St. Peter, Mistail, Carolingian church in Alvaschein, Switzerland

St. Peter in Mistail is a church building featuring three connected apses with stone roofs and a bell tower positioned at the southwest corner. The tower contains rounded sound openings that allow the bells to ring clearly across the landscape.

Archaeological work in the 1960s and 1980s revealed that the current building was constructed around 800, built atop foundations from an earlier structure. The early origins and later modifications show that this location has served continuous use for over a thousand years.

The name Mistail comes from the Latin monasterium, meaning monastery. The wall paintings belong to three periods: Carolingian frescoes, of which two heads remain visible in the south apse and on the west wall, Gothic paintings of around 1400 to 1410 in the central apse and north wall, and 17th-century Baroque decoration.

The church is accessible via a forest trail from a parking area near the main road or from Tiefencastel train station, both within a short walk. Visitors should wear suitable footwear since the path goes through woodland terrain.

The flat wooden ceiling above the nave carries the year 1642, when it replaced an earlier roof about 80 centimetres higher. The church also holds three Carolingian block altars, one in each apse, and faint Carolingian fresco remains, including two visible heads.