Description of the attraction
St. Martin's Church is located in the heart of the spa town of Bad Goisern, just two hundred meters from the city park. This Catholic church was heavily rebuilt in the 18th century, but part of the building has survived from the end of the 15th century.
The first documentary mention of the Church of St. Martin dates back to 1320, but traces of early medieval buildings have not survived. In 1495, the completely burnt church was rebuilt in the late Gothic style. In 1730, after another fire, the temple had to be almost completely rebuilt, and a hundred years later, in 1835-1837, the building was greatly increased in size, while the choirs were moved to another part of the church.
Despite the fact that Protestantism was widespread in this town, the Catholic parish of St. Martin was also very popular and attracted more and more believers. Therefore, in the middle of the 19th century, it was decided to add new premises to the church.
From the late Gothic style, only the graceful vaulted ceilings inside the temple remained, especially in the former choirs. Also, the northern portal, completed in 1530, has been preserved in its original form. It features artsy columns and pointed arcades. The bell tower with a hipped roof was added already in 1863.
The interior of the church is heterogeneous - some elements have survived from the 16th century, and some were heavily modernized in the 20th century. It is worth noting the doors of the ancient late Gothic altar, which is now kept in the chapel of the Virgin Mary. It was made by the renowned German craftsman Rühland Fruauf the Elder at the end of the 15th century. The current main altar was made in the years 1691-1703, and the side altar is represented by a sculptural group of saints dating from the beginning of the 16th century. The church also houses several 17th century Baroque paintings and an amazing 1845 painting by Leopold Kupelwieser, an Austrian artist of the late Romantic period. Other details of the interior of the church belong to the neo-Gothic style.
