Bischofshofen (colloquially abbreviated "B'hofen") is a town with 10,580 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020) in the district of St. Johann im Pongau in the state of Salzburg in Austria and is located about 50 km south of the state capital Salzburg.
Parish Church of St. Maximilian
The main parish church of
Bischofshofen is a striking Gothic three-aisled hall church dating
largely from the 15th century, with a Romanesque core in its
crossing tower. It stands on the historic site of the early medieval
Cella Maximiliana, the first monastery in the Pongau region, founded
around 711/712 by St. Rupert. Notable features include a late Gothic
fresco cycle from around 1490 on the north side depicting scenes of
the Passion and Resurrection.
Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)
This elegant late Gothic filial church, first mentioned around 1359,
rises on a terrace just west of the parish church. Its most
distinctive feature is the tall, slender spire with a high pointed
helm that dominates the town skyline. Excavations beneath the church
have revealed prehistoric, Roman, and earlier Romanesque building
remains.
Georgikirche (St. George’s Church)
A small Romanesque
church from the 13th century located near the cemetery. Today it
serves as a memorial chapel for the First World War, standing
opposite the local war memorial.
Buchbergkirche
Perched high
on the Buchberg hillside, this charming hilltop church offers fine
panoramic views over the Salzach and Fritz valleys. It forms part of
the historic landscape that includes the nearby Missionshaus and has
long been a local landmark.
St. Rupert Mission House
Founded
in 1904 by Arnold Janssen of the Society of the Divine Word (Steyler
Missionaries), this complex originally served as a missionary
training center for the Pongau region. Today it functions as a
private humanistic secondary school (Gymnasium) with public status,
while its neo-Baroque mission church dedicated to St. Rupert remains
an important local place of worship.
Museum at the Kastenturm
Located on Pfarrplatz (Rathausplatz 5), Tel. +43 6462 2972. Housed
in the medieval Kastenturm (a high-medieval grain tower and
administrative building once used by the Bishops of Chiemsee), the
museum presents the archaeology of the surrounding area, sacred art,
and a copy of the famous 8th-century Rupertus Cross (the original is
kept in Salzburg Cathedral Museum). Opening hours: Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday 1:00–5:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am–5:00 pm.
Bachsfall
Castle Ruins (Pongowe)
The atmospheric ruins of the medieval
castle of Pongowe stand above the Gainfeld waterfall. Built in the
12th century by the Lords of Pongau and later held by the
ministerial family of Gutrat, the site offers a short, scenic hike
and insights into the early feudal history of the region.
Paul
Ausserleitner Ski Jump
The largest of the three ski-jumping hills
in the Sepp Bradl Stadium, this facility was originally constructed
in 1947 as the Hochkönigschanze. It hosts the annual Epiphany (Three
Kings) competition that concludes the prestigious Four Hills
Tournament. The stadium itself is named after Sepp “Bubi” Bradl, the
first overall winner of the tournament. The hill was later renamed
in memory of local jumper Paul Ausserleitner, who died after a
training accident in 1952. Outside competition periods the entire
ski-jumping complex is freely accessible to visitors.
By plane
The nearest major airport is Salzburg Airport (IATA:
SZG, also known as Salzburg Airport W.A. Mozart), located about
50–55 km north of Bischofshofen. From the airport you can continue
by train (via Salzburg Hauptbahnhof), taxi, rental car, or
private/shuttle transfer into the Pongau region.
Public transport
typically involves taking a local bus (such as line 2) from the
airport terminal to Salzburg Hbf (around 15–25 minutes), then a
direct ÖBB train to Bischofshofen (about 40–55 minutes), for a total
journey of roughly 1 hour 20–1 hour 40 minutes depending on
connections. Private taxi or pre-booked transfer takes around 40–50
minutes by road under normal conditions (distance approximately
50–55 km). Rental cars are available at the airport and offer the
most flexibility for exploring the surrounding valleys. Shuttle
services to the Pongau area, including Bischofshofen, are also
operated by local providers.
By train
Bischofshofen
railway station is a well-connected stop on the Salzburg–Tyrol line
and the Tauern route. Direct trains run frequently to Salzburg
Hauptbahnhof (typically 40–55 minutes; fastest services around 39–45
minutes on Railjet, InterCity, or ICE trains). Connections also
exist toward Villach, Innsbruck, and Vienna (Westbahnhof or
Hauptbahnhof), with both regional and long-distance services.
