Schwadorf: Pilgrimage, Cultural Heritage and Landscape

Schwadorf combines local religious history and historic memorials with opportunities for outdoor activities. Highlights for your stay include the parish church and the history of pilgrimage, dated columns and crosses, walks, cycling and the indoor swimming pool.

Church and Pilgrimage History

The Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary dates from before 1200 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please check the opening hours again before your arrival. In the 17th century, Schwadorf developed into a place of pilgrimage because of the famous image of Mary, “Maria Hilf” (Our Lady of Perpetual Help). The town’s history therefore includes both a church dating from before 1200 and the later development of pilgrimage.

Columns, Crosses and Historic Traces

The Marian column, also known as the “Community Column,” was erected in 1595. The Bakers’ Cross Column followed in 1624, commissioned by the local citizen and master baker Hans Krapf and his wife Rosina. In 1674, the municipality erected the Plague Cross Column on the site of a former plague cemetery, in honour of the Most Holy Trinity. This is distinct from the Trinity Column, which was erected in 1700 and renovated several times. It stands on the main square toward Wr. Herberg, on Landeshauptstraße 156, about two kilometres from the built-up area.

The stone Butchers’ Cross was erected in 1734 by butcher Franz Ferschel among the vineyards on the border with Wr. Herberg. The Gallows Cross was built in 1770 and features an image of the “Sorrowful Mother of God.” The Guardian Angel Cross originally derives from a wooden cross by the road to Rauchenwarth. The war memorial was erected in 1923 in the old cemetery in front of the parish church; this cemetery had been closed in 1814. The High Cross, also known as the “Tall Cross,” stands directly on the B10 toward Schwechat, about two kilometres outside Schwadorf’s built-up area.

A castle on the western bank of the Fischa is documented as early as 1331. The former fortress of Schwadorf Castle was surrounded by circular walls and moats. A separate artistic reference is Adalbert Stifter’s oil painting “The Factory Garden in Schwadorf”: he depicted the grounds in 1835.

Walks, Cycling Tour and Indoor Swimming Pool

The open expanses of meadows and fields invite you to enjoy long walks. Schwadorf Forest extends into the municipal area of the pilgrimage town of Rauchenwarth, with its Bründl Church, creating a landscape connection beyond Schwadorf.

The Römerland Carnuntum Cycling Tour 54 is signposted in both directions. The section leading to Schwadorf follows a paved farm track. This describes both the route’s signage and the surface along this section.

Following its renovation in 2018, Schwadorf Indoor Swimming Pool featured a modern swimming hall and a café with an outdoor garden seating area. If you are planning a visit, please check current availability in advance.

Discover more destinations: Fischamend Dorf, Tullnerbach-Lawies, Rauchenwarth, Schwechat-Mannswörth, Kritzendorf, Föhrenhain, Gablitz, Irenental.

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