The Church of Sts. Primus and Felician, also known as Pfarrkirche St. Primus und Felician or St. Preimskirche, is located in Bad Gastein, a spa town in the Salzburg state of Austria. It stands prominently in the town center, overlooking the Gastein Valley in the Hohe Tauern National Park. The church's position on a slight elevation provides scenic views of the surrounding alpine landscape, including waterfalls and mountains, making it a focal point for both religious and tourist activities in this historic resort area. The site has been a place of worship since the early Middle Ages, integrating seamlessly with Bad Gastein's thermal springs and Belle Époque architecture.
The church is situated in the northern part of Bad Gastein, a
renowned spa and ski resort town in the Hohe Tauern National Park,
Salzburg state. It stands on the eastern side of the Gastein Valley,
with retaining walls supporting its position on a hillside, facing north
and overlooking the valley below. Bad Gastein itself is nestled at an
elevation of about 1,000 meters, surrounded by dramatic alpine
landscapes, thermal springs, and forested slopes, which contribute to
the church's scenic integration into the environment. The location
offers stunning views, particularly from nearby mountains, making it a
photogenic spot for visitors.
Bad Gastein experiences a humid
continental climate with alpine influences (Köppen: Dfb), characterized
by cold, snowy winters and mild, wet summers. Annual precipitation is
high at around 1,539 mm, with significant snowfall supporting winter
tourism. The time zone is Central European Time (UTC+1), shifting to
UTC+2 during daylight saving.
The Patron Saints and Local Legend
Saints Primus (or Primus) and
Felician (Felizian) were Roman brothers and martyrs who, according to
tradition, suffered persecution under Emperor Diocletian around 297–304
AD near Nomentum (modern Mentana). They refused to renounce Christianity
and were executed; their relics were later translated to the Church of
Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome in 648 by Pope Theodore I. Their cult
spread across Europe, sometimes associated with healing or spa
traditions in Bavarian and Alpine regions (e.g., Chiemgau or
Fieberbrunn).
In Gastein, a local founding legend—first recorded in
variants in 16th–17th-century chronicles—adapts this story. It claims
that around 680 or 696 AD, two hermits named Primus and Felician lived
in the wild valley. They discovered or revealed the hot springs' healing
powers after a wounded stag (chased by hunters) was cured by the waters.
One relief depiction shows Primus at the waterfall and Felician with a
water jug; another ties it to the stag and springs. This legend appears
in a 1846 painting (copy) in the church's tower hall and on the modern
high altar reliefs. The church is often called simply "Preimskirche" in
local dialect (a contraction of Primus). A 1540 Gasteiner Chronica
states: "Anno 696 ist die Khirchen bei dem Pad, so St. Primus genant
worden, welche war die erste und die Pfahrkirchen gewesen sein soll,
erpaut worden." The patronage may also stem from broader associations of
the saints with medicinal baths.
Early History and Predecessor
Buildings
Documentary evidence for a church on this exact site begins
in 1333, when brothers Hartneid and Hermann von Thurn funded a daily
Mass at Salzburg Cathedral's St. James Chapel with contributions from
Gastein properties, including 30 pfennigs "nach St. Preims für das
Licht" (for lights at St. Preims). It likely served as a filial or
chapel tied to the mother parish in Hofgastein. A predecessor chapel may
have existed or been expanded around 1122 (per local chronicles
mentioning choir panels installed that year by a Kitzbühel master),
possibly evolving from an even earlier structure linked to the thermal
springs. In the 16th century, the building underwent repairs: re-roofing
in 1569 and new windows in 1570. The tower was notably tall, requiring
bell ropes up to 25 meters long.
The church's precarious location—on
a slope subject to constant slow movement (about 2 cm per year) and
occasional floods or slides from the Ache river—caused ongoing
structural problems from the outset. By 1613, a visitation report
described it as critically dilapidated and at risk of imminent collapse.
Cathedral builder Santino Solari inspected it in 1616, but repairs were
delayed. In 1617, parish administrator Friedrich Gadolt reported the
walls as "zerbrochen, zerkloben und zerfallen" (broken, cracked, and
collapsed). A 1620 decree approved a full rebuild at the same site,
citing the Nikolauskirche's distance for mobility-impaired bath guests
and the waterfall's noise drowning out its bells.
Major
Reconstruction Phases (17th–18th Centuries)
1636–1638/1639 rebuild
(second church): Plans came from Santino Solari. Construction involved
miners hauling a massive "Fürstenalter" beam (crafted by a Werfen
carpenter). The congregation first used the new building in 1638; it
formally replaced the Nikolauskirche as the main parish church in 1639
(elevated to vicariate in 1623). Costs were relatively low (~1,175
gulden), suggesting a modest or hastily built structure. Frequent
repairs followed (1655, 1659, 1673, 1699) due to further slope damage.
