Description of the attraction
The pilgrimage Roman Catholic Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Wolfgang is located in the small village of Falkenstein on Lake Wolfgangsee, in the suburb of St. Gilgen. This temple, built close to the rock, which makes it seem as if it is growing out of the rock, is one of a number of pilgrimage temples built along the St. Rupert's Pilgrim Route from St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang.
The chapel of St. Wolfgang in Falkenstein was first mentioned in documents from 1350. In the 16th century, Falkenstein was incredibly popular with pilgrims. It happened that during the year the local church was attended by up to 300 thousand people. They had to walk the path of St. Rupert without looking back and in complete silence. In 1626, Johann Wilhelm Luger, the manager of the Hüttenstein castle, ordered a real church to be organized in a small cave in the rock. It was renovated in 1692. The reconstruction of the temple was carried out several more times.
From 1659 to 1811, hermits lived near the Church of the Virgin Mary. The foundation of an old skete was discovered in a clearing just below the temple.
The altar in the temple is dated 1630. At the same time, the altarpiece was also made by the artist Adam Purkmann, which depicts the Virgin Mary with Jesus Christ and St. Wolfgang.
On the way to the Falkenstein temple, pilgrims meet other roadside chapels. Some of them are of great architectural and artistic interest. For example, the Brunn Chapel, which is located just below the hillside right next to the path, was decorated with frescoes by Wolfgang Spisse in the second quarter of the 18th century.
