Mariazell: A Storybook Austrian Village

A healing statue of Virgin Mary that draws a million pilgrims a year, charming buildings dating from the Middle Ages, and an absolutely amazing pharmacy focused on healing plants and herbs

Gerhard and I just returned to Vienna from a two-night stay near Mariazell, one of my favorite Austrian villages. Located in the Alps in the southeastern state of Styria, the village is surrounded by towering mountain peaks, dense fir, pine and spruce forests, and amazingly clear rivers and lakes.

I am sure Mariazell would be beautiful in the summer, but I have only been there in the winter—a time in which it is absolutely magical. I love how the snow covers the tops of the roofs, the charming streets and buildings, and the little wooden huts of the Christmas market.

The Mariazell Basilica

The village of Mariazell is special in Austria because it has been a major pilgrimage destination since the 12th century. According to tradition, the village was founded in 1157 when Magnus, a monk of St. Lambrecht, was sent to minister to the people living in the area. When his way was blocked by a rock, he set down a small (48 cm) wooden statue of Mary that he was carrying and prayed for guidance. In response, the rock suddenly broke apart, leaving his way clear.

After this miracle, Magnus built a small chapel, or cell (zell in German) on this spot as a place in which to live and pray. The statue of the Virgin Mary soon became famous for its miraculous powers and began drawing pilgrims to it from across Europe. In 1200, the chapel was enlarged into a church. In 1335, Henry I experienced a miraculous healing cure after visiting the statue and expanded the church in gratitude.

In 1363, Louis I of Hungary was victorious in a battle after praying to the statue. To give thanks, he expanded the church again, this time into a beautiful gothic building with a 90m high spire. In 1377, he added the Chapel of Grace (Gnadenkappelle). Between 1644 and 1683, Ferdinand III expanded the church yet again, this time in the Baroque style. This is the magnificent Mariazell Basilica that still stands today.

Mariazell flourished as a pilgrimage site throughout the Middle Ages and the reign of the Hapsburgs. By 1699, almost 400,000 pilgrims flocked to the shrine of Our Lady of Mariazell each year. Today, Mariazell’s 3,600 residents host around one million pilgrims annually—not to mention thousands of tourists drawn by its wide array of winter and summer sports.

Winter Sports

Beyond its religious importance, Mariazell is a hub for winter sports and outdoor recreation. The nearby Gemeindealpe and Mariazeller Bürgeralpe ski areas offer slopes for skiing, snowboarding, and sledding, catering to both beginners and experienced enthusiasts. Cross-country skiing trails and snowshoeing paths provide additional ways to explore the winter landscapes.

This area has a great deal of significance to Gerhard because he grew up skiing, hiking and mountain biking throughout its mountains and valleys. Almost everywhere we went, he said things like “That is where my parents and I used to go downhill skiing. That is where Erich (his best friend) and I went cross country skiing. That is where I mountain biked across the mountains and valleys.”

Scenes from the Village

On a prosaic note, as soon as Gerhard and I got to Mariazell, we immediately went to a shoe store to buy snow boots because the ones we had brought from Ireland were woefully inadequate for the snowy, icy streets and landscapes of the Austrian Alps! After being equipped with warm, safe footwear, we began exploring the streets and shops.

I love all of the different colors and architectural details on the shops, restaurants and hotels in Mariazell. Many buildings date from the Middle Ages, and each one has a fascinating story to tell.

The Brauhaus Mariazell

The first night of our trip, we had dinner at the Brauhaus Mariazell. My favorite part was the ‘free’ starter: a warm loaf of crusty, rustic bread. Absolutely delicious!

Longtime readers of my posts know how much I love kachelöfen (tiled wood stoves). You can see an example of a traditional green one against the wall at the left of the picture below.

The Pharmacy: Apotheke zur Gnadenmutter

The shop I love the most in Mariazell is the amazing Apotheke zur Gnadenmutter (Pharmacy of the Mother of Grace). This wonderful store, founded in 1718, is a compounding pharmacy with over 300 years of knowledge about the healing effects of local Alpine plants.

According to the website, from 1820 to 1871, the pharmacy was led by Michael Hölzl—the most famous botanist and expert in healing plants in Europe at the time. The website says that numerous European universities—all the way to Moscow—depended on Hölzl for supplies of Alpine plants and the knowledge he had about their healing effects.

Today the pharmacy continues to create products that draw on more than 400 regional healing plants and herbs using recipes unchanged since Hölzl first created them. As you can see in the pictures, the gorgeous wooden shelves are stocked full with an amazing array of healing lotions, potions, teas and much more.

This is absolutely the only pharmacy I have ever been in that features a whole table of liqueurs filled with healing herbs right at the entrance to the store!

The pharmacy does have regular allopathic medicines as well, but they are kept hidden in the back. (We went into the shop originally to buy band-aids thanks to a mishap my thumb had had with a dull knife and crusty, whole-wheat bread!)

The next time we return to Mariazell, I definitely plan to spend more time here just soaking in the atmosphere and trying out the products. This time, however, I just bought a jar of soothing, moisturizing skin cream and a specially created mixture of herbal tea.

How to get there

Mariazell is about a 2-hour drive southwest of Vienna via S Autobahn/E59.

You can also take a train from the Westbahnhof in Vienna to St. Pölten and then on to Mariazell via an old-fashioned, narrow-gauge train (about a 5-hour journey). From the Mariazell train station, a bus takes passengers into the town center (about 5 minutes).

You can also take a direct bus from Vienna to Mariazell.

See www.oebb.at for all of the options.

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