Krakauhintermuehlen Filialkirche Hollerberg

St. Ulrich am Hollerberg is a small Roman Catholic church perched on a hilltop at 1,314 metres above sea level. It stands on the southern slopes of the Schladminger Tauern, near the village of Hintermühlen in the municipality of Krakau. The church marks the entrance to the Etrachtal valley, a side valley of the Krakau high valley. A quiet country road links Hintermühlen to the Etrachsee lake, passing just below the building. The church itself is usually locked but can be viewed at any time by collecting the key from the neighbouring sacristan. The church was built in the late 15th century as a donation by Konrad VIII Welzer, steward of Oberwölz. It was consecrated in 1478 under the patronage of Ulrich Welzer, a local knight. For centuries the church served the scattered farms of the Krakau valley, though services were held only every second or third Sunday. A new parish church was built in 1791, but local farmers refused to let the old building be demolished. In 1843 it was granted its own licence to hold services. The church contains a late Gothic high altar made in 1521 and painted by Balthasar Brandstätter in 1741. Inside, the church is a simple rectangular structure built of rough stone. The wooden ceiling is decorated with painted panels featuring delicate tracery, rosettes and floral motifs typical of the late Gothic period. The late Gothic high altar shows the Lamentation of Christ. The walls are lined with figures of saints and scenes from the Passion. The church is now recognised as one of more than sixty geomantic power places in the Styrian Krakau region.