It was reconsecrated in 1706 by co-adjutant Bishop Sigmund Carl von
Castel-Barco.
1720–1723 rebuild (third church): Slope slides
necessitated demolishing much of the prior structure. Mason Oswald
Stuhlebner (or Stuelebner) from St. Johann led the work; three-quarters
of the walls were replaced. The resulting church was small—about 22
meters long and 10 meters wide—with a rectangular nave, pointed gable
roof, and a north-side roof turret (later described with an eight-sided
bulbous helmet). It cost around 2,088 gulden (comparable to the 1725
vicarage). A 1789 flood caused additional cracks, leading to repairs
that lasted decades.
By the mid-19th century, instability
persisted. A 1824 general repair proved ineffective, and the church was
closed around 1855–1858, with services shifting permanently to the
Filialkirche St. Nikolaus.
The Current Neo-Gothic Church
(1866–1876)
Prince Camillo Rohan, a major benefactor and later
honorary citizen, provided substantial funding and acquired/demolished
the adjacent Mitterwirtstaferne to expand the site. Groundbreaking
occurred on February 14, 1866. Plans were drawn by district engineer
Pieschel (with significant input or modifications from Viennese/Linz
cathedral architect Friedrich von Schmidt), executed by Salzburg master
builder Jakob (or Valentin) Ceconi. Construction lasted about ten years.
The church was solemnly consecrated on November 27, 1876, by Archbishop
Franz Albert Eder. The population donated the original bells (later
melted down in 1916 for wartime use; replacements cast in 1950).
Architecture: The current structure is a neo-Gothic, stone-faced
(unplastered) single-nave church oriented northward, with a prominent
south tower facade, buttresses, pointed-arch tracery windows, and a
five-eighths polygonal choir. It features a saddle roof, a
cross-rib-vaulted tower hall, and a two-story sacristy annex. Retaining
walls and terracing support it against the slope. The tower includes
multiple stories with cornices and a spire. Inside, the nave has four
bays with ribbed vaulting; a northern bay extends like a transept, and
the south has a three-aisled gallery with tracery parapet.
Interior
and Furnishings: Major updates occurred in 1953–1954. Sculptor Jakob
Adlhart (Hallein) created the high altar (1954), centering a
high-quality late Gothic Madonna and Child figure (ca. 1450/1490,
originally from Maria Bühel or Nikolauskirche) with a halo, flanked by
Baroque statues of Salzburg saints Rupert (with salt barrel) and Virgil
(with cathedral model). Silvered relief panels by Adlhart depict the
saints' martyrdom alongside the Gastein founding legend. The Volksaltar
(1980, also Adlhart) shows the Deposition from the Cross. Side altars
include a Pietà (ca. 1710, attributed to Meinrad Guggenbichler) and an
18th-century St. Joseph. Other elements: neo-Gothic pulpit and organ
(1874 by Matthäus Mauracher sen.); 1953 choir stained-glass windows by
Josef Widmoser (biblical water miracles: Bethesda pool and Lake
Gennesaret); a neo-Gothic Crucifixion group; Baroque St. Judas Thaddeus
(1750); and an icon of the patrons above the baptismal font (since
2007). Memorial plaques honor patrons like Prince Rohan.
Significance and Modern Era
The Preimskirche has long served spa
visitors and locals, symbolizing the town's thermal heritage (the main
spring was once called the St. Preims Brunnen). It became a listed
monument and remains central to Bad Gastein's cultural identity amid its
shift from "Wildbad" to imperial resort in the 19th century.
Technical securing occurred in 1990–1995, with further renovations in
1974. However, the Graukogel's ongoing uniform slope movement continues
to threaten stability. In early March 2023, new cracks in the masonry
led to an indefinite closure for safety; services moved to the
Filialkirche St. Nikolaus while geological experts assess long-term
measures (monitored for decades via instruments and satellite radar).
A place of worship has existed here since at least the 12th century
(first documented mention around 1333, with legendary ties to the
7th–8th century discovery of the thermal springs by Saints Primus and
Felician). Earlier churches were small and repeatedly rebuilt (notably
in 1636–1638 and 1720–1723) due to structural failures; the 1720s
version measured roughly 22 m long by 10 m wide. The current neo-Gothic
building was initiated after the 1858 closure of the prior church. The
foundation stone was laid in 1866. Plans originated with district
engineer Johann Pieschel (also spelled Pischel), with modifications or
input from Viennese cathedral architect Friedrich von Schmidt. Execution
was by the Salzburg-based firm Jakob Ceconi. Construction took about ten
years, funded largely by donations (including from Emperor Franz Joseph
I and Prince Camillo Rohan). It was solemnly consecrated on 27 November
1876. Renovations occurred in 1953–1954 (new high altar and stained
glass) and 1974. Due to ongoing slope movement on the Graukogel (about 2
cm/year), the church has been closed since early 2023 for safety
reasons.