Services are operated mainly by ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) and
include Regional, REX, InterCity, Railjet, and occasional other
operators. Trains run roughly every 20–30 minutes for much of the
day. The station sits centrally near the river on the eastern side
of town (Bahnhofstraße / Bahnhofplatz area). Facilities include free
Wi-Fi (“OEBB-station”), elevators, a waiting room, ticket office
(limited hours), ticket machines, toilets, snack machines, an ATM,
free ÖBB parking nearby, a bicycle garage, taxi stand, and basic
shops (including a bakery). Local buses stop outside for onward
travel within the Pongau region.
By car
From Salzburg, the
quickest route follows the A10 Tauern Autobahn south to the Pongau /
Bischofshofen exit (around exit 47), a drive of roughly 45–55
minutes under normal conditions (road distance about 50–55 km). An
alternative scenic option is the B159, which winds through the
Salzach valley and offers more views of the surrounding mountains
and villages.
Note that the A10 is a toll road. A standard
Austrian vignette (digital or sticker) is required for most
motorways, and the Tauern section may involve an additional section
toll (Streckenmaut) depending on the exact segment used
(particularly the tunnels further south). Vignettes and section
tolls can be purchased online via ASFINAG, at border points, or
service stations. Parking is available in and around Bischofshofen,
including free options near the station.
By bicycle
Bischofshofen lies directly on the popular Tauern Cycle Path
(Tauernradweg). This long-distance route (roughly 270–320 km
overall, depending on the variant) follows the Salzach River from
the Krimml Waterfalls area through the Pinzgau and Pongau valleys
toward Salzburg and beyond. The section around Bischofshofen is
mostly gentle, well-signposted, and suitable for touring cyclists
and e-bikes, with a mix of dedicated cycle paths and quiet roads.
It forms an attractive link between the Hohe Tauern region and
Salzburg, with opportunities to stop at nearby sights such as the
ski-jumping hills, local villages, or the Liechtensteinklamm. The
path is family-friendly on many stretches and can be ridden as day
trips or multi-day tours.
The place name developed from pongowe, the Maximilianszelle
(711/12), via Hove (1151), Hofen, Bischofhof, from around 1420 to
Bischofshofen.
In the High Middle Ages, the place had a
mystical high reputation and the secular lords of Pongau also held
high positions as the Salzburg-Bavarian ministerial family (giving).
From 1243 onwards, however, with the creation of the new location
Werfen under the protection of its castle, the center of the Pongau
shifted from both the Pongau old parish of St. Cyriak (Pfarrwerfen)
and from Hofen to the new Werfen market. The Goldeggers also
replaced the Lords of Pongowe.
From the end of the 19th
century, Bischofshofen assumed a pioneering role as a railway
junction and as a result of industrialization.
Historically,
from 1216 to 1803, Bischofshofen was divided into two parts: the
Chiemsee Hofmark around today's parish church and the district that
was subordinate to the Prince of Salzburg (Archbishop). The diocese
of Chiemsee was in turn an own diocese of the Salzburg church
itself.
History: The central Pongau around Bischofshofen
(like the Grauwackenzone) was an old central European copper mining
area of the pre- or. early Celtic population (similar to Uttendorf
im Pinzgau). The oldest grave finds date from the Hallstatt period
to the Latène period. There were other finds from this period. a. at
Götschenberg, at the Bachfall ruins and at the Sinnhubschlössl.
During the Iron Age, copper mining was stopped for 2500 years
and only rediscovered in 1827. At the Buchberg the mining took place
until 1959. Iron was in Bischofshofen from 1615, especially in the
17th and 18th Century. From the 5th century, especially in the 2nd /
1st Century BC, the Celtic salt mining dominates the Hallein
Dürrnberg.
15 BC - 488 AD - Roman times; Ostrogothic up
to 536, then Frankish or Bavarian rule
At the Frauenkirche
(mentioned for the first time on August 24, 1359) there was a lime
tombstone from Roman times (A. Lippert found remains of a Roman
building underneath), a Celtic coin from the 1st century BC (2019)
and surprisingly close on the hillside, some early to high medieval
graves from the 8th to 13th century AD (latest excavation 2019 by
the BDA). As a result, there must have been a very early predecessor
church to the Gothic Frauenkirche (cited in Höglinger). Until now,
the remains of the foundations had been assumed to be around 1000
AD.
The Roman road itself led via Hüttau sunny via Ani (in
the Ennstal) into the Lungau, like several milestones, mostly from
the 3rd / 4th. Century, document.
711/712: The first
documented mention of the wooded area (pongowe) in the Inner
Mountains is for the year 711/712, with the establishment of the
Maximilianszelle (Cella Maximiliana) as the predecessor of today's
parish church. This takes place under Bishop / Abbot Rupert von
Salzburg, with the consent of the Bavarian Dukes Theodo or his son
Theodbert who is present from the Agilolfinger family and the Albina
family (von der Albm).
