Dachstein Chapel

The Dachstein Chapel stands on a rocky ridge at 2 206 metres above sea level, just beside the Simony Hut in the Dachstein range. It is the highest place of worship in the Northern Limestone Alps and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Linz. The chapel lies within the municipal boundaries of Hallstatt in Upper Austria. Built in 1913 by master builder Matthäus Schlager, it was consecrated on 1 September 1914 by Bishop Rudolph Hittmair. The chapel’s interior remained unfinished after the First World War. Work resumed only in 1994 to complete the decoration. A memorial plaque to Bishop Hittmair was unveiled in 1925. In 2013 and 2014 the hundredth anniversaries of the foundation stone and consecration were marked. Five years later the roof, plaster and facade were restored with support from Upper Austria’s regional government, the Diocese of Linz, the National Monuments Office, the parish of Hallstatt and private donors. Visitors reach the chapel along the marked path from the Simony Hut. Inside, whitewashed walls enclose a small altar and simple benches. The low wooden door opens onto views of the glacier and surrounding peaks. The ridge itself offers sweeping vistas across the Dachstein plateau. The chapel’s modest interior contrasts with the vast alpine landscape beyond.