Description of the attraction
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located in the center of the town of Bad Hofgastein, exactly opposite the spa park and the promenade. It was built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries in the late Gothic style.
The first building on this site appeared in 1023, it is believed that it was consecrated by the famous Salzburg bishop Hartwig, who died in the same year. Only 400 years later, the small chapel was rebuilt and greatly increased in size, but in 1502 a fire broke out in the town, and the church had to be practically rebuilt. The construction was finally completed only in 1507. In 1602, the architectural ensemble was supplemented with a high bell tower, crowned with a pointed spire in the next century - in 1723.
The building is painted a bright yellow and features a sloping roof and long but narrow lanceolate windows. The bell tower consists of seven tiers, including the spire. The penultimate tier houses a graceful dial clock, and the fifth tier is decorated with a Gothic triforium, which is an arched opening divided by columns into three parts. At the lowest tier, there is a modern mosaic depicting the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The church is quite spacious - it consists of three naves. The interior decoration is mainly made in the Baroque style, but it is worth noting the preserved Gothic sculpture depicting the Madonna enthroned. It is housed in the main altar and dates from the early 16th century. Other details of the interior - the side altars and the pulpit - were made already in the early 18th century and are decorated with exquisite blue and pink marble.
The church itself stands at the foot of the hill. Now the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is the center of the city parish.
