Wandbild

 The Judgement Day fresco

Sitting high above the village, the church, with its walled graveyard and Gothic presbytery, dominates the scene. This is an ancient sacred place. Already in Roman times, but especially through the Middle Ages, this was a place of introspection, particularly amongst travellers crossing the Jura from the Ergolztal into the Schweizer Mittelland. Numerous pilgrims took this route on their way to Einsiedeln. The path from the village centre to the elevated parsonage leads along the Herrengasse. Passing through the arched gateway is like stepping into a new world. On overwhelming peacefulness fills the graveyard of the St. Nicolas Church. The inner walls of the church are an even bigger surprise, covered with Frescos that were discovered and laid open in 1956. Especially impressive is the depiction of the Day of Judgement on the west wall of the nave. There are also scenes from the life of St. Nicolas , alongside the martyrdom of St. Erasmus, and representations of the holy women, Margaretha with the dragon, Dorothea with a child, and Verena with the tankard. The paintings served as warnings for an illiterate congregation and date from the late Gothic period.

Tourist Information Office:

Municipality

Hauptstrasse 40a

4494 Oltingen

+41 (0)61/9910696

www.oltingen.ch

Tips:

• Local history museum
• Intact medieval village centre
• Ancient water driven sawmill
• Tafeljura – a wonderful upland landscape

Opening times

Church unrestricted

guided tours:

by prior arrangement Pfarrerin Astrid Grob +41 (0)61/9910307 Parish garden (modelled according to historic gardens) Jürg Gysin +41 (0)61/9919416