Catholic Church Maria am Gestade — Attraction in Vienna

Maria am Gestade (Mary at the Shore) is located at Salvatorgasse street and is one of Vienna's oldest churches and few remaining examples of Gothic style buildings from the Middle Ages. The churches history dates back to at least the 12th century while the present building was constructed between 1394-1414.

During a recent visit, I unfortunately found the church closed to the public so was unable to enter and explore the inside. However, I did very much enjoy walking around the outside, taking in the original Gothic architecture of the building.

Most notably for me were the porticos which are fenced but easy to view. These are decorated nicely with statue reliefs and fresco ornamentation. You can spot a few gargoyles as well on the side of the church building. If you step back across the street in front of the church, you can better view the church tower which rises 56 metre high and dates back to 1428.

In the end, hopefully others will find the church open for visitation. If not, the exterior is worth a few minutes to enjoy if you are a fan of Gothic architecture.

Note: There is a decent stone fountain called Hannakenbrunnen at the bottom of the staircase leading up to Maria Am Gestade. This is worth checking out as well if you enjoy viewing monuments during...

Its considrred the first church in Vienna dedicated to Mary. It is called Mary by the river (the river now had been diverted elsewhere so its no longer by the river :) ) The Redemptorist Missionary priests are caretakers of the Church which is also home to the remains of a great Redemptorist Saint: Saint Clement Maria Hoffbauer CSsR. He is the second patron of the city of Vienna. He played a great role in the city's Catholic revival during an era of heavy enlightenment and anti-religious era. St. Clement together with the city's inteligensia inspired the romantic philosophical movement so that the Catholic heritage, faith and devotion was greatly preserved. I went up to its bell tower and it was magnificent. But you got to ask permission and with a guide from Father Rector Dominic a kind Irish Redemptotist who speaks good German. Please pray there for an increase of vocations in Europe. If you are Filipino, Dr. Jose Rizals place is just few blocks away. Most probably he visited this church as mentioned in...

This is Am Gestade, literally means at the riverbank. There used to be a port at the foot of the steps and the steps lead up to the Maria am Gestade, or St Mary on the Banks. Right at the top of the stairs is Maria am Gestade, one of the oldest churches in Vienna, built in the era of Gothic architecture. As with many old churches, Maria am Gestade is built on one of the oldest sites in the city before the advent of more modern architecture that surrounds the area. Yes, most churches in Europe looked the same because they are all gothic. Constructed during the Middle-Ages before the Renaissance and before more modern styles took its place. Still, it always amazes me at the detail that goes into constructing this, down to the small sculptures and ornaments that often is found...