Description of the attraction
Bad Zell is a small trade fair commune in the federal state of Upper Austria. It is located at the same distance of 30 kilometers from both the major city of Linz and the Czech border. Now there is a health resort here.
Zell has been known since the 9th century and was considered a territory belonging to the large abbey of St. Emmeram, located in the Bavarian city of Regensburg. Subsequently, this settlement gained great popularity thanks to its annual fairs, but in the 15th century it fell into some decline due to constant attacks during the Hussite Wars and the invasion of the Hungarians. In addition, in the 16th century, Zell became a stronghold of Lutheranism in Upper Austria, and it took many years to bring the city back into the fold of the Catholic Church. However, despite this, several old buildings from that difficult era have survived in Celle.
First of all, it is worth noting the ruins of the former castle of Zellhof, which previously stood on the city hill. It was built in the middle of the 17th century on the site of medieval defensive fortifications and was an exquisite mansion, which, unfortunately, was abandoned in the middle of the 19th century. Now only the chapel of St. James, rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century, has survived from the entire architectural complex.
The city church of St. John the Baptist was erected at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries and is made in the late Gothic style. It is distinguished by an elegant high bell tower, and among the details of its interior decoration, it is worth noting the magnificent Baroque altar of the middle of the 18th century.
Another small sanctuary was erected on the site of a healing spring already outside the city limits, and on the opposite side is the Holy Trinity Chapel, famous for its unusual painting of the 18th century. It is also worth visiting the ruins of another, more ancient castle of Aich, located 1.5 kilometers northeast of the city. It was built in the 13th century and, despite the destruction and general decline of the structure, it has been quite well preserved.
