Batschuns: Discover Church Art and Chapel Trails

In Batschuns, the parish church with its modern architecture and a network of named chapel trails take center stage. The buildings and trail descriptions offer concrete points of reference for planning your trip: you can explore the church’s history or identify the trails’ different starting and ending points.

Batschuns Parish Church and Its Stained-Glass Windows

Batschuns Parish Church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was built in 1922/23 to plans by architect Clemens Holzmeister. It was the first modern church built in Vorarlberg. Its construction period, architect, and place in history shape the story of the church building and make it a notable reference point in the region’s architectural history.

The design of the windows is also clearly attributed: the trapezoidal stained-glass windows were made by the Tyrolean Glass Painting Institute in Innsbruck and designed based on a concept by Gottlieb Schuller. At the parish church, you can explore both its construction history and individual elements of its design. The window shape, the design, and the maker each relate to different aspects of the same building.

Chapel Trails with Different Points of Reference

The many chapel trails around Batschuns run directly along the Way of St. James. The parish community has connected the chapels and small churches in the municipality of Zwischenwasser, in the Batschuns area, into a network of chapel trails. The descriptions of individual trails name different starting and ending points; Batschuns Parish Church features on several of them.

The Magdalene Trail begins at the Mariahilf Chapel in Unterbatschuns. It heads toward the Bildungshaus Chapel in Batschuns and climbs via the Platte to the parish church. The Wendelin Trail starts at the parish church and leads to St. Wendelin Chapel in Buchebrunnen. The Johannes Trail also begins at the parish church, but has a different destination: St. Peter and St. Paul Chapel in Furx.

When comparing the trail descriptions, the named places are especially helpful for finding your way: the Magdalene Trail starts at Mariahilf and climbs to the parish church, while the Wendelin and Johannes trails begin there and lead to different chapels. The destinations of Buchebrunnen and Furx are therefore not interchangeable. These differences make it possible to choose a trail based on the places and buildings you would like to include in your travel plans.

Chapel History and Heritage Protection

The Chapel of St. Wendelin in Buchebrunnen adds a multi-phase building history to the trail descriptions. It was built in 1724; the tower and sacristy were added in 1750. In 2009/2010, the chapel underwent extensive restoration, with significant participation from the local community. These dates trace the building’s development from its construction through later additions to its restoration.

Another heritage site is Ansitz Weißenberg, also known as the Batschuns Schlößchen. The building at Laternser Straße 34, 6835 Zwischenwasser (Batschuns), is protected as a historic monument by official order under Section 3. Together with the parish church and St. Wendelin Chapel, it shows that Batschuns’ building history spans different types of buildings and periods. Church architecture, chapel trails, and historic buildings each offer distinct points of reference when choosing your travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Meiningen, Göfis, Satteins, Schlins, Schnifis, Dafins, Feldkirch, Fraxern

Back to the main travel overview: Feldkirch.