Wayside Shrine of St. John of Nepomuk at the Isar Bridge

Directly by the Isar Bridge, at the junction to the Karwendel, stands the wayside shrine of Saint John of Nepomuk.

The wooden sculpture in Scharnitz was created as early as the mid-18th century. The present wayside shrine itself was erected in 1929 on the occasion of the 50th priestly jubilee of Pastor Johann Natter at its current location.

John of Nepomuk, born in Pomuk in Bohemia, served as a canon and vicar general in Prague in the 14th century. As the confessor of the Bohemian queen, he refused to divulge the confession secret to King Wenceslaus IV. In anger, the king had him bound and thrown into the Vltava River in 1393. Since then, the people have revered John of Nepomuk as a martyr for virtue and justice. Even the rafters sought his protection and viewed him as a helper in times of water distress.

As the patron saint of bridges and rafters, he is still considered a helper in dangers and during floods. Especially travelers and locals appreciate him as a silent guardian at crossings and paths.