St. Johannes der Täufer

St. Johannes der Täufer is a church on Kirchbichl hill in the Bavarian Alps featuring an octagonal main room and a bell tower topped with an onion dome. A cemetery surrounds the building in this mountain landscape.

A first chapel on this site was built in 1697 and was destroyed by fire in 1779. Franz Seraph Zwinck from Oberammergau completed its restoration in 1782.

The interior contains a cycle of paintings from 1929 showing scenes from the life of John the Baptist, with frescoes that weave biblical stories into the surrounding Alpine landscape and Lake Eibsee. These artworks connect Christian themes to the mountain setting where the church stands.

The building is maintained by the Zugspitze parish association. The church sits on a hill above Obergrainau and is easily visible from the main road.

The building is listed as a Bavarian heritage monument and is also protected as an archaeological site due to early modern findings. This dual protection status is uncommon and reflects the long settlement history of the location.

Location: Grainau

Address: Kirchbichl 4

GPS coordinates: 47.47057,11.02517

Latest update: December 9, 2025 20:26