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Three-Church Trail: Weiten - Heiligenblut
Hiking tour Starting from Weiten, fortified church St. Stephan
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 5,47 km
- Duration: 2:00 h
- Ascent: 325 m elevation gain
- Descent: 245 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 Mariae Heimsuchung 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
- Weiten, fortified church St. Stephan
- Tour destination
- Heiligenblut, pilgrimage church St. Andreas
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 5,47 km
- Duration: 2:00 h
- Ascent: 325 m elevation gain
- Descent: 245 m elevation gain
- Fitness level required:2/6
- Overall experience:5/6
- Scenery:5/6
- Lowest point338 m
- Highest point617 m
- With refreshment stops
Description
The fortified church of St. Stephen, which is also the mother parish of the southern Waldviertel, is one of the most impressive church buildings in Lower Austria. Weiten and the church and parish were founded in the 11th century and were located in the heartland of historic Austria under the Babenberg dynasty. The Gothic nave with its Romanesque core was surrounded by a defensive wall in the 15th century. The Gothic stained glass windows from the 14th century are particularly valuable. The archway under the sacristy and the free-standing church tower are also worthy of note.
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 eight-metre-high stone sacrament house with its filigree tracery. The actual heart of the church, the Gothic altar - the Roggendorf Altar - is located in Belvedere Palace in Vienna.
- safety instructions Emergency call Mountain Rescue Wachau: 140
- Equipment Hiking shoes, waterproof clothing, drinking water, as well as the Wachau hiking map and the annual program of the Nature Park "Nature.Wine.Hiking." including the Heuriger calendar, available from Donau Niederösterreich Tourism, www.wachau.at
- Route description We start at the original parish of St. Stephan, go through the archway under the church and the sacristy towards the town center. We cross the Weitenbach and arrive at the historic pillory square. Here we cross the main road and go diagonally left, following a small passage towards the forest. Now we ascend in switchbacks towards Eibetsberg and the Jauerling plateau. Once at the top, we reach a country road and keep left. After a few minutes, you can turn left to visit an old restored lime kiln. Back on the road, we continue following the country road. We reach an intersection. Here the Three-Church Trail continues straight ahead towards Maria Laach and the pilgrimage church Maria Heimsuchung. We turn left into the forest. Mostly gently downhill, we now follow the forest path to the quaint hamlet of Zehentegg. At the small bridge, we turn left, follow a short section of the country road. After about 200 m, we turn right and enter the beautiful Zehentegg meadow and field landscape. After a few minutes, we reach the White Marterl, a lovely viewpoint. We follow the path straight ahead and reach the first houses of Heiligenblut, where we turn left, cross the stream, and arrive at the pilgrimage church of St. Andreas.
- Parking Weiten, town center along B 216
- Getting there A1 to Melk, B3 to Weitenegg, then right onto B216 toward Leiben/Pöggstall until Weiten.
- Public transport From Monday to Friday, the Waldviertel buses operate. Weiten can be reached from Melk (Westbahn) via line WA50 with a transfer at Weiten/Am Schuss. On weekends, the Jauerling demand bus operates. This connects the Jauerling nature park communities (Aggsbach, Emmersdorf, Maria Laach, Mühldorf, Raxendorf/Heiligenblut, Spitz and Weiten). The demand bus must be requested by phone, Tel. 0810/810278. Route maps: www.anachb.at. A detailed timetable "Mobile in the Wachau" is available from Donau Niederösterreich Tourism.
- Editor’s tip In Weiten, a visit to the sundial locksmith workshop of the Jindra family and the camel riding school of Gerda Gassner is worthwhile, www.sonnenuhren.com; www.kamelreiten.com. The association of Friends of the Pilgrimage Church Heiligenblut offers free guided tours. Contact Mrs. Waltraud Bock, Tel. 0664/4909209.
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For food and accommodation, we recommend Gasthaus Familie Karl Fischl, 3653 Weiten 22, phone: 0043/2758/8224, Gasthof "Zur Post" - Family Leopold Kremser, 3653 Weiten 59, phone: 0043/2758/8202, Gasthaus zur "Almwirtin" - Elisabeth Schilling, 3653 Weiten, Jasenegg 8, phone: 0043/2758/8237, and Gasthaus Weitentalhof - Family Blauensteiner, Am Schuss 7, 3653 Weiten, phone & fax: 0043/2758/8201, www.weitentalhof.at.
For food and accommodation in Heiligenblut, we recommend Gasthaus Geyer, Feistritz 6, A-3654 Raxendorf, phone +43(0)2758/7181 and Gasthaus Mitterbauer, Heiligenblut 12, A-3654 Raxendorf, phone +43(0)2758/7145.
Letzte Änderung: 16 Mar 2026