The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Maria Straßengel, Austria

In 1157, Margrave Otakar III of Styria returned from pilgrimage in the Holy Land carrying an image of the Virgin Mary—a copy of a venerated icon in Palestine. He gave it to the monks of Rein Abbey, who built a chapel on a hill above the Mur valley to house it. Two centuries later, in 1346, Abbot Hartwig von Rein laid the foundation stone for something grander: a High Gothic church that would rank among Austria's finest medieval sacred buildings. The church they built still stands on its rocky spur above Judendorf-Straßengel (now Gratwein-Straßengel), northwest of Graz. Its 48-meter openwork sandstone tower—nicknamed the Steirischer Steffl (Styrian little Stephen) after Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral—rises from the hilltop like carved lace. Seventy-seven sections of original 14th-century stained glass filter light through Gothic tracery, while life-size figures of Mary and seven angels still watch from the tower. When Emperor Joseph II closed the church in 1782 and ordered its demolition, local communities petitioned so urgently that the building was saved. The faithful knew what they possessed.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The town of Straßengel first appears in records in 860 AD as "Strazinolum." But the site's sacred significance begins with Otakar III's gift in 1157, the same year Magnus founded Mariazell in the Alps to the north. The Cistercians of Rein Abbey recognized the hilltop's potential for a pilgrimage church visible across the valley. Abbot Hartwig's Gothic church (1346–1355) drew on the expertise of the Viennese building lodge responsible for St. Stephen's Cathedral. The architectural kinship is unmistakable: the openwork tower, the soaring proportions, the integration of sculpture and structure. Portrait-like depictions of secular and ecclesiastical dignitaries peer from reliefs above the portals, while life-sized figures populate the tower itself. Two objects claim the pilgrims' veneration. The first is the Marian image Otakar III brought from Palestine—the founding relic that drew the first worshippers to this hill. The second is the Wurzelkreuz (root cross): a fir tree root that nature shaped into a crucifix, discovered in the forests nearby. Both objects have weathered crises. In 1976, thieves stole the Wurzelkreuz and an original 15th-century Marian painting called Maria im Ährenkleid (Mary in a Dress of Grain). The cross was recovered; the painting was not. A copy now hangs where the original once proclaimed Mary's role as source of the Bread of Life. Johann Martin Schmidt—known as the Kremser Schmidt—painted works for the St. Sebastian and St. Nepomuk altars in 1781, one year before Joseph II's closure order. The current white marble high altar dates to 1885, though Fischer von Erlach had drawn plans for an altar here as early as 1687. Those plans were never executed, but the church preserves enough Gothic fabric to make such Baroque additions feel like guests in someone else's house.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Maria Straßengel

Wallfahrtskirche Maria Straßengel

Maria Straßengel Pilgrimage Church The church rises from its hilltop perch on the right bank of the Mur, dominating views from the valley below. The 48-meter tower remains the supreme achievement: openwork sandstone tracery reaching toward heaven, seven life-size angels surrounding a Madonna, the whole composition earning comparisons to Vienna's great cathedral. Inside, the 77 sections of original 14th-century stained glass constitute one of Austria's most significant medieval glazing programs. Light filters through scenes and figures that have colored pilgrim prayers for nearly seven centuries. Address Maria Straßengel, 8111 Gratwein-Straßengel GPS 47.133060, 15.331940 Map Google Maps Web stift-rein.at

The Gothic Portal Reliefs

Above the church doors, carved reliefs depict both sacred scenes and portrait-like representations of medieval patrons. These stone faces watching over the entrance likely represent the secular and ecclesiastical figures whose patronage made the church possible. The carving quality places them among the finest examples of 14th-century Austrian sculpture.

Wurzelkreuz Chapel

The recovered Wurzelkreuz—the fir root that grew into the shape of a crucifix—now rests in its own devotional space. This natural phenomenon, discovered in surrounding forests and interpreted as a divine sign, added a second focus of veneration to the site. Its theft and recovery in 1976 only deepened local attachment.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Assumption of Mary — August 15

The Solemnity of the Assumption brings pilgrims from across Styria to this hilltop church. Morning and afternoon Masses fill the Gothic nave with hymns that resonate through centuries-old acoustics.

Marian Month of May

Throughout May, special devotions honor Mary in the church built to house her image. Evening rosary processions wind around the hilltop grounds as spring light lengthens over the Mur valley.

🚗 Getting There

By Car: From Graz, head northwest on the B67 toward Gratwein-Straßengel (approximately 15 km). Signs direct to Maria Straßengel from the town. The church sits on a hill above Judendorf; a winding road reaches the summit where parking is available. By Train: Regional trains from Graz Hauptbahnhof serve Gratwein-Straßengel station. From there, the hilltop church requires a 2 km uphill walk or taxi. Combined Visit: Many pilgrims combine Maria Straßengel with nearby Rein Abbey (5 km), creating a half-day pilgrimage through Styrian sacred history from the 12th century to the 14th.

📚 Further Reading

Online Resources: Rein Abbey and Maria Straßengel — Combined guide to both Cistercian sites with historical context. (TravelWorld Online) Pilgrimage Church Maria Straßengel — Architectural overview and visitor information. (Around Us)

🔗 Useful Links

Rein Abbey — Official website of the Cistercian abbey that administers Maria Straßengel. (German/English) Gratwein-Straßengel Tourism — Municipal information for the surrounding area. (German) Graz Region Tourism — Comprehensive tourism information for the broader region.

🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

Rein Abbey (5 km) — The world's oldest Cistercian abbey still in operation, founded 1129. The mother house of Maria Straßengel with a magnificent Baroque church and historic library. Mariatrost (20 km) — Styria's second most important Marian shrine, a Baroque basilica on Graz's Purberg hill with 216 pilgrimage steps and a Gothic Madonna. Seckau Abbey (35 km) — Romanesque basilica and Benedictine abbey with Austria's oldest stone Madonna and important medieval frescoes. Maria Lankowitz (40 km) — Styria's second largest Marian church after Mariazell, with a miraculous Gothic Madonna and famous ox-cart founding legend.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"When a large rock blocked his path, he set down the Marian figurine he had brought with him, whereby the rock broke apart and left Magnus' way clear."

— Founding Legend of Mariazell