Schnappenkirche Marquartstein, Baroque church on Schnappenberg, Marquartstein, Germany.
Schnappenkirche is a baroque chapel built from white-painted cut tuff stone, topped by a small onion-domed roof turret and covered with wooden shingles. It stands at 1,100 metres on the Schnappenberg above Marquartstein. Inside, the altarpiece painted by Kaspar Amort in 1644 shows Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg holding a model of the chapel, framed by two angels.
The current chapel was built between 1637 and 1640 following designs by Wolfgang Konig, the municipal architect of Traunstein. This baroque creation replaced earlier structures at this religious mountain site.
The chapel is dedicated to Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg and continues to draw pilgrims who seek out this mountain location for spiritual reasons. The veneration of this saint shapes the place's meaning for local people and visitors alike.
The ascent from Marquartstein follows forest paths and forest roads. The chapel stands at 1,100 metres, so carry hiking gear and allow enough time for the climb. A proposal in 2015 to light the chapel at night was dropped over concern that inexperienced visitors might attempt the ascent in darkness.
A local legend tells of a deer that once sought shelter inside the chapel during a storm and ate the bell ropes. This story has become part of the folk tales connected to this mountain sanctuary.
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