Experience Spiritual and Artistic Richness at the Pilgrimage Church of Wies
Categories: Sightseeing, Cultural and History
Located in a beautiful Alpine valley in southern Bavaria, the pilgrimage church of Wies is a masterpiece of Rococo architecture and has been inscribed as a cultural site on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List (List vacation rentals | List travel guide) since 1983.
Between 1745 and 1754 the brothers Johann Baptist and Dominikus Zimmermann built the church as a result to a miracle that appeared in Wies in 1738. Legend has it that tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the Scourged Saviour, which immediately lead to a pilgrimage of unexpected proportions. In 1740 a small chapel was built to house the famous statue but it soon became clear that this building was too small to accommodate the masses of pilgrims visiting the chapel every day. A couple years later the nearby Steingaden (Steingaden vacation rentals | Steingaden travel guide) monastery finally decided to donate the money for a proper church.
Through the years countless people who have prayed in front of the main altar have claimed they were miraculously cured from their diseases, which makes the Wies Church still today a very popular pilgrimage site, that welcomes more than one million visitors each year.
The contrast between the inside and outside of the Wies Church could not be bigger. From the outside it looks like a moderate church, similar to many others you can find in villages and towns all over Southern Germany. But once you step through the main gate, it feels like you get a glimpse of heaven. The inside is a great example of the joyfulness and richness of Rococo architecture. The walls and ceilings are plastered with exuberant stuccowork and frescoes in exhilarating and lively colors in the tradition of the Wessobrunner School. In one word, the pilgrimage church of Wies is magnificent
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[ source: wikipedia ]
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Location, Map, and Driving Directions
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Admission
Admission is free but donations are welcome.
Opening Hours
The church is open 365 days of the year. Visitors in wheel chairs and others, who have problems walking can enter the church through the south entrance without having to climb any stairs. Blind persons are welcome with their seeing eye dogs.
Opening Times:
Summertime: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wintertime: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m
Contact Information
Email: wieskirche2@web.dePhone: +49 (0) 8862 93 2 93-0
Fax: +49 (0) 8862 93 2 93-10
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