Abfaltersbach can be explored through very different themes: the Baroque-style parish church of St. Andrew, the Maria Heimsuchung branch church with its rediscovered perpetual-light lamp, chapels with Gothic and wayside-shrine-like features, and the historic Aigner Badl. Also nearby is the Pustertaler Höhenstraße, which runs from Abfaltersbach to Leisach. When choosing accommodation, it is helpful to consider which focus you would like to shape your stay: sacred art, a sulfur bath or a panoramic road. Those looking for hotels in Abfaltersbach can use these themes to guide them in choosing the character of their trip.
Church art across two timelines
The parish church of St. Andrew underwent extensive Baroque remodeling between 1765 and 1775. During the same period, Josef Anton Zoller created one of his finest works there, from 1768 to 1770. The periods overlap: Zoller’s work falls within the phase of Baroque remodeling, which continued until 1775. This makes it possible to distinguish two aspects of the church’s history: the artistic work and the extensive remodeling.
The consecration of the Maria Heimsuchung branch church is dated to 1783. During its renovation in 2001, a Baroque perpetual-light lamp dating from 1699 was rediscovered. The object is thus dated significantly earlier than the church’s consecration; its rediscovery took place during the 2001 renovation. Three different points of reference are important when looking at the chronology: the object’s creation, the later consecration and its rediscovery.
Chapels with different features
The Gothic cemetery chapel was built around 1440 and houses a high-quality Gothic fresco. This brings together an approximate construction date and a specifically identified work of art. The Totenrastkapelle, by contrast, is an open wayside chapel resembling a wayside shrine, with appealing architecture and a new Madonna image. The comparison highlights different features: the fresco and approximate date at the cemetery chapel, and the open design, architecture and Madonna image at the Totenrastkapelle. This lets you distinguish between the chapels according to the aspects that interest you most.
Aigner Badl and the Pustertaler Höhenstraße
The Aigner Badl is located in Abfaltersbach, on the southern bank of the Drau. It is a historic Tyrolean farmers’ bathhouse, whose operation dates back to 1772. Guests can enjoy a soothing sulfur bath there. This adds a distinct bathing focus to the architectural and art history: the Badl combines a specific treatment with a long history of operation and broadens the perspective beyond churches and chapels.
The Pustertaler Höhenstraße adds a route to the options. It is a panoramic road that runs for just under 30 kilometers from Abfaltersbach to Leisach. Its starting point, destination and approximate length are therefore specified; the focus here is not a single building but a route. For your planning, you can therefore consider two questions separately: which cultural or bathing interests should shape your stay, and would you also like to include the panoramic road? This lets you take the historical themes and the road route into account as distinct focuses.
Discover more destinations: Huben in the Ötztal, Erlsbach, Innervillgraten, Innergschlöß, Gsaritzen, Leisach, Amlach, Anras
Back to the regional travel overview: Lienz.
