Linz cathedral cot in St Mary's Cathedral

If you descend the stairs into the crypt of St Mary's Cathedral in Linz around Christmas time, you will discover a unique and extremely skilfully crafted nativity scene. It is the work of the Munich sculptor and artist Sebastian Osterrieder and is considered one of the largest and most significant nativity scenes in the world.

Bishop Franz Doppelbauer had the twelve metre long, four metre deep and five metre high nativity scene built between 1908 and 1913. The artist tells the Christmas story in an extremely detailed and touching way with his figures and paintings and even took on the hardships of travelling to the Holy Land for his lifelike depictions.

Every year on 24 December, the Holy Family and the shepherd figures are set up, and in the Epiphany display from 6 January, Mary can be seen with the one-and-a-half-year-old child.
You can also visit the virtual nativity scene.
More information at www.krippeimdom.at