St. Nicholas Parish Church (Zwiesel)

Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, to whom the church in Zwiesel is dedicated, is – alongside Saint Martin – probably one of the most popular saints of all time. His feast day, December 6th, is probably familiar to almost every child in Germany – and far beyond. On the eve of this day, children used to place their shoes and boots – which had, of course, been carefully polished – outside the door so that Saint Nicholas could fill them with gifts during the night. In more agricultural areas, it was also customary for children to also leave a small offering of food for the donkey, Saint Nicholas's mount (according to another tradition, it was a gray horse).

St. Nicholas Parish Church. The current church is the fourth to stand here; the previous ones all burned down. The current church dates from 1896 and is in the neo-Gothic style. The church steeple is 86 meters high. It is a three-aisled basilica, with a nave 68 meters long, and the nave and side aisles form a cross. The organ has 1,700 pipes.

After the town fire in 1876, which destroyed the previous church, construction began on May 16, 1892 with the ceremonial laying of the foundation stone. The first service was held on October 30, 1896. One of the notable features is the 86-meter-high brick tower. It is considered the highest church tower in the diocese of Passau.