Pfarrkirche, Parish church in Maria Alm, Austria.

The parish and pilgrimage church Maria Alm is a hall church with a three-aisle nave and a single-aisle choir flanked by sacristies. Its 84-metre bell tower, built into the west facade, is the tallest in the state of Salzburg and the Archdiocese of Salzburg. The tower has a wall painting of a miraculous image on the third storey, six coats of arms on the fourth, and the dates 1518 and 1905 with triforium windows on the fifth. A single-storey arcade porch wraps around the tower on three sides, and a walled cemetery surrounds the church.

A church at Maria Alm is first documented in 1374 as Gotteshaus Maria in der Almb, built by the lords of der Almb. Pope Martin V granted an indulgence in 1429 for a new building, and the present church was consecrated in 1508 by Berthold Pürstinger, bishop of Chiemsee. The parish was established in 1858, when the pilgrimage church became the parish church.

The pilgrimage began around 1603, after a wooden Marian image kept on the Schattberg to ward off bears was moved into the church around 1600. Pilgrims came seeking protection from cattle disease and storms, healing of eye ailments and help in childbirth; in the 17th century live cows and calves were brought as votive offerings. The patronal feast is celebrated on 8 September, Mariä Geburt.

The church is open during regular hours and visitors can attend services or explore the interior. You can also visit the adjacent cemetery and walk around the surrounding area.

The choir section has an unusual feature: its position is offset and it ends with a rare 5/8 closure instead of the more common 3/5 pattern. This gives the interior an unexpected geometric quality.