St. Nikola, Gothic church in Altdorf, Germany

St. Nikola is a plastered brick hall church of five bays built around 1480, closing to the east in three octagonal sides with no separate choir. Twice-stepped buttresses with sloped tops divide the exterior, and the tower stands west of the nave on its central axis, its two-storey square base rising into an octagonal upper storey with a pointed late Gothic stone spire clad in copper. The south portal in the second bay from the west has a pointed arch with two round shafts between hollow mouldings.

A wooden baptismal chapel stood on this site around 750, built after Benedictine monks from Regensburg brought Christianity to Altdorf; it was likely destroyed in the Hungarian invasions of 909. The present late Gothic building was erected around 1480, possibly by Peter Westermeier. Landshut master builders Christoph Stelzer (1620) and Wolf Redenpeckh (1656) carried out major repairs, and the patronage changed from St. Stephen to St. Nicholas in 1710.

The church was dedicated to St. Stephen until 1710, when the patronal feast changed to St. Nicholas of Myra, celebrated on 6 December. The high altar from around 1670 carries figures of both saints, Nicholas on the left and Stephen on the right, carved by the Landshut sculptor Jonas Hiernle.

The church is located in central Altdorf on Kirchgasse street and is easily reached on foot. As an active place of worship, it is important to check service times and observe respectful behavior when visiting.

The oldest bell, the 43 cm Sterbeglocke, dates from 1545 and bears the Renaissance majuscule inscription "HANS·MEIXNER·ZV·LANCZHVET·GOS·MICH·M·D·XXXXV", with clover leaves separating the words. The three newer bells were cast by Johann Hahn of Landshut and dedicated to St. Stephen (1947), St. Martin and St. Nicholas (both 1973).