Klemens Maria Hofbauer- Pilgerweg

Description

Klemens Maria Hofbauer (26.12.1751 - 15.3.1820) is an important saint of the Catholic Church and is venerated as the patron saint of Vienna. The pilgrimage route was created on the 200th anniversary of his death and ends at the Gothic Roman Catholic church "Maria am Gestade". It connects 2 countries (Austria and the Czech Republic), 3 dioceses (Brno, ED Vienna, St. Pölten) and many parishes and communities along the way.

The pilgrimage route begins in the birthplace of Tasovice/Tasswitz and leads in large parts along the Thaya to the historic town of Znojmo, the Louka Monastery (Klosterbruck) and the house in the middle of the old town of Znojmo where Klemens Maria Hofbauer learned the baker's trade. An impressive narrow path leads steeply and with great views down to the Thaya and then into the Thayathal National Park. Past sheep and across the picturesque heath, you reach the national border at Hnanice and the Holy Stone in Mitterretzbach.

The route leads along vineyards and extensive fields to Retz and Klemens Maria Hofbauer Square. On the rest of the route, small villages and historic towns (e.g. Eggenburg) alternate with vineyards, the typical Weinviertel wine cellar lanes and rolling hills. Again and again, the trail runs alongside streams (e.g. the Schmida) or geologically interesting formations. After Großweikersdorf, the hilly landscape of the Weinviertel gently merges into that of the Wagram. Soon afterwards you reach Stockerau and change to the floodplain landscape of the Danube. You cross the Danube at Greifenstein and walk along the Danube to Stift Klosterneuburg. The last part of the route continues along cycle paths to the Maria am Gestade church in Vienna (1st district).

Along the way, pilgrims will find 28 information boards at intervals of around 5 km on topics that shaped and distinguished Klemens Maria Hofbauer in his life. At each board there is a pilgrim's stamp for the personal pilgrim's booklet (32-page brochure & stamp fields).

The eastern route via Großrußbach, the Ernstbrunn Forest, Zwingendorf and over the border to Jaroslavice back to Tasovice/Tasswitz shows a different but equally scenic part of the Weinviertel (AT) and Moravia (CZ).

This pilgrimage trail thus becomes a 250 km long circular hiking trail.