Silent Night Chapel, Oberndorf, near Salzburg
The Silent Night Chapel near Salzburg.
Photo © Salzburg.info.
The Silent Night Chapel (German: Stille Nacht Kapelle) in the village of Oberndorf marks the place where the beloved Christmas carol "Silent Night" was heard for the first time, on Christmas Eve 1818. This simple Christmas carol conquered the world from a small parish church in Tyrol. To this day it has been translated into about 300 languages and dialects all over the world.
It was at the Romanesque parish church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf that the Christmas carol "Silent Night" was first performed in 1818. The Silent Night Memorial Chapel, which stands on the original site of the St. Nikolaus Church, was consecrated on August 15, 1937, after 13 years of construction.
Each Christmas Eve at 5pm, a memorial service in honor of the creators of the Silent Night carol takes place in front of the Silent Night Memorial Chapel. Thousands of people from around the world attend this ceremony and sing "Silent Night" in many languages at the conclusion of the ceremony.
For a larger view, see our Austria Map or Google Earth download.
More information about the Christmas ceremony, as well as guided Silent Night tours (including Oberndorf and Arnsdorf) are available at the Oberndorf Tourism Office. There you can also buy CDs, videos, books and souvenirs related to "Silent Night."
Quick Facts
| Names: | Stille Nacht Kapelle; Silent Night Chapel |
| Location: | Stille Nacht Platz, Oberndorf, Austria |
| Phone: | 49/8682/99 20 (Oberndorf Tourist Office) |
| E-mail: | stillenacht.oberndorf@gmx.at |
