Salvenkirchl, Baroque pilgrimage chapel on the Hohe Salve summit in Westendorf, Austria

The Salvenkirchl stands on the 1,829 m summit of the Hohe Salve in the Kitzbühel Alps, in the municipality of Westendorf. The masonry chapel of 1641 has two bays, a recessed round apse and a south tower with round-arched sound openings and a saddle roof. A wooden porch by Clemens Holzmeister, added in 1972, matches the chapel in height and width; chapel, tower and porch are clad in shingles. Inside, a pointed barrel vault with lunettes covers the nave.

The first chapel was documented in 1589, but lightning destroyed the original building, leading to a new construction in 1641. This reconstruction marks a turning point in the site's architectural history and shows how local communities rebuilt religious structures after disaster.

The chapel is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and its patronal feast is on 24 June. Pilgrims once carried a carved head of the saint around the altar, a custom tied to the chapel's reputation for helping with head ailments. Since 1945 the celebrations have been held only on Annatag, 26 July.

The chapel can be reached by taking gondola lifts from valley stations in Hopfgarten or Hochsöll, and it remains accessible throughout different seasons. Good physical fitness helps when exploring the mountainside, but the modern lifts make the location reachable year-round.

The interior houses an altar from the 17th century depicting the Baptism of Jesus and is flanked by statues of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Bartholomew. These artworks have been preserved across generations and shape the spiritual experience for those who visit.