St. Margaretha Pfarrkirche (St. Margaret Parish Church), Zell am See

Located high up on a rocky hill, the Saint Margaret Parish Church is visible from any point in town. Although its origins are unclear, the church emerged in the late Middle Ages, with the first written mention in 1409, already called Saint Margaret. It must have always been a simple church, but in 1722 it was remodeled by adding a brick tower to its west. In 1885, the church received a Romanesque Franz Mauracher organ. In 1898, Joseph Mang completely redesigned the church, favoring the Neo-Romanesque-Gothic hybrid style. In the same year, the church was enlarged by moving walls and adding a three-bayed nave with a strongly narrowed sanctuary. The bell tower was made higher, coupled with arched windows and a triangular, pointed, helmet-like roof. By 1910, new stained glass-windows were added to the décor. The interior renovation in 1961 tried to reduce the overloaded design by removing the side altars, marble floor and decorative paintings. In 2009 some of them were brought back.