Pfarrkirche Stein - St. Nikoloaus

The parish church of Stein - St. Nikolaus was first mentioned in documents in the 12th century and was granted parish rights as early as 1263. Until the end of the 16th century, the church was a vicarage church of Krems. The Gothic choir from the second half of the 14th century and the late Gothic staggered hall from the second half of the 15th century have a late Gothic west tower. The church was baroqueized in the 18th century and regothicized around 1900. The interior renovation was only completed in winter 2019.

The nave and choir feature massive, double-stepped buttresses. There is a row of rectangular hatches under the eaves. The late Gothic three-lancet lancet windows have richly varied tracery with trefoil and quatrefoil and fish-bubble shapes. To the west, trefoil windows are partly overlapped by the tower. There is a surrounding plinth cornice and cornice. The south portal with a wedge stone dates from the first half of the 18th century. The two-bay choir has a five-bay end. To the north of the nave is a two-storey extension from 1464. The southern neo-Gothic extension was built around 1901. The Baroque bell storey (around 1711/1714) with corner vases was designed by the famous master builder Jakob Prandtauer and has an onion dome with a lantern. The massive pointed arch portal on the south side has an ogee arch frame with pinnacles and finials. The northern pointed arch portal is bricked up. There are numerous interesting gravestones set into the outer walls. The three-nave, four-bay staggered hall has profiled pointed arch arcades on eight-sided pillars, the central nave has a net ribbed vault, the narrower side aisles have longitudinal ogival ribbed vaults and show coats of arms in relief on the keystones to the north.

Several works by Martin Johann Schmidt, the "Kremser Schmidt", can be found in the church. These include a painting of St. Nicholas, the Baptism of Jesus and the two paintings on the Nepomuk altar.

In 2020, the former Old Sacristy was converted into a Marian chapel. This means that the stucco ceiling by Master Flor can once again be seen by worshippers and visitors, and a rococo statue of the Virgin Mary, a painting of the Virgin Mary and a Gothic cross have also found a new home here. From the Marian chapel, a staircase leads to the oratory, which is now used as a small parish museum.

Opposite the church is the Stein vicarage. The façade of this building was also designed by Master Johann Michael Flor.