Pfarrkirche Dorfstetten

The parish church of Dorfstetten stands on slightly higher ground at the south-western edge of the village, in the Forstamt locality of the municipality of Dorfstetten in the district of Melk, Lower Austria. Dedicated to Saint Ulrich of Augsburg, it is a Roman Catholic church under the deanery of Maria Taferl in the diocese of St Pölten. The church and its adjoining cemetery are listed as historic monuments. The building began as a vicariate of St Oswald’s parish in 1364, became a filial parish in 1429 and an independent parish in 1681. Originally a plain Gothic church, it was later transformed in the Baroque style. A serious fire in 1739 led to repairs, and further renovation work took place around 1900. In 1975 and 1976 the interior was restored. Outside, the church has a simple nave and choir under one shared roof with pilaster strips added in the 18th century. The three-storey west tower, built about 1765, has round-headed sound openings, clock faces and a bulbous dome. Inside, the three-bay nave is vaulted with barrel ribs on flat pilasters. The two-bay choir retains a 14th-century five-sided apse with a 15th-century stellar vault. The stained glass windows date from 1898–1900 and show figures such as Saint John of Nepomuk and Saint Leopold.