Nikolauskirche Altach

The parish church of Altach stands in the village of Altach in the Feldkirch district of Vorarlberg. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and belongs to the Rankweil deanery of the Diocese of Feldkirch. The building is protected as a historic monument. The church’s history begins with a chapel recorded in 1591. Between 1823 and 1825 a new church was built to plans by master builder Weiß and consecrated in 1825. From 1956 to 1960 the architect Norbert Kopf designed a modern replacement, consecrated in 1962. The present church is a simple rectangular hall with an undercroft and a recessed choir under a flat roof. The tower stands apart from the main volume. Inside, a saddle-roofed wooden ceiling spans the nave, whose walls are marked by pilasters and clerestory windows. The altar area is raised and finished straight across. The furnishings include side-altar statues by the Elbigenalp carving school and metalwork by Roger Lutz. Emil Gehrer carved the Way of the Cross reliefs and the main copper portal showing the Burning Bush. Willi Veit executed the side doors with scenes from Saint Peter’s life. Kaspar Albrecht carved the font and holy-water stoup with panels illustrating episodes from Genesis and the life of Noah. A three-manual organ by Rieger Orgelbau, installed in 1972, is now played regularly at the Altach organ recitals. Below the church lies the Marienkapelle, its walls painted with scenes of Mary’s life by Hans Scherling. South of the church the cemetery contains a 19th-century crucifix and a war memorial by Emil Gehrer.