St. Nikolaus, Romanesque church in Matrei in Osttirol, Austria

St. Nikolaus is a simple hall church without an apse in the hamlet of Ganz, Matrei in Osttirol. Its choir, built with the nave walls in the second half of the 12th century, is topped by an east tower added a century later. The interior has two stacked choir rooms and a Gothic net vault over the nave.

The church's earliest parts date to the 12th century, with the choir and nave walls built in the second half of that century in Romanesque style. A tower was added above the eastern choir about a century later. The nave was rebuilt in Gothic style from the 14th century, when it received a net vault, a west gallery and stairs to the upper choir. A sacristy was added north of the choir in the 15th or 16th century.

The frescoes around 1270 in the upper and lower choirs show the Earthly Paradise and the Heavenly Jerusalem; the lower choir has four scenes from Genesis, from the creation of Eve to the expulsion. They were probably whitewashed in the 18th century and have been uncovered and restored since 1881.

Walking to the church takes about 15 minutes from the bus stop on Virgener Landesstraße B108. Since no parking spaces exist near the building, allow extra time to walk from the closest available parking area.

The church has two stacked chancel rooms: steps on the east side lead up to an upper choir, while the lower choir keeps its own altar. The upper choir's vault shows the Heavenly Jerusalem with the Twelve Apostles grouped above the city gates and the four Evangelists in the corners.