Remember those tourist postcards with the best views of the city? Churches and temples are often depicted on them. The Roman Catholic parish St. Stephen’s Church, which stands in the center of Braunau am Inn, is exactly such a church; it became a symbol of the town.

The initial appearance of the church, which was built in the 15th century, has been preserved. A small provincial town hid this unique building from wars, vandals and crowds of tourists. The main part of the church, the first six floors and the hall, are of the late Gothic style, the rest – of the Barocco style. Such are pointed towers, thick walls, lace vaults and air arches. Ornaments that decorate the doors, pointed windows, ceilings and walls of the church make a huge impression. The stone turns into ornate ribbons that frame the entire structure. The snow-white walls contrast with the light-brown roof. The building matches the overall architectural scenery of houses in the town center flawlessly.

The interior impresses even more than the exterior. High wooden vaults soaring in the sunlight with a perfectly white ceiling that reminds of clouds. Their pattern repeats what arches and windows on the walls form: it creates the feeling of the unity of “earth” and “sky.” Huge windows – there are around twenty of them – let lots of light in, which makes the room seem even more spacious. If you take a closer look, you can see astonishing stained glass artworks telling about biblical plots; they are in the center windows behind the altar. They are echoed by the bronze bas-reliefs hidden inside the arches. The huge Middle Ages chandeliers would also attract your attention: in the evening, tens of their thick candles get lightened. The ordinary benches for parishioners are not so ordinary. On each of them, there are carved ornaments; they repeat those that adorn the exterior of the church. Above the entrance, there is a balcony, inside which a pipe organ was installed. Dozens of metal pipes glisten in the sun, whose rays are let in through a huge round window on the wall.

There is a cozy garden near this place. There you can take a rest under the shadow of trees and watch how sun rays are refracted in the lace of the stained-glass windows, arches and tiled roofs.