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Today, 03.03.2026
Cloudy
Wind speed1,6 km/h
Three-Church Route: Heiligenblut - Maria Laach
Hiking tour Starting from Heiligenblut, pilgrimage church
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 7,50 km
- Duration: 2:00 h
- Ascent: 443 m elevation gain
- Descent: 274 m elevation gain
The Three Churches Trail connects three sacred and cultural features in the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park: the original parish of St. Stephen in Weiten, as well as the pilgrimage churches of St. Andrew in Heiligenblut and the Visitation of Mary in Maria Laach. The trail consists of three different sections and connects Weiten with Heiligenblut, Weiten with Maria Laach, and Maria Laach and Heiligenblut. The trail is uniformly signposted with yellow signs and can be walked in both directions.
- Starting point of the tour
- Heiligenblut, pilgrimage church
- Tour destination
- Maria Laach, market square
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 7,50 km
- Duration: 2:00 h
- Ascent: 443 m elevation gain
- Descent: 274 m elevation gain
- Fitness level required:2/6
- Overall experience:5/6
- Lowest point416 m
- Highest point824 m
- With refreshment stops
Description
The small hamlet of Heiligenblut with its pilgrimage church of St. Andrew is the heart of the market town of Raxendorf. According to legend, the late Gothic hall church from the 15th century was founded after a miracle of the host in 1411. The baroque tower with its blue clocks, the free-standing original chapel, the fine cross and ribbed vaults and the strikingly steep roof are remarkable. In the late Gothic choir is the famous stone sacrament house, eight meters high and decorated with filigree tracery. The actual heart of the church, the Gothic altar - the Roggendorf Altar - is located in Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
Maria Laach is outshone by its pilgrimage church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. The monumental stepped hall building from the 15th century is one of the most valuable late Gothic buildings in Austria. The church is one of the rare cases that was not baroqueized and was able to preserve its Gothic interior. 1680 was the third great plague year of this century; the entire southern Waldviertel made a vow to make a pilgrimage to Maria Laach every year. After the miraculous healing of a blind child in 1719, the number of pilgrims increased steadily. The miraculous image of "Maria Sechsfinger", the Gothic double-winged altar and the Renaissance tomb of the nobleman Hans Georg von Kufstein from 1607 are the church's most valuable artifacts.
- Equipment Hiking boots, rainproof clothing, drinking water, as well as the Wachau hiking map are available from Donau Niederösterreich Tourism, www.wachau.at
- Route description We start at the pilgrimage church of St. Andreas, cross the main road and then cross the stream. At the last house of the local association, we continue straight ahead. To the right, the Three-Church Route leads to Weiten. Through switchbacks uphill, we reach the last house above Heiligenblut with a beautiful view over the pilgrimage church. Now we enter the forest. On forest paths, it goes steadily uphill to the crossroads and the wayside shrine "Nonnersdorfer Kreuz", which is located to the left of the crossing – to the right, the Three-Church Route leads to Weiten and the original parish of St. Stephanus. We turn left towards Maria Laach and after almost 100 m turn right. On quiet paths and trails, we now pass through the Jauerling Forest to the high plateau above Maria Laach before the hamlet of Weinberg. We reach an asphalt road. We follow this downhill and reach Maria Laach. At the first possibility, we turn left and then right again and arrive at the pilgrimage church of the Visitation of Mary.
- Parking Pilgrimage church Heiligenblut
- Getting there A1 to Melk, B3 to Weitenegg, then right on B216 towards Leiben/Pöggstall to Weiten. Then at the intersection at Schuss, turn right and continue to Heiligenblut.
- Public transport From Monday to Friday, the Waldviertel buses run. Heiligenblut can be reached from Melk (Westbahn) with line WA50 with a transfer in Weiten/Am Schuss. On weekends, the Jauerlinger call bus operates. This connects the Jauerling nature park communities (Aggsbach, Emmersdorf, Maria Laach, Mühldorf, Raxendorf/Heiligenblut, Spitz, and Weiten). The call bus must be requested by phone, Tel. 0810/810278. Routes and timetables: www.vor.at. A detailed timetable "Mobile in the Wachau" is available from Donau Niederösterreich Tourism.
- Editor’s tip The Association of Friends of the Heiligenblut Pilgrimage Church offers free guided tours. Contact Ms. Waltraud Bock, Tel. 0664/4909209. In Maria Laach, the farmers’ market of the Maria Laach farmers is open every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Kerblerhaus in the village center.
Recommended period
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Current weather on site
5° to 10°
4° to 10°
Tomorrow, 04.03.2026
Light rain shower
Wind speed1,1 km/h
For dining and overnight stays, we recommend in Heiligenblut: Gasthaus Geyer, Feistritz 6, A-3654 Raxendorf, Tel+43(0)2758/7181 and Gasthaus Mitterbauer, Heiligenblut 12, A-3654 Raxendorf, Tel+43(0)2758/7145.
In Maria Laach, we recommend the Best-of Wachau establishment Hotel Ringl, Am Hauptplatz 3, A-3643 Maria Laach, Tel+43(0)2712/8303, www.hotel-ringl.at
Letzte Änderung: 25 Feb 2026