The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Maria Dreieichen, Austria

On August 15, 1656—the Feast of the Assumption—a furrier named Matthias Weinberger climbed the wooded slopes of the Molderberg and fastened a small wax pietà to a three-stemmed oak. He had been suffering from melancholy for months when the Virgin appeared to him in a dream and commanded him to place his devotional image here, at this tree on the old Bohemian road, for public veneration. He obeyed. He recovered. Today the twin towers of a baroque basilica rise above the Horn Basin, visible for miles across the Waldviertel countryside. The original wax image melted when lightning struck the oak in 1680, but the tree sprouted again—and so did the pilgrimage. A carved linden wood pietà now rests above the high altar, the remnants of that miraculous oak still visible in a niche behind it. Paul Troger's luminous dome fresco crowns the interior, and pilgrims still descend through the forest to wash their eyes at the healing spring their ancestors discovered centuries ago.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The pilgrimage began modestly. Weinberger, a master furrier from nearby Horn, had kept the wax Vesperbild—an image of Mary holding the dead Christ—in his private devotions for years. When illness struck and the dream came, he carried it up the Molderberg to a spot where three oak trunks grew from a single root, along the "Behmer-Strass" that Bohemian and Moravian pilgrims traveled on their way to Mariazell. Word spread. Pilgrims gathered. Twenty-four years later, fire consumed both tree and image. The charred oak, however, put forth new leaves—a miracle that only intensified devotion. Horn's mayor Sebastian Friedrich commissioned the sculptor Matthias Sturmberger to carve a replacement pietà in linden wood around 1679, and this grace image remains the focus of veneration today. By 1700, Count Hoyos had built a hermitage at the nearby spring—the "Bründl"—to ensure permanent care of the site. The current basilica rose between 1744 and 1750 under Abbot Placidus Much of Altenburg Abbey, which had assumed pastoral responsibility for the pilgrimage in 1740. The architect Leopold Wißgrill drew on plans influenced by Joseph Munggenast, modeling the church after Altenburg's own abbey church. Financing came partly from private donations by Altenburger monks and Horn's citizens—a communal investment in sacred architecture that drew some 50,000 pilgrims annually by mid-century. Paul Troger completed his dome fresco in 1752, filling the oval cupola with his characteristic light palette and dynamic movement. Art historians consider it among his final major works. The side altars received paintings by Martin Johann Schmidt in 1768, while works by Johann Wenzel Bergl added further baroque splendor. The towers, begun in 1733, were not completed until 1814-1819 under Karl Benedikter's modified design. Emperor Joseph II's pilgrimage ban of 1784 failed to halt the faithful. They kept coming. When restrictions eased in the nineteenth century, pilgrimage revived fully. In 1957, three hundred years after Weinberger's act of obedience, Pope Pius XII elevated the church to Basilica Minor. Since 1945, Maria Dreieichen has also become a gathering place for expelled German-speaking Sudeten communities, who hold annual pilgrimages here to this day. For the Jubilee Year 2025, the Diocese of St. Pölten designated it one of thirteen "Hope Churches"—places where pilgrims may obtain special indulgences.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Maria Dreieichen

Basilika Maria Dreieichen

Basilica of Maria Dreieichen The twin-towered baroque church crowns the Manhartsberg ridge, its façade oriented northward toward the healing spring rather than eastward as tradition typically dictates. The interior centers on a longitudinal oval dome where Paul Troger's 1752 fresco unfolds in pale blues, golds, and flesh tones—his signature leichte Manier that revolutionized Austrian sacred painting. The high altar enshrines Matthias Sturmberger's carved pietà, the Sorrowful Mother cradling her Son, while the remnants of the original three-stemmed oak remain visible in a niche behind. Side altars display works by Martin Johann Schmidt and Johann Wenzel Bergl. The treasury preserves baroque frescoes depicting the origin apparitions on its ceiling and miraculous healings on its walls. Anton Pfliegler's 1789 organ survives with its original interior intact. Address Maria Dreieichen 79, 3744 Mold GPS 48.651640, 15.716890 Map Google Maps Web stift-altenburg.at

Bründlkapelle

Chapel of the Little Spring A forest path leads north from the basilica to this small chapel sheltering the "Heiliges Bründl"—the Holy Spring also called the "Augenbründl" (Eye Spring) for its reputed power to heal afflictions of sight. The chapel stands under a simple saddleback roof with barrel vault and rounded apse; inside, a carved relief from around 1750 depicts the Maria Dreieichen grace image. In 1983, the painter Herbert Puschnik created the gable sgraffito and the Stations of the Cross along the Bründlweg leading here. The spring itself flows through a pipe into a small stone basin where pilgrims wash their eyes and drink the water, continuing a practice documented for centuries.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Feast of the Assumption — August 15

The primary pilgrimage feast commemorates the day Matthias Weinberger placed his wax image at the three-stemmed oak in 1656. Pilgrims gather for solemn Masses and processions, many arriving on foot from surrounding villages as their ancestors did. The date marks both the origin of this specific devotion and the universal celebration of Mary's bodily assumption into heaven.

