Parish church of St. Martin Altishofen

They united 8 communities into the parish of Altishofen. Around 1312, the property of the Balms went to the Teutonic Knights, who then sold the lordship of Altishofen to Ludwig Pfyffer - the so-called Swiss King - around 1571.

The church tower

The almost square church tower was built in the first third of the 13th century. Its size and shape bear witness to the importance of the church in the late Middle Ages. The early Gothic window group was probably added later. The tower has three unique stone sculptures on the underside of the roof: a ram's head, a dog-like animal and the most popular representative of the three "Chilezänni". It is a primitive, mask-like stone figure that "uszännet" those Altishofer who do not attend church services.

Parish church interior

In 1770, the Lucerne Small Council decided to build a new nave. The tower of the old church was to be retained. The parish church, designed by Jakob Singer between 1771 and 1773 and built by Jakob Putschert, presents itself as a bright baroque nave with shallow round niches leading into the narrow choir. Inside, you are greeted by a festive and impressive church interior. The choir stalls, pulpit, side altars and high altar are harmoniously embedded in the colors of the interior. The matching stained glass windows from 1900 create a colorful environment.

The paintings on the side altars are by Paul Deschwanden, who was also responsible for the ceiling paintings together with Jost Troxler. They used a very unique style of painting: bold, sometimes sweet colors. People even wanted to remove the paintings. Today, however, they are experiencing a real renaissance. The eight patron saints of the villages that once belonged to the parish of Altishofen are painted in the cartouches.

Ascension procession

Once a year, on the feast day of Ascension Day, the Ascension procession takes place. This dates back to the middle of the 16th century. The Altishofen parade is a festive church event. On this day, the participants take part in the procession on foot or on horseback across fields and past farms. The priest blesses the land, people and animals.