Maria Wörth

During the Christianization of Carinthia, that had started in the 8th century, monks from the Innichen Abbey (today South Tyrol, Italy) worked here on behalf of the Diocese of Freising. Bishop Waldo of Freising had the first church built on the highest point of the small island. This church was first mentioned in an 894 deed as Maria Werd. "Werd" is an old German word for island.

Later the relics of Saint Primus and Saint Felician were translated to this church and around 1150 Otto I of Freising founded a college of canons here. He as well had another smaller church, named "Winterkirche" built aside the collegiate church. Both churches burnt down in 1399 and afterwards got rebuilt in the late Gothic style, seen today.

The small "Winterkirche".