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows — September 15

The basilica's formal dedication is to the "Schmerzhafte Muttergottes"—the Sorrowful Mother—making this memorial particularly significant. The liturgy recalls the seven sorrows Mary endured, from Simeon's prophecy to standing beneath the cross. The Stabat Mater sequence, composed in the thirteenth century for this feast, gives voice to the grief depicted in the grace image above the high altar.

Ascension Thursday

A traditional pilgrimage day when the faithful process to the basilica, often walking from Horn or other nearby towns. The spring weather allows pilgrims to combine the forest walk to the Bründl with visits to the basilica, experiencing the full sacred landscape of Maria Dreieichen.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Pilgrim & Religious Accommodations: Gasthof Kirchenwirt (guesthouse) — Traditional inn directly beside the basilica with 55 beds, operated by the Vlasaty family. Austrian cuisine served on-site; ideal for pilgrims seeking proximity to the church. Contact: +43 2982 8254 Gasthof zur Eiche (guesthouse) — Family-run guesthouse at Maria Dreieichen 77, known for homemade Waldviertel dumplings and regional cuisine. Suitable for pilgrim groups and celebrations. Closed Thursdays. Contact: +43 2982 8251 Hotels: Hotel Öhlknechthof ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Gourmet hotel in Horn with spa facilities, sauna, and terrace. Air-conditioned rooms with balconies, free parking. Reserve this hotel Hotel Blie ⭐⭐⭐ — Historic hotel in Horn since 1866, offering modern rooms with satellite TV. Self check-in available, ample breakfast buffet, five-minute walk to city center. Reserve this hotel Campus Horn (hostel) — Budget accommodation 6 km from the basilica with garden, shared lounge, and free parking. Reserve this hotel

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Vienna International Airport (VIE) lies approximately 90 km south. Rent a car or connect via train and bus to reach the Waldviertel. By Train: Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) serves Horn, the nearest town with rail connections. From Vienna, travel to Sigmundsherberg and connect to Horn by local train or bus. Journey time approximately 1.5–2 hours depending on connections. By Bus: Direct buses run from Vienna Praterstern to Mold Gemeindeamt (four times daily Monday–Friday, approximately 1 hour 40 minutes). Local buses connect Horn to Maria Dreieichen; the stop "Maria Dreieichen Kirche" lies 100 meters from the basilica. By Car: From Vienna, take the A22 north toward Stockerau, then continue on the B4 and B2 through the Weinviertel to Horn. The drive takes approximately one hour. Free parking is available at the basilica and guesthouses.

📚 Further Reading

Books: Bundesdenkmalamt, ed. Dehio-Handbuch: Niederösterreich nördlich der Donau — Authoritative architectural survey of Lower Austria's monuments, with detailed entry on Maria Dreieichen. (German) Kronbichler, Johann. Paul Troger (1698–1762) — Comprehensive monograph on the baroque master whose dome fresco crowns the basilica, including critical catalogue and photographic documentation. (German) Online Resources: Basilika Maria Dreieichen — German Wikipedia article with detailed history, architecture, and bibliography. (Wikipedia) Gnadenbilder der Pietà in Niederösterreichs Kleindenkmälern — Scholarly article on the spread of Maria Dreieichen devotional images throughout the region. (MEMO, German)

🔗 Useful Links

Pfarre Maria Dreieichen — Official parish website via Stift Altenburg with Mass times and contact information. Maria Dreieichen Basilica — Waldviertel regional tourism page with visitor information. Basilika Maria Dreieichen — Lower Austria tourism portal with practical details and treasury information.

🥾 Pilgrim Routes

Böhmerweg (Bohemian Road to Mariazell) — Maria Dreieichen stands on the historic Böhmerweg, the route that pilgrims from Bohemia and Moravia followed southward to Mariazell for centuries. Matthias Weinberger deliberately placed his pietà at this spot along the "Behmer-Strass" in 1656, knowing that pilgrims would pass. Today no unified waymarked trail recreates this historic corridor, but the basilica remains a natural stopping point for modern pilgrims traveling between the Czech lands and Austria's national Marian shrine.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Mariazell (120 km) — Austria's national Marian shrine and the traditional destination of pilgrims who once passed through Maria Dreieichen on the old Bohemian road. The Gothic basilica houses the Magna Mater Austriae. Maria Taferl (50 km) — Lower Austria's most visited pilgrimage site after Mariazell, with a baroque basilica overlooking the Danube and a miraculous crucifix that bled when struck in 1642. Melk (70 km) — Benedictine abbey perched above the Danube, featuring Paul Troger's earlier and more extensive frescoes in the Marble Hall and Library. Klosterneuburg (60 km) — Augustinian abbey founded by Saint Leopold III, housing the Verdun Altar and the saint's relics. Vienna (90 km) — The imperial capital's pilgrimage treasures include St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Kapuzinergruft with Habsburg tombs, and numerous churches with significant relics.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"At the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last."

— Stabat Mater Dolorosa, 13th century