Chapel Maria Schnee

On a small hill above the river Ill, the Bühel, stands the chapel of Maria Schnee at 975 m – with a wooden-shingle roof, a small onion-domed tower and a bell from its founding year. It was endowed in 1637 by Lukas Tschofen of Gaschurn and his wife Anna Clawothin, by tradition in thanks for recovery from a grave illness and for the end of the plague; it was consecrated on 31 December 1639. The name comes from the legend that Tschofen vowed to build where snow fell in summer. The building was enlarged in the 17th century and again in the 19th. Inside, the densely painted barrel vault surprises with imitation marble, music-making angels and God the Father; a figure of the Virgin stands on the red high altar, the patron saints Luke and Anne above the chancel arch, and from the 17th century comes a rare depiction of the Turin Shroud. Today the chapel is a popular venue for weddings and christenings.

From our house it is 5.1 km or 7 minutes; bus 650 stops in Gaschurn, from where it is a few minutes uphill. We combine the visit with a cultural stroll through the Kirchdorf: the parish church, the Tanzlaube dance pavilion, the Alpine and Tourism Museum and the Lukas Tschofen Stube in the tourist office are all close together.

Last updated: 13 Sep 2026