During our architectural tour in Southern Bavaria, my friends and I had seen many abbeys, chapels and churches, “too many” according to my friends’ mourned, and this World Heritage Site was the 8th church in just three days of this trip! Honestly, I was not a trip planner, but proposedly insisted to include Wieskirche on this already full of Baroque and Rococo buildings. Such kind of trip may result in a better understanding on its outstanding value of this UNESCO listed place or a terribly and negatively bored to see similar architectural style. Fortunately, despite seeing many similar styles, Wieskirche is really special and able to distinguish itself as a real gem of Bavarian churches.
There are two factors that really made Wieskirche a must see of Bavaria, its picturesque alpine meadow location and its impressive interior. Few similar churches in this region could compete with the one at Wies for its location especially during late spring when the alpine grass was amazingly green and dotted with pretty yellow flowers. There was a service when we arrived, so we had to wait more than one hour, nevertheless we happily spent all that time in the beautiful landscape behind the church by leisurely hiking with lovely German Alps as grand background. When the church reopened, the experience of seeing many Baroque and Rococo churches in two days before did a trick to us. While the exterior was quite simple and plain, the interior of Wieskirche, in our opinion, compared to similar churches in this area, for example, Steinhausen, Ettal or Zwiefalten, a lovely perfect example what Rococo should be, not too plain and not too gaudy, which was really hard to find. The craftsmanship on each decorative statue from saints to angels were really superb in details. While the ceiling and decorative fresco of Wieskirche are not the most beautiful or the most interesting one. Wies’s many shades of pastel colors of the whole interior are truly striking and could make Wies to be considered as colorful or fancy; however, it was the well-designed of many pastel shade layout together with those asymmetrical shell motifs, truly perfect Rococo. I also really impressed with the proportionate of white wall and the decorated ones, the empty white wall helps the church interior not to be overwhelmed, but light and heavenly airy despite the building size and many details of decoration.
All in all, Wieskirche is a very beautiful piece of interior design that represent a very fine Rococo art and style. With its superb location that is part of famous Romantische Straße and not too far from Neuschwanstein castle. Wieskirche becomes part of a pack of iconic romantic Bavarian destinations. It's beautiful fairy tales' style of arts, lovely location enhances the overall Bavarian experience of every traveler with no need stamp from UNESCO.