Pictured: The incredible neo-Gothic chapel perched on the edge of a mountain in Switzerland at over 6,000 feet
It is closer to heaven than most houses of worship.
See the impressive chapel that stands on the edge of a mountain, at an altitude of 1,864 meters (6,115 feet) above sea level.
The Klimsenkapelle, which literally means Klimsen’s Chapel, is located on the top of the Klimsenhorn, a mountain peak in the Pilatus massif in Switzerland.
The neo-Gothic chapel, complete with supporting pillars and a red roof turret, rests on a dramatic cliff overlooking Lake Lucerne.
The church was built as part of entrepreneur Kaspar Blattler’s Hotel Klimsenhorn, which was built between 1856 and 1860, and the chapel completed the complex in 1861.
The Klimsenkapell (above) is located on the Klimsenhorn summit, a mountain peak in the Pilatus massif, Switzerland
The incredible chapel is located 1,864 meters above sea level and overlooks Lake Lucerne
The church was originally built as part of Hotel Klimsenhorn, which was demolished in 1967
The hotel, whose notable visitors included Richard Wagner and Queen Victoria, was demolished in 1967.
After the hotel closed, the small chapel remained, but it was only used as a shelter for mountaineers.
Since then it has become a listed building and the Nidwalden Council of Government listed it as a monument in 2002.
After the hotel closed, the small chapel remained, but was only used as a shelter for mountaineers
Klimsenkapelle is not the easiest church to reach, Wikipedia notes. It has an annual temperature of 0.9 degrees and is exposed to extreme weather conditions, including storms and heavy rainfall.
The Pilatus massif consists of several peaks, including the summit of the Klimsenhorn. The highest of these is called the Tomlishorn and is 2,128 meters (6,983 feet) above sea level.
According to myswitzerland.com: ‘Pilatus, the mountain of Lucerne, is one of the most legendary places in Central Switzerland. And one of the most beautiful.
‘On a clear day the mountain offers panoramic views of 73 Alpine peaks.’
The mountain can be reached from Lucerne by a gondola lift and a cable car from the Alpnachstad station in the village of Alpnach.
Pilatus offers a range of activities in both summer and winter, from tobogganing to snowshoeing.
