The Wallfahrtskirche St. Vinzenz in Heiligenblut am Großglockner is the Gothic (medieval) church with the spire that appears in every iconic photograph of the Austrian Alps: needle of stone, Großglockner glacier behind. The church was completed in the 15th century and built to hold a relic, a phial believed to contain the blood of Saint Vincent, brought to this remote valley in the 10th century by a Danish pilgrim who died in a snowstorm. The village takes its name, Heiligenblut, meaning Holy Blood, from the relic. The interior is high Gothic, worth 30 minutes of serious looking. Free entry. Heiligenblut is at the southern end of the Großglockner Hochalpenstrasse in Carinthia, closest to Lienz (30 km) and most naturally combined with the Großglockner scenic road drive. Church open approximately 9:00-18:00 daily.
church in Heiligenblut
Wallfahrtskirche St. Vinzenz
Heiligenblut am Großglockner is one of the most dramatically situated villages in Austria: a single Gothic church spire rising from a mountain valley with the highest peak in Austria, the Großglockner at 3,798 meters, directly behind it. The Wallfahrtskirche St.
- Type
- church
- Destination
- Heiligenblut
- Cost
- Free to visit
- Founded
- 15th century
- Era
- Gothic
- Address
- 9844 Heiligenblut am Grossglockner, 9844 Heiligenblut
- Coordinates
- 47.1226, 13.8023
- Official website
- Visit website