Little Red Riding Hood’s house in Oberammergau, Germany by Adelheid Smitt

Bathed in bright sunshine beneath a clear blue Bavarian sky, the Rotkäppchenhaus—better known as the Little Red Riding Hood House—looks like something lifted straight from the pages of a fairy tale. Its traditional Oberammergau façade is brought vividly to life with colourful Lüftlmalerei, depicting scenes from the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
The house stands at Ettaler Straße 48, where the painted scenes were created by the artist Max Strauss in 1953. The murals transform the building itself into a kind of open-air storybook: Little Red Riding Hood, her journey to her grandmother, and the familiar characters of the tale unfold across the façade. One of the inscriptions offers the child a gentle piece of advice: “Keep your red hood clean, and keep your heart pure.” Another encourages her to take cake and wine quickly to her grandmother.
The building is also associated with Oberammergau's history as a place of care for children; it is described as an orphanage, which gives the fairy-tale decoration an especially fitting character.
On a sunny day, the warm colours of the painted façade stand out beautifully against the intense blue of the sky. Together with the traditional Bavarian architecture, the intricate murals create one of Oberammergau's most charming examples of Lüftlmalerei—a delightful meeting of local art, architecture and the timeless world of fairy tales.