 will witness Oberammergau’s 41st production of the Passion Play and Titan HiTours has secured first-rate seats for every performance.

Oberammergau’s story is almost as remarkable as that of the Passion Play itself. During the Thirty Year War, way back in the 1600s, many of the village’s inhabitants were stuck by a terrible plague and more than 80 of them died. In their desperation, the villagers turned to God and promised to stage a play depicting Christ’s story if they would only be spared. Miraculously, their prayers were answered and not one more person succumbed to the plague. True to their word, the people of Oberammergau staged the first performance of the Passion Play in 1634 and have continued across the decades ever since.

Each performance of the play is staged entirely by the people of Oberammergau, who build the sets, design the costumes and even direct and star in the show. The epic story unfolds over a five-hour period, with a break for dinner, a cast of hundreds and a stunning backdrop of mountains and open sky.

To celebrate this once-a-decade opportunity, Titan HiTours has created two unique escorted tour itineraries that incorporate the 2010 Passion Play. The first of these, Oberammergau and Beautiful Austria, begins with a two-night stay in Oberammergau before moving on to discover the fascinating cities of Salzburg and Innsbruck.

As well as the Passion Play itself, highlights of the itinerary include tours of both cities and the option of visiting the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The cost of this eight-day experience starts at £1,655 per person, to include flights, transfers, accommodation, most meals, tickets to the Passion Play, various other excursions, the services of an experienced tour guide and Titan’s exclusive VIP Home Departure Service (which collects customers from – and returns them to – their own front door). Departures are available on several dates from late May to early September.

The second option teams Austria with the beautiful lakeside scenery of its neighbour across the Alps. The eight-day Oberammergau and the Italian Lakes itinerary again begins with a two-night stay in Oberammergau and proceeds to Innsbruck before crossing the border to Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and, finally, Milan. Highlights include a visit to the famously elegant ski resort of St Moritz, a tour of the Lake Como’s art-filled Villa Carlotta and a boat trip to Lake Maggiore’s beautiful Borromean Islands.

This wonderful experience costs from £1,755 per person, to include flights, transfers, accommodation, most meals, tickets to the Passion Play, various other excursions, the services of an experienced tour guide and Titan’s exclusive VIP Home Departure Service. Departures are available throughout June, July, August and September. An optional two-night stay in Milan can be added to this holiday from £260 per person.

Tickets to the Passion Play are only available as part of a package that includes accommodation in the Oberammergau area, so spaces are extremely limited and demand is therefore always very high.

For more information, log on to Titanhitours.co.uk.