Three Churches Path: Weiten - Maria Laach

Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 10,37 km
Duration: 3:30 h
Ascent: 460 m elevation gain
Descent: 215 m elevation gain

The Three Churches Trail connects three sacred and cultural features in the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park: the original parish of St. Stephen in Weiten, as well as the pilgrimage churches of St. Andrew in Heiligenblut and the Visitation of Mary in Maria Laach. The trail consists of three different sections and connects Weiten with Heiligenblut, Weiten with Maria Laach, and Maria Laach and Heiligenblut. The trail is uniformly signposted with yellow signs and can be walked in both directions.

Starting point of the tour: Weiten, fortified church of St. Stephen
Tour destination: Maria Laach, pilgrimage church of the Visitation of Mary

Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 10,37 km
Duration: 3:30 h
Ascent: 460 m elevation gain
Descent: 215 m elevation gain

Fitness level required:
2/6
Overall experience:
5/6
Scenery:
5/6

Lowest point336 m
Highest point792 m

With refreshment stops
Accessibility by train and bus

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The fortified church of St. Stephen, which is also the mother parish of the southern Waldviertel, is one of the most impressive church buildings in Lower Austria. Weiten and the church and parish were founded in the 11th century and were located in the heartland of historic Austria under the Babenberg dynasty. The Gothic nave with its Romanesque core was surrounded by a defensive wall in the 15th century. The Gothic stained glass windows from the 14th century are particularly valuable. The archway under the sacristy and the free-standing church tower are also worthy of note.

Maria Laach is dominated by its pilgrimage church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. The monumental stepped hall building from the 15th century is one of the most valuable late Gothic buildings in Austria. The church is one of the rare cases that was not baroqueized and was able to preserve its Gothic interior. 1680 was the third great plague year of this century; the entire southern Waldviertel made a vow to make a pilgrimage to Maria Laach every year. After the miraculous healing of a blind child in 1719, the number of pilgrims increased steadily. The miraculous image of "Maria Sechsfinger", the Gothic double-winged altar and the Renaissance tomb of the nobleman Hans Georg von Kufstein from 1607 are the church's most valuable artifacts.

safety instructions Emergency call Mountain Rescue Wachau: 140
Equipment Hiking boots, rainproof clothing, drinking water, as well as the Wachau hiking map are available at Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus, www.wachau.at
Route description We start at the original parish of the Southern Waldviertel, walk through the archway under the church and towards the town center. We cross the Weitenbach and arrive at Prangerplatz. Here we cross the main road and go diagonally left, following a small passage towards the forest. Now it goes uphill in switchbacks towards Eibetsberg and the Jauerling Plateau. Once at the top, we reach a farm road and keep left. After a few minutes, you can turn left and visit an old restored lime kiln. Back on the path, we continue along the farm road. We reach a crossroads. Here the Three Churches Path branches off towards Heiligenblut and the pilgrimage church of St. Andreas. We continue straight ahead. Mostly gently uphill, we follow the path until we reach the fields in front of the hamlet of Nonnersdorf. Here, we go right by a large tree, cross the country road, and reach the hamlet of Nonnersdorf. We do not enter the village (no place to eat) but immediately turn left again into the meadow and field landscape. After a few minutes, we enter the forest and shortly thereafter reach the Nonnersdorf Cross shrine. We continue straight ahead - here you can also turn left to Heiligenblut and the pilgrimage church of St. Andreas - and turn right after 150 m towards Maria Laach. On quiet paths and trails, we pass through the Jauerling Forest to the plateau in front of Maria Laach near the hamlet of Weinberg. We reach a paved road and follow it downhill to Maria Laach. We turn left at the first opportunity and then right again and reach the pilgrimage church of the Visitation of Mary.
Parking Weiten, town center along B 216
Getting there A1 to Melk, B3 to Weitenegg, there turn right onto B216 towards Leiben/Pöggstall to Weiten.
Public transport From Monday to Friday, buses of line 790 run between Melk and Pöggstall. On weekends, the Jauerling demand-responsive bus operates. It connects the Jauerling Nature Park communities (Aggsbach, Emmersdorf, Maria Laach, Mühldorf, Raxendorf, Spitz, and Weiten). The demand-responsive bus must be booked by phone, Tel. 0810/810278. Route planner: www.vor.at. A detailed timetable "Mobil in der Wachau" is available at Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus.
Editor’s tip In Weiten, a visit to the sundial locksmithing workshop of the Jindra family and the camel riding school of Gerda Gassner is worthwhile, www.sonnenuhren.com ; www.kamelreiten.com. In Maria Laach, the farmer's market of the Maria Laach farmers opens every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Kerblerhaus in the town center.

Recommended period

For dining and overnight accommodation, we recommend Gasthaus Familie Karl Fischl, 3653 Weiten 22, phone: 0043/2758/8224, Gasthof "Zur Post"-Family Leopold Kremser, 3653 Weiten 59, phone: 0043/2758/8202, Gasthaus zur "Almwirtin"-Elisabeth Schilling, 3653 Weiten, Jasenegg 8, phone: 0043/2758/8237 and Gasthaus Weitentalhof-Family Blauensteiner, Am Schuss 7, 3653 Weiten, tel. & fax: 0043/2758/8201, www.weitentalhof.at.

For dining and overnight accommodation, we recommend Dorfhotel Grüner Baum, Am Hauptplatz 3, A-3643 Maria Laach, tel +43(0)27128303, email essen@beim-ringl.at, www.beim-ringl.at.

Letzte Änderung: 16 Mar 2026