The design revives medieval Gothic forms while using
19th-century engineering and materials suited to the alpine setting. It
is one of Austria’s taller church structures, with its spire listed at
approximately 82 m (269 ft).
Exterior Architecture
The church
is a single-nave hall church oriented northward, with its main tower
facade facing south. It is built as an exposed-stone (steinsichtiger)
ashlar/quaderbau structure using local stone, giving it a robust,
monumental appearance that contrasts with the surrounding painted
buildings. The building sits on the steep eastern valley slope,
requiring extensive talseitige retaining walls and partial undercrofting
(unterkellert) for stability.
Key exterior features include:
Nave and choir: The Langhaus comprises four bays under a saddle roof
(Satteldach). The choir ends in a polygonal five-eighths apse
(Fünfachtelschluss), a classic Gothic form.
Buttressing and
articulation: Stepped buttresses (abgestufte Strebepfeiler) reinforce
the walls, paired with a continuous corbel course (Kaffgesims) and tall
pointed-arch windows filled with intricate tracery (Maßwerk)—lancet and
geometric patterns typical of Gothic Revival.
Tower facade and spire:
The southern tower is the dominant vertical element. It features
flanking stepped buttresses, a chamfered (abgefastes) pointed-arch
portal as the main entrance, and rises in four stories divided by
cornices. The tower hall inside is rib-vaulted. Above are pointed-arch
traceried windows, culminating in triangular gables (Dreiecksgiebel)
supporting a slender pointed helmet spire (Spitzhelm) topped with a
cross. The tower’s height and vertical emphasis create a strong upward
thrust, echoing medieval cathedrals while dominating the valley view.
Sacristy: A two-story annex projects from the northeast corner.
The overall effect is one of verticality, lightness, and structural
clarity—hallmarks of neo-Gothic design—harmonizing with Bad Gastein’s
rugged terrain.
The interior continues the neo-Gothic vocabulary with pointed arches
and ribbed vaults (Kreuzrippengewölbe) spanning the single nave. The
four bays of the Langhaus are cross-rib vaulted; the northern bay
expands transept-like with a groin vault (Gratgewölbe). The choir’s
five-eighths polygonal termination repeats the exterior form. A
three-axial organ gallery (Empore) occupies the southern bay, featuring
a delicate tracery balustrade (Maßwerkbrüstung) that maintains the
Gothic decorative program.
Natural light floods through the large
traceried windows and 1953 stained-glass works by Josef Widmoser,
enhancing the vertical emphasis and creating a luminous, uplifting
space. The neo-Gothic pulpit and organ case (the organ built in 1874 by
Matthäus Mauracher senior) are original to the 1876 construction period,
preserving the unified 19th-century aesthetic.
Key Furnishings
and Artistic Integration
While the architecture is neo-Gothic, the
interior incorporates older and modern elements that enrich the spatial
experience:
High altar (1953–1954): Designed by Hallein sculptor
Jakob Adlhart. It centers on a high-quality late-Gothic Madonna and
Child (c. 1450–1470, with radiant halo), originally from the pilgrimage
church Maria Bühel. Flanking Baroque console figures of Saints Virgil
and Rupert frame it. Adlhart’s relief wings depict martyrdom scenes of
Saints Primus and Felician (e.g., Primus at the waterfall and in the
Colosseum; Felician with the healing spring legend involving a deer). A
people’s altar (Volksaltar) by the same artist (1980) adds a modern
liturgical focus with relief carving.
Side altars: Left features a
Man of Sorrows (Schmerzensmann/Ecce Homo, c. 1710, attributed to Meinrad
Guggenbichler); right holds an early-18th-century St. Joseph console
figure.
Additional pieces: Neo-Gothic Crucifixion group in the choir;
Baroque St. Judas Thaddeus (1750) under the gallery; a 1846 copy
painting in the tower hall illustrating Bad Gastein’s legendary
thermal-spring origin.
These furnishings create a layered
historical dialogue within the neo-Gothic shell—medieval, Baroque, and
20th-century elements unified by the architectural framework.
As the parish church of Bad Gastein, it holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, serving as a cornerstone for the community and reflecting the region's religious heritage. Its dedication to Sts. Primus and Felician ties into broader Christian martyrdom traditions, and elements like the Gothic Madonna draw pilgrims. The church is well-preserved and offers a peaceful retreat amid the bustling resort town. For tourists, it's accessible year-round, with highlights including guided views from nearby mountains and integration into hikes or spa visits. No entry fee is typically required, though donations are appreciated. It's best visited in summer for milder weather or winter for a snowy alpine contrast.
Bad Gastein is reachable by train via the Tauern Railway, with the church a short 600-meter walk from the station. Road access is via the A10 Tauern Autobahn, and local buses serve the area. Salzburg Airport (SZG) is about 95 km away, with transfers available.