ATTRACTIONS
Silent Night Chapel
Address: Stille Nacht Kapelle, Stille Nacht-Platz, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .The Silent Night Chapel is dedicated to the memory of the Christmas carol Silent Night, Holy Night and its lyricist Joseph Mohr and composer Franz Xaver Gruber. The chapel stands on the site of the former St. Nicholas Church (St. Nikola), where the world-famous Christmas carol was first performed on December 24, 1818.
Silent Night Museum
Address: Stille-Nacht-Museum, Stille Nacht-Platz, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .Right next to the Silent Night Chapel, in the former vicarage, the Silent Night Museum Oberndorf displays numerous exhibits and interesting facts about the history of the world-famous Christmas carol "Silent Night, Holy Night" on two floors.
Opening hours and prices can be found on the official homepage: http://stillenacht-oberndorf.com/oeffnungszeiten_bes
Calvary Mountain
Address: Unnamed Road, 5110, 5110 Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .The Maria Bühel Calvary is a monumental staircase from the first half of the 18th century. The staircase is part of the historic pilgrims' path from Laufen to Maria Bühel. At the beginning of the stairs there is a statue of St. John Nepomuk by the sculptor Josef Anton Pfaffinger. The stone staircase, which today has 139 steps - originally there were 150 steps - with its four landings leads up to the Totenberg, where the baroque Calvary Chapel is located. From the chapel you can continue your walk to the pilgrimage church Maria Bühel.
Pilgrimage Church Maria Bühel
Address: Maria Bühel, Maria Bühel-Straße, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .Since the beginning of the 17th century there was a station plaque with a picture of the Virgin Mary on the site of the church. In 1662 the first chapel was built there, which was massively extended in 1670-73 due to the great stream of pilgrims. Between 1718- 1721 the church got its present form. The participation of the imperial court painter Johann Michael Rottmayr, who came from Laufen, should be particularly emphasized. He was very fond of this church - he married here in 1690 (source: Parish of Oberndorf)
Boatmen's Chapel
Address: Schifferkapelle, Uferstraße, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .An important place of prayer for the Salzach boatmen for protection on the Salzach. The St. Christopher's Chapel or skippers' chapel at the end of the Altach is first mentioned in 1518. It was the custom that before each departure, the skippers would draw a cross in the river with the oar blade while looking at the chapel and say "Nahui in God's Nam! (downriver in the name of God). When the chapel was rebuilt in 1858, it was stipulated that the skippers had to pray three "Our Fathers" before each departure or go to the chapel for a prayer. On the day of St. Christopher (25 July), patron saint of watermen and carters, a mass was celebrated every year. In 1978 the chapel was renovated for the 700th anniversary of the boatmen's corps. (Source: Salzburg Portal)
Lower Town Gate (Almscher Tower)
Address: Gordian-Guckh-Straße 4, Laufen, Germany .The Lower City Gate, the so-called Almscher Tower, is a three-storey gate tower with a tent roof, passageway and strong bulge from the first half of the 13th century. Redesigned in the 16th and 17th centuries. Also known as the Bridge Gate, the Lower Town Gate was also part of the medieval town fortifications and dates from the first half of the 13th century. In its original three-storey state, it was raised to its present form in the 16th century. The town gate with its moderately steep tent roof was an important point for securing the river crossing. The city gates had to be locked at night and only the mayor kept the keys. To the left of the town gate is the former customs office building (from 1816) and on the car park to the right of it was the former Besl inn with a tree-covered garden. Even today, remains of the town wall can be seen on the right side of the town gate. (Source: Berchtesgaden Rupertiwinkel)
Collegiate Church "Mariä Himmelfahrt"
Address: Mariä Himmelfahrt, Spannbruckerplatz, Laufen, Germany .The collegiate church was built in early baroque style between 1330 and 1338 and is the oldest gothic hall church in southern Germany. The collegiate church with its magnificent interior is really especially beautiful to visit. It is also an atmospheric place of rest and always the right place for a personal prayer.
