Stille-Nacht-Kapelle

A memorial chapel on the site of the former St. Nikolaus Church where Silent Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818. The original church was demolished after flood damage. The chapel is a pilgrimage site, especially during Advent. A small museum adjacent documents the song's creation and global spread.

The Stille Nacht Kapelle in Oberndorf, 20 km north of Salzburg, marks the site where Silent Night was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 by Josef Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber. The original church was demolished in 1913; the current memorial chapel dates from 1937. The adjacent museum documents how the song spread from this village to become the most recorded Christmas carol in history. Entry to the chapel is free; the museum costs approximately EUR 4-6. By local train from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to Oberndorf in about 20 minutes.