Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Woerthersee

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island. Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today. The apse of the small "Winterkirche" (aka "Rosenkranzkirche") still has some frescoes.

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island. Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today. The small "Winterkirche".

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island. Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today. Under the choir of today´s church is a crypt, that may have been the crypt of the preceding Romanesque church.

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island. Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today. Under Gothic rib vaults are Baroque altars and a massive pulpit.

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island. Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today. The round Karner (ossuary), consecrated in 1279, survived the blaze of 1399.

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island. Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today. Here is the choir of the Gothic church - and the round Karner (ossuary). The Karner, consecrated in 1279, survived the blaze of 1399.

Wörthersee is Carinthia's largest lake, flanked by the foothills of the Gurktal Alps and the Karawanks. The area around the lake was a summer retreat for Vienna's wealthy nobility in the second half of the 19th century. In the 1950s mass tourism started - and the lake became a popular tourist destination in summer, due to the Mediterranean climate and the clean, warm waters. In cold and foggy autumn there are only very few tourists around here.