Austria Maria Alm, Hochkönig

The Wallfahrtskirche Maria Alm is the defining landmark of the village, with its extremely slender 84-meter-high tower – the tallest church tower in the state of Salzburg. From the hillside above the village, the church lines up beautifully with the dark silhouette of the Steinernes Meer, creating one of Maria Alm's most characteristic views.

I photographed this scene during blue hour, when the mountains had already turned into silhouettes while the illuminated church still stood out beautifully against the deep blue sky. This short period after sunset works especially well here because the warm artificial light on the church creates strong contrast with the cool surroundings.

A telephoto lens works particularly well from this viewpoint. Compressing the church against the mountains makes the background appear much larger and more dramatic. I also recommend exposing for the illuminated church rather than the dark village, as the highlights on the façade can otherwise burn out quickly.

The viewpoint sits on the lower slopes of Natrun, very close to the Natrunbahn valley station in the center of Maria Alm. The Natrunbahn starts directly in the village center, so the area is easy to reach on foot.

You only need to walk a short distance uphill from the village to gain enough elevation for a clear view over the rooftops toward the church. This makes it an especially convenient sunset and blue-hour location: unlike the Prinzensee higher up on Natrun, you don't need to rely on the gondola or make a long hike back down after dark.