Pfarrkirche Hinterstoder

The late-18th-century parish church in Hinterstoder stands on the edge of the Pyhrn-Priel region, its white façade rising above the village square. Built between 1784 and 1787, it replaced an earlier wooden chapel and was designed as a single-nave hall church with a square sanctuary. A slender west tower capped by a late-baroque onion dome gives the exterior its most striking feature. The whole structure is protected as an Austrian listed monument.

Inside, the plain walls once concealed colourful frescoes painted at the time of construction. In 1956 restorers removed layers of whitewash to reveal scenes of saints and apostles across the ceiling and upper walls. The high altar, dating from about 1740, and the side altar, from around 1700, anchor the sanctuary. Two large canvases from the former Spital am Pyhrn collegiate church hang in the nave; one shows Saint Otto of Bamberg before the Virgin, the other the sending forth of the apostles.

Visitors step into a light, airy space where a flat ceiling spans the nave and a shallow suspended dome crowns the square choir. The curved apse at the far end focuses attention on the altars. Warm afternoon light filters through the west windows, catching the gilded details of the pulpits and altarpieces. The restored frescoes glow against the plain plaster, telling stories of faith and mission from the 18th century.