After a long wait for enough inclement weather to provide building materials, the Snow Church in the Bavarian village of Mitterfirmiansreut was constructed and opened in the final days of 2011.

Made of 1,400 cubic meters (about 49,000 cubic feet) of snow and ice, the church is 26 meters (85 feet) long and 11 meters (36 feet) wide with an impressive 19 meter (62 feet) tall tower. The church can hold 200 people. The designer, Alfons Doeringer of Koeberl Doeringer, planned the church to resemble a snowdrift and used ice blocks to form an ethereal stained glass window.

The Snow Church was built to commemorate a similar community supported church from 1911. The project cost about 130,000 euros, funded by the village residents.

More photos and a video of the opening ceremony are below:

Images: courtesy Koeberl Doeringer

h/t: smartplanet