The immediate conflict zone of
Bischofshofen on the border with the post-Norse, Slavic principality
of Carantania is documented by the destruction of the Maximilian
cell in the middle of the 8th century by Slavs. After another
destruction in 820, however, the new building followed immediately
in 821.
At that time, the Salzburg bishops partly provided
the chancellors of the Duchy of Bavaria. The Bischofshofener estates
are among the oldest named in the country and formed the nucleus of
the later Salzburg land acquisition. In the late Middle Ages, almost
50% of the goods belonged to the Salzburg archbishopric (manorial
rule), which were managed by landholders.
1025-1041
Archbishop Dietmar consecrated an altar.
In 1106-1216 a small
Augustinian canon monastery was founded, led by provosts.
The
name Hoven was first mentioned in a document in 1151.
In
1216/17 the small Augustinian canons founded in 1106 and several
manors came into the possession of the bishops of the newly created
Salzburg diocese of Chiemsee. Their legally sovereign Hofmark of
Kastenhof also came under the lower jurisdiction. The remaining part
of the emerging village was under the jurisdiction of Werfen.
In 1405 the name Bischofhof is mentioned for the first time in a
land register of the diocese.
The lords of Pongowe (Pongau)
form one of the oldest and respected ministerial families of the
archbishops in their castle above the Gainfeld waterfall (castle
ruins Bachsfall or Purchstall) in the 12th century. In the 13./14.
In the 19th century there were constant feuds between the
archbishops and the ministerials and Bavarian knight families; Vests
were built and later destroyed.
Although only a village, Bischofshofen was granted market and
market customs law (forum et mercatus) in the 14th century. The
oldest goods in the records from 1330 and 1350 all have Germanic
first names: Heinrich de Flechsberg (Flachberg), Meingotz an dem
Puchberg, Eisenbert, Altmann, Godewin, Percht ... These goods
designations are almost only used as field names today.
From
1500 to 1850 the so-called Little Ice Age prevailed with decreasing
profitability of agriculture.
In 1458 and especially in 1462
the farmers in the Inner Mountains (Pongau, Pinzgau, Brixental),
also in association with the city of Radstadt, rose up against new
taxes from the ecclesiastical ruler (consecration tax and
surcharges). A copy of the settlement made with the sovereign was
also issued for Bischofshofen in 1462.
1525/26: Pressured by
high tax pressure (and an increasing population to be fed), the
Salzburg Peasant Wars in 1525/26 also hit Bischofshofen. The
neighboring Hohenwerfen Castle was occupied by farmers and miners,
and the Hohensalzburg Fortress was besieged for three months.
However, the farmers are defeated at Zell am See and Radstadt by
auxiliary troops of the Swabian Federation. In 1564, farmers in
Bischofshofen appointed the Protestant Constantin Schlafhauser as
pastor, and unrest broke out. This was followed by the execution of
the insurgent farmers Wilhelm Egger (1565) and Hans Steiner. From
1570 to 1811, the descendants of the rebels took part in the blood
ram service, the delivery of a ram covered with a red woolen cloth.
In 1732 the evangelicals began to be expelled from the
prince-archbishopric of Salzburg, also from Bischofshofen. Over
4,000 people from the Bischofshofen and Werfen courts alone had to
leave the country. About 70% of the population put their faith
before their homeland and were mostly accepted into Prussia
(Salzburg exiles).
In 1775, the heavy flooding of the
Gainfeldbach in the village center claimed 16 lives. In 1803 the
church property was secularized and the state of Salzburg has been
part of Austria since 1816. The country did not recover for a long
time from the Napoleonic Wars and the struggles for freedom (around
1809, rifle commander Josef Struber) and the looting and the place
was, for example, in 1869 as in poor conditions. There has been a
(limited) elected council since 1850.
In 1848 Austria was
liberated (redeemed) from the manors.
The construction of the
railway around 1875, the option in South Tyrol with the construction
of a South Tyrolean settlement around 1940, the war displaced
persons and industrialization brought a high level of immigration.
In 1882, copper smelting was relocated from Mühlbach to Ausserfelden
(today Mitterberghütten) (which has not existed since 1977).
It was only through the construction of the Giselabahn to Wörgl in
Tyrol and the Kronprinz-Rudolf-Bahn towards Graz in 1875, the copper
mining in Mühlbach and the industrialization that Bischofshofen grew
into an economic center in Pongau and an early Salzburg center of
social democracy and became in the consequence on February 9, 1900
raised to the market town. Due to the continuous development into an
important business and shopping center in the region, Bischofshofen
received city rights on September 24, 2000.