Description of the attraction
The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Nicholas in the area of St. Niklaas an der Drau in the municipality of Villach was first mentioned in 1370. In the second half of the 15th century, it was burned by Turkish soldiers, but local residents restored it in a matter of years. In 1486, Bishop von Grado blessed her anew.
The current neo-baroque building of the temple was built in 1862, and in 1910 it was renovated after a devastating fire. During the Second World War, the temple was seriously damaged by constant bombing. After 1945, during the reconstruction, a new gable roof and windows appeared in the church. The building itself has undergone several changes. It is now better suited for celebrating masses than it used to be.
A two-storey tower with a narrow, thin spire, with windows in the form of a pointed arch and for a clock adjoins the northern part of the Church of St. Nicholas. The nave of the temple ends with a semicircular apse. In the western part of the church, there is a gallery supported by two pillars. It houses a late Baroque organ.
The neo-baroque altarpiece with an altar was created in 1899 by the master Ignaz Oblak. In its center is a statue of St. Nicholas. On either side of it you can see sculptures of St. Anne and St. Joseph with the Child Jesus.
The late Baroque columnar side altar dates from the middle of the 18th century. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is her statue that is placed on the altar.
The tower houses a painting by Johannes der Taufer. The richly decorated, carved pulpit was made around 1780.
