Church St. Stephan

Climb the 6th highest church tower in Austria with its 192 steps and enjoy the wonderful panorama of the Innviertel region.
The tower is easily accessible and offers plenty of opportunities to rest on the way up.

Please book in advance with the Entdeckerviertel tourist office.

Its main architect was Stephan Krumenauer. The towering, seven-storey, slender tower is a landmark of the town of Braunau and the Innviertel region. The spire with an onion dome was only added in the 18th century. There are valuable epitaphs on the outside walls of the church, including the one on the north side of the famous Hans Staininger, the "man with the long beard", who was the town captain of Braunau in the 16th century. The interior features a three-aisled, seven-bay nave. Twelve side chapels are formed by recessed buttresses. The view upwards shows an elaborate ribbed vault. The capitals of the mighty pillars are decorated with apostles and angel heads.

INTERIOR DECORATION:
The interior of the church is rich in works of art from the time of the church's foundation to the present day: the famous and valuable baker's altar, one of the few Gothic winged altars to have survived in Upper Austria, dates from the late 15th century. The sandstone pulpit with depictions of the prophets, Christ, the Evangelists and the Doctors of the Church as well as the original stalls are also works of the late Gothic period. In the 17th century, the church was baroqueized by Martin Zürn. Remains of the Baroque high altar can still be found on the northern choir wall. The 28 m² painting "The Stoning of St. Stephen" by Matthäus Lettenbichler is particularly noteworthy. St. Barbara on the right choir arch pillar and the Madonna on the sickle on the eastern end of the right aisle show the high artistic quality of the master. The present high altar, a neo-Gothic winged altar designed by the Viennese cathedral architect Friedrich von Schmidt, was consecrated in 1905. The beautiful wrought-iron chandeliers by Wolfgang Auer represent the art of the 20th century.

Church tower tour:
Climb Austria's 6th highest church tower with its 192 steps as part of a city tour and enjoy the wonderful panorama of the Innviertel region.
The tower is easily accessible and offers plenty of opportunities to rest on the ascent.

Please register at the Entdeckerviertel.