The Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary stands in Maria Saal in Carinthia, and is also called Maria Saal Cathedral, although it is not a bishop's see. A first church dedicated to St. Mary was probably built around 753 at the request of the missionary bishop Modestus. It became a key point in the Christianisation of the region and was regarded as the mother church of Carinthia.
The present building was constructed between 1430 and 1459. It is a Late Gothic hall church, 50 meters long and 20 meters wide. The interior was partly refurbished in the Baroque style in the seventeenth century.
Dukes of Carinthia traditionally received a blessing here after their installation at the nearby Prince's Stone. It is among the most visited landmarks in Carinthia, and the bishop of Gurk remains the dean of the church.
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