The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to St. Georgenberg, Austria

On a rocky outcrop rising a hundred meters above the Stallental valley, Tyrol's oldest monastery clings to the mountainside. Blessed Rathold of Aibling established his hermit's cell here around 950, seeking God in the alpine solitude. By 1138, a Benedictine community had formed. Today, nine centuries later, monks have returned to this dramatic perch after three centuries in the valley below—and pilgrims still climb to pray before the Gothic Pietà and the reliquary of the Holy Blood. The approach crosses the oldest bridge in Tyrol, a wooden covered structure spanning a gorge. Beyond it, the Baroque church of Saints George and James rises from the rock, its golden interior a treasury of devotional art. The Wolfsklamm—a spectacular gorge with waterfalls—offers another route up, transforming the physical climb into spiritual preparation.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

Rathold, a nobleman from the Rapotonen family, withdrew to this rocky height around 950 to live as a hermit. Other seekers joined him, and in 1138 the community was formally established as a Benedictine abbey. The monastery became a center of spiritual life in the Inn Valley. Pilgrimages began around 1100 and intensified after reports of a "blood miracle" around 1310. The reliquary of the Holy Blood became an object of veneration alongside Saint George, patron of the church, and a Gothic Pietà sculpture from about 1415. Fire repeatedly tested the community—the conflagration of 1705 finally prompted the monks to relocate to Fiecht Abbey in the valley below. For three centuries, St. Georgenberg remained a pilgrimage site while the monastery operated from Fiecht. Then in 2016, the nine remaining monks determined to return. After careful restoration, they ascended in 2019 to resume monastic life where Rathold had begun it over a thousand years before.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in St. Georgenberg

Kloster St. Georgenberg

Benedictine Abbey The Baroque church, rebuilt after the 1705 fire and completed in 1735, rises from the rocky promontory with golden interiors that belie its modest size. Though small, the church contains extraordinary Baroque decoration. The monastery offers a place of prayer and reflection accessible only on foot. Address St. Georgenberg 1, 6134 Vomp GPS 47.3461, 11.6675 Map Google Maps Web st-georgenberg.at

The Gothic Pietà

This sculpture from about 1415 depicts Mary holding the body of her crucified Son. For six centuries, pilgrims have prayed before this image of maternal grief and divine sacrifice.

Reliquary of the Holy Blood

The blood miracle reported around 1310 established St. Georgenberg as a destination for pilgrims seeking encounter with Christ's Passion. The reliquary remains an object of veneration.

The Oldest Bridge in Tyrol

Before reaching the monastery, pilgrims cross a wooden covered bridge spanning the gorge—the oldest bridge in Tyrol, recently renovated but preserving its medieval character.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Feast of Saint George — April 23

The patronal feast honors the soldier-martyr whose name the mountain bears. Pilgrims climb to celebrate the saint who gave his life for Christ.

Feast of Saint James — July 25

As co-patron of the church, James the Greater is honored with special observances. The monastery lies near the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

🚗 Getting There

On Foot via Wolfsklamm: The spectacular route through the gorge follows wooden walkways past waterfalls—a pilgrimage that engages body and spirit. The climb takes approximately 1.5 hours from Stans. On Foot via Forest Path: A gentler route winds through forest from the Stallental valley to the monastery. Note: St. Georgenberg is accessible only on foot. No road reaches the monastery—preserving the sense of pilgrimage that has defined this place for a thousand years.

🔗 Useful Links

St. Georgenberg Abbey — Official website with Mass times and visitor information. (st-georgenberg.at) Wolfsklamm — Information on hiking through the gorge to St. Georgenberg. (silberregion-karwendel.com)

🪶 Closing Reflection

"The climb prepares the heart. By the time you reach the church, you have already begun to pray." — Benedictine pilgrimage tradition