The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Maria Saal, Austria

In the year 753, an Irish monk named Modestus crossed the Alpine passes into a land of pagan Slavs. Sent by Bishop Virgil of Salzburg at the request of the recently baptized Carantanian prince Cheitmar, Modestus established his mission headquarters on a hill overlooking the ancient ruins of Roman Virunum. The church he built there—dedicated to the Virgin Mary—became the spiritual center from which Christianity spread throughout the Eastern Alps. Modestus died around 763, and his body was laid to rest beneath the church he founded in a repurposed Roman child's sarcophagus that remains there today. The Carantanians whom Modestus evangelized were the first Slavic people to accept Christianity from the Latin West, making Maria Saal not merely a regional sanctuary but a foundational site in the history of Central European Christianity. For over twelve centuries, pilgrims from both German-speaking and Slovene-speaking communities have climbed this hill to pray before the tomb of the Apostle of Carinthia and venerate the miraculous Gothic Madonna carved in 1425. The church they enter today—a Late Gothic fortress-church rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1669—preserves Roman spolia in its walls as visible testimony to the triumph of the Gospel over paganism.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The spiritual importance of Maria Saal rests on its role as the operational headquarters of the Salzburg archdiocese's mission to Carantania. Around 740, Duke Borut of Carantania accepted Bavarian overlordship in exchange for military assistance against the Avars. He sent his son Cacatius and nephew Cheitmar to Bavaria, requesting they receive baptism—creating the first Christian rulers among the Alpine Slavs. Pope Zacharias (741–752) granted Salzburg jurisdiction over Carantania, providing the canonical authority for the mission. Bishop Virgil of Salzburg—an Irish monk later canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1233—dispatched Modestus circa 755 as a chorepískopos (missionary bishop without a fixed see), accompanied by four priests, a deacon, and additional clergy. The Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum, a Salzburg document composed around 870, records that "Bishop Modestus was the first to undertake missionary activity amongst the Carantanians." He established three churches: at Undrimas (modern Ingering), at the former Roman episcopal city of Teurnia, and the ecclesiam Sanctae Mariae—the Church of St. Mary now known as Maria Saal. The political capital at nearby Karnburg made Maria Saal strategically essential. The dukes of Carinthia traditionally attended High Mass at Maria Saal between their secular enthronement at the Prince's Stone and homage at the Duke's Chair. Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia later built an imperial palace there. The church remained the region's religious center until 1072, when the Diocese of Gurk was established—though the tradition that the Bishop of Gurk serves simultaneously as Dean of Maria Saal persists to this day. Maria Saal's location near the ruins of Virunum—capital of Roman Noricum and a bishop's see from at least 343—represents deliberate continuity with Late Antique Christianity. The medieval church incorporates over thirty Roman-era relief and grave stones from Virunum's ruins, including the famous "Postkutsche" (mail coach) relief depicting a funerary journey, the Romulus and Remus relief with the she-wolf nursing the twins, and scenes from the Iliad—pagan materials sanctified by incorporation into Christian walls.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Maria Saal

Propstei- und Wallfahrtskirche Maria Himmelfahrt

Maria Saal Cathedral The Late Gothic fortress-church rises prominently on a fortified hilltop visible from across the Zollfeld plain. The current structure dates from 1430–1459, with Baroque onion domes replacing Gothic spires after the devastating fire of November 4, 1669. The twin-towered west façade incorporates Roman spolia including the celebrated "Postkutsche" relief—Austria's most significant Roman stone carving. The interior presents noble net and stellar vaults decorated with newly uncovered ceiling frescoes from 1490 depicting the Genealogy of Christ according to Matthew, with ancestors emerging from alpine flower blossoms. The two-storied Baroque high altar (1714), donated by Count Clemens F. von Kaiserstein, enshrines the miraculous Gnadenstatue—a Gothic cast-stone Madonna with Child created in 1425 in the "Schöne Madonnen" (Beautiful Madonnas) style. Gilded figures of Pope Gregory the Great, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Rupert of Salzburg flank the central image. Notable sacred art includes the Arndorfer Altar (c. 1520), a Gothic winged altarpiece depicting scenes from Mary's life; the Georgsaltar (c. 1526) featuring St. George slaying the dragon; and the triumphal arch showing Christ as World Judge. The "Maria Saalerin" bell, cast October 4, 1687 by Matthias Landsmann, weighs 6,600 kg—Carinthia's largest. Emperor Leopold I donated the bronze from captured Turkish cannons after the 1683 siege of Vienna. Address Domplatz 3, 9063 Maria Saal GPS 46.681155, 14.346334 Map Google Maps Web kath-kirche-kaernten.at

Sachskapelle (St. Modestus Chapel)

Tomb of the Apostle of Carinthia Beneath the main church, the Sachskapelle houses the alleged tomb of St. Modestus—a repurposed Roman child's sarcophagus beneath a Romanesque stone table altar supported by six columns. A Gothic statue of St. Modestus holding a model of Maria Saal Cathedral stands before the Baroque Crucifixion group. This chapel constitutes the church's primary relic and a distinct pilgrimage object separate from Marian devotion.

