It’s closer to heaven than most places of worship. The Klimsen Chapel is located on the Klimsenhorn summit in the mountains of Switzerland, at an elevation of 6,115 feet above sea level. Complete with supporting pillars and a red roof turret, the neo-Gothic chapel rests on a dramatic cliff edge overlooking Lake Lucerne. The church was built as part of entrepreneur Kaspar Blattler’s Hotel Klimsenhorn, which was constructed between 1856 and 1860, with the chapel completing the complex in 1861. The hotel, whose notable visitors included Queen Victoria, was demolished in 1967. After the hotel’s closure, the small chapel remained but was only used as a shelter for mountaineers. It has since become a historic landmark. With an annual temperature of 33º and exposure to extreme weather conditions, including storm gusts and high rainfall, the church isn’t the easiest place to get to. The mountain can be reached from Lucerne by gondola lift and an aerial cable car. On a clear day, the mountain offers a panoramic view of 73 Alpine peaks.
