Gurk Cathedral

Austria Hotels

Compare rates & save on Hotels in Austria

Gurk Cathedral Description

The Gurk Cathedral (Dom), built between 1140-1200, is a three-aisled basilica with a transept and three apses. The remains of St Hemma were moved in the 12th C. to the crypt under the choir. The exterior is plain, and the twin west towers, 41m/135ft high, had onion domes added in 1682. The barrel-vaulted porch, with a doorway of 1200, has been enclosed since the Gothic period, when its interior was richly decorated with wall paintings and stained glass (1348). The paintings on the north and south wall of the porch show scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Above the south portal there are carvings of Christ the Savior, while those above the central apse to the east depict a lion and an evil reptile. The interior of the Cathedral has had

... More >

Hobbies & Activities category: Architecture - Romanesque; Architecture - Gothic; Architecture - Medieval; Christian sites; Architecture - Baroque or Rococo; Standalone sculpture, statue or fountain

Gurk Cathedral Highlights

Crypt

The Gurk Cathedral Crypt (1174) can also be seen only on conducted tours. It lies under the choir, has a hundred columns, and contains the beautifully decorated sarcophagus (the "Hemmagruft") of St Hemma (died 1045) under an altar of c. 1720.

Episcopal Chapel

The Episcopal Chapel in the Gurk Cathedral's west gallery can be seen only on a conducted tour; access is by way of the staircase in the south tower. This room has some exceptionally well-preserved

... More >

Address

Gurk Cathedral
Dr. Schnerichstrasse 12
A-9342 Gurk
Austria

Hours