Karner (Octagonal Ossuary)

Romanesque Charnel House The octagonal Romanesque Karner beside the church contains medieval frescoes and serves as a meditation on mortality. Evening Prayer is held in the Kapelle im Oktogon on Fridays at 19:00.

Kärntner Freilichtmuseum Maria Saal

Carinthian Open-Air Museum Located 460 meters north of the cathedral, this museum displays traditional Carinthian farmhouses and agricultural buildings, providing context for the rural pilgrimage traditions of the region.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Assumption of Mary — August 15

Großer Frauentag The principal patronal feast draws thousands of pilgrims from German- and Slovene-speaking Carinthia for solemn High Mass and procession. This remains the largest annual gathering at Maria Saal, continuing devotion to the 1425 Gnadenstatue.

Easter Monday

Ostermontag Traditional pilgrimage day when Carinthians process to Maria Saal to celebrate the Resurrection at the mother church of the region.

Whit Monday

Pfingstmontag Pentecost pilgrimage commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit—particularly significant given Maria Saal's role in the Christianization of the Slavic peoples.

Modestusfest — Christ the King Weekend (Late November)

Feast of St. Modestus A three-day celebration honoring the Apostle of Carinthia near his liturgical memorial (February 5 / November 27), featuring educational lectures, community thanksgiving, and a festive High Mass. The 2025 edition marked the 600th anniversary of the Gnadenstatue.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Pilgrim & Religious Accommodations: Gasthof Fleissner ⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Traditional inn in Maria Saal village center, convenient for early morning Mass. Hotels in Klagenfurt (10 km): Hotel Sandwirth ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Historic hotel in Klagenfurt's old town with easy S-Bahn access to Maria Saal. 🌐 Website Seepark Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Modern hotel near Wörthersee with connections to Maria Saal.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: Klagenfurt Airport (KLU) is approximately 15 km south. Ljubljana Airport (LJU) and Graz Airport (GRZ) offer additional connections. By Train: S-Bahn Line 1 connects Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof to Maria Saal station in under 10 minutes. From the station, it is a 15-minute walk uphill to the cathedral. Trains run regularly throughout the day. By Car: From Klagenfurt, take the B83 road heading north approximately 10 km and follow signs for Maria Saal. The church is located at Domplatz 3. Parking is available in the village, including space for coaches. On Foot: Maria Saal is a station on several pilgrimage routes:

• Hemma Pilgrimage Trail — Connecting Gurk with sites associated with Blessed Hemma of Gurk
• Marienpilgerweg — Marian pilgrimage route through Carinthia
• Carinthian Way to Mariazell (Kärntner Mariazellerweg) — From Klagenfurt through Carinthia and Styria to the national shrine

📚 Further Reading

Primary Sources: Conversio Bagoariorum et Carantanorum — Critical edition by Herwig Wolfram (Böhlau, 2012). The essential 9th-century source for Maria Saal's founding. (Latin/German) Books: Maria Saal: Kirche und Wallfahrt — Guide to the pilgrimage church and its history. (German) Online Resources: Der Maria Saaler Dom — Official diocesan page on the cathedral and its significance. (Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt, German) Maria Saaler Domkirche – Ein Rundgang — Virtual tour of the cathedral interior. (Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt, German)

🔗 Useful Links

Pfarre Maria Saal — Official parish page with Mass times, contact information, and pilgrimage details. (German) Gemeinde Maria Saal — Municipal website with visitor information. Visit Carinthia: Maria Saal — Regional tourism portal.

🥾 Pilgrim Routes

Hemma Pilgrimage Trail — The route honoring Blessed Hemma of Gurk (c. 995–1045) passes through Maria Saal, connecting the mother church of Carinthia with Gurk Cathedral and other sites associated with the foundress of Gurk. Kärntner Mariazellerweg — The Carinthian Way to Mariazell runs from Klagenfurt through Maria Saal, continuing through Styria to Austria's national Marian shrine. Maria Saal serves as a natural first station for pilgrims beginning in the provincial capital. Marienpilgerweg — Regional Marian pilgrimage routes connect Maria Saal with other Carinthian and Styrian shrines including Maria Saalerin, Mariatrost, and Maria Straßengel.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Gurk Cathedral (35 km) — Romanesque cathedral and seat of the Diocese of Gurk, with the crypt tomb of Blessed Hemma. The Bishop of Gurk traditionally serves as Dean of Maria Saal. Mariatrost (110 km) — Baroque pilgrimage basilica above Graz with miraculous Madonna. Maria Straßengel (90 km) — Gothic pilgrimage church near Graz, one of Styria's oldest Marian shrines. Mariazell (190 km) — Austria's national Marian shrine, drawing over a million pilgrims annually.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer 'in Church.'"

— Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2691