Culture of Saalbach. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Saalbach's history is inextricably related to Alpine skiing. Despite the fact that people lived on the settlement territory for hundreds of years, it was a small and generally poor village until the end of the 19th century. This place was one of the most unsightly in the whole district of Salzburg. According to local legend, everything changed in 1898. Josef Wallner gave skis to Mr. Bachmann, a Saalbach resident, that year. However, he was not happy with the gift. Just because he had no idea what those strange pieces of wood were for. Fortunately, his acquaintance Peter Hall knew that the hobby of skiing had become fashionable in the neighboring regions of Austria.

Three lawyers came to Saalbach from Kitzbühel four years later, in 1903. A company of officers who decided to stay at the Gasthof Neuhaus stopped here in 1904. Owners of the establishment were glad to guests who arrived not in a season. And the locals are even more convinced of the benefits of promoting skiing in the village. The first local downhill competitions were held in the town in 1913. Local teachers Ludwig Ramsauer and Hermann Huter established the Ski club in 1914. It had nearly five dozen participants. Alpine shelter for 80 seats was built on the initiative of the club to promote the resort in 1925.

The Maishofen train station began to be called Maishofen-Saalbach in 1927. And the town was named in advertising brochures Das Skidorf - "Ski Village". The surface lift is modern today. It starts in the settlement center, near the Church. The first cable car for the needs of skiers was built on its site in 1946. The funicular on the Schattberg Ost was the most powerful lift in Europe until 2002. It was a local landmark, due to the date of construction in the rather far 1940. But the Schattberg x-press road replaced it today. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

If you are not interested in visiting the places of the first local ski lift or the first guest house that took skiers in Saalbach, you should pay attention to the Parish Church of Saint Nicholas and Bartholomew. It is worth noting that the building is located on a hill. So the rise to it is not easy. But there are good views of the town and the old cemetery, which is located around the Church. The necropolis is interesting. Many of the graves appeared a century ago here.

The Church is built in Baroque style. The open balconies (χορός in Greek), rising strongly above the main nave, are a striking feature in the interior decoration. The nave is rather low. And the semicircular space for the balcony (χορός in Greek) is spacious and illuminated by long lancet window cut into the walls. The open balconies (χορός in Greek) are topped by a pointed dome. The crypt and a small ancient underground chapel are located below them. The interior style corresponds to the architectural plan of the Church builders. It is made mainly in the Baroque style.

There are three altars in the Parish Church of Saint Nicholas and Bartholomew. The oldest of them was made in 1691. The other altars, including the main one, are four decades younger. They were fully completed only in 1730. The pulpit was also made in 1730. The modern Church was built on the foundations of a medieval structure. The lower tiers of the bell tower were made during the popularity of Austrian Gothic style architects. They have survived from this time. However, the bell tower did not exist long in an unchanged form. It was greatly increased in size in the 17th century. A rather elegant semicircular dome, generally characteristic of the Baroque of this region, was erected over the bell tower in 177.

Der Talschluss can be considered a real attraction, although it is a little unusual. It is quite a long and the highest hiking route in Europe. It passes over a huge bridge, located at the level of the treetops crowns. In fact, Der Talschluss is a huge bridge, partly wooden, partly steel, with suspended elements, passing over the forest, several small rivers and past the local peasant farmsteads. People who are afraid of heights are unlikely to feel comfortable here. But the photos from the bridge are beautiful. In addition, there is an opportunity to observe how the locals cut down the forest and graze animals.

Saalbach has not changed much over time. Many local houses and hotels have survived since the turn of the century. So it is worth a walk around the town at least for a couple of hours, considering the typical Austrian houses. If you want to plunge into the mystical atmosphere of medieval Austria, it is worth spending a day or two on a trip to Salzburg. The city is located nearby. And if you want, you can go not by bus, but as part of an excursion group. They are organized regularly in Saalbach.