Saint George Church

The Catholic parish church of St George stands on a steep rock shelf above the Ybbs river in the village of St Georgen am Reith, a short drive from Amstetten in Lower Austria. The church is dedicated to the saint and belongs to the Waidhofen an der Ybbs deanery in the diocese of St Pölten. Its dramatic hilltop site has kept it safe from floods and made it a landmark for centuries. The building began as a parish in the 11th century under Aschbach, passed through Passau and Hollenstein, and became Protestant between 1537 and 1628 before returning to Catholic care. The present church mixes late-Gothic and Baroque styles: a late-15th-century nave was enlarged in 1683 and 1780, then restored in Gothic style in 1901. The tower carries a clock gable and a steep slate roof, while the choir ends in five sides and is framed by buttresses with water drainage channels. Outside, the churchyard is enclosed by a high shingle wall with a gatehouse. The west tower has a richly moulded portal and a carved coat of arms. Inside, a three-bay nave is covered by a net-rib vault with geometric patterns, and the west gallery rests on polygonal piers. The high altar of about 1900 shows scenes of Epiphany and the Last Supper, flanked by statues of St George, Peter and Paul. The 1912 organ and a bell from 1579 complete the furnishings.