Historic Oldtown Laufen
Address: Rottmayrstraße, Laufen, Germany .The historic old town of Laufen is located on the peninsula in the Salzach loop, between the Salzburg Gate, the central Marienplatz and the collegiate church Mariä Himmelfahrt. Most of the buildings appear in the typical Inn-Salzach style, i.e. as trench-roofed houses with advance walls. Late medieval buildings can often be recognized by their Gothic pointed arches, other houses are built in the 17th and 18th century Salzburg-Italian style. Among the special sights are the Old Town Hall with its beautiful baroque façade, the cloister-like arcade with the gravestones of the rich bourgeoisie and the Salzburg Collegiate Nobility, and the Collegiate Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the oldest Gothic hall church in southern Germany. (Source: Berchtesgaden Rupertiwinkel)
Upper Town Gate (Salzburger Tor)
Address: Oberes Stadttor, St2103, Laufen, Germany .The Upper Town Gate, also called Salzburger Tor, is the entrance to the historic old town of Laufen. The four-storey tower with its tent roof, bell towers and passageway dates from the first half of the 13th century. The Upper Town Gate is a four-storey medieval building with a bell tower. The tower dates from the first half of the 13th century. The south side (attack side) is up to two metres thick. At that time, there was a moat with a bridge in front of the gate, which served as a firing range for the civil defence. Above the archway, which has been extended several times, hangs the coat of arms of Salzburg's prince archbishop Johann Ernst Count Thun, who once had the castle complex completed. (Source: Berchtesgaden Rupertiwinkel)
The Salzach Bridge
Address: Salzachbrücke, Uferstraße, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .The Salzach Bridge between the town of Oberndorf (Austria) and the town of Laufen (Germany) was built between 1901 and 1903 during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria. Within a radius of 15 km it is still the only connection for motor vehicles between Bavaria and the province of Salzburg.
After the previous wooden bridge at the Lower City Gate was destroyed by a flood in 1899, it was decided to build an iron bridge at a flood-safe location. Thus, in 1901 the town square on the north side, which had been closed until then, was opened for the new Salzach bridge. The new bridge was built between 1901 and 1903 in a joint effort between Austria and Bavaria and has a total length of 165 metres. The coats of arms of the monarchs of the time are attached to the supporting structure. (Source: https://www.laufen.bayern/laenderbruecke)
Europasteg
Address: Europasteg, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .The Europasteg is a 131.2-metre-long cross-border bridge for pedestrians and cyclists between Laufen and Oberndorf (Austria) over the Salzach. The national border is marked on the bridge.
During a major flood in 1899, the wooden bridge over the Salzach was torn away at this point. It was subsequently decided to build a more stable bridge at a flood-safe location. After a rebuilt wooden footbridge over the Salzach from the Laufener Unterstadt to the Altach was destroyed during a flood in 1920, the Salzach remained here without a bridge. The remains of the bridge piers can still be clearly seen in the river at low tide.
Planning for the new construction of the pier at the old location dragged on for many years until finally, at the beginning of 2006, construction work was started. At the end of 2006, the new footbridge was already ready for use. (Source: https://www.berchtesgaden.de/europasteg)
Pfarrkirche hl. Nikolaus
Address: Kirchplatz, Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria .The church of St. Nicholas is a Roman Catholic church in the community of Oberndorf near Salzburg in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung in the province of Salzburg. It is under monumental protection.
A church documented in 1120 was first recorded in 1160 as Nikoleikirche. Later it was called the "highly respected 'Schifferkirche'" St. Nikola.
The church fell victim to a fire on 1 April 1769. In the following years the church was rebuilt. It was consecrated on 28 October 1798 by Bishop Sigmund Christoph von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg. From 1816 it served as the pastoral care station of Österreichisch-Laufens, from 1850 as a parish church. On Christmas Eve 1818 the song Silent Night, Holy Night was sung in it for the first time.
Floods had repeatedly threatened St. Nicola. After the flood of 1899, the decision was made to create a new town centre at a higher point upstream and to build a new parish church of St. Nicholas by Matthäus Schlager. Although already under construction, the official laying of the foundation stone did not take place until March 19, 1906, which was carried out by Cardinal Johannes Baptist Katschthaler. It was consecrated by auxiliary bishop Balthasar Kaltner on November 25, 1907. The Silent Night Chapel, consecrated in 1937, now stands on the rubble cone of the demolished old church. (Source: https://www.pfarreoberndorf.at)
