Embach between Pilgrimage and Winter Trails

Embach offers a variety of reasons to visit: the Maria Elend pilgrimage chapel and the parish church tell the story of its religious history, while hiking trails, cycling options and winter sports provide other focal points. Horse riding, pottery and baking bread together are also among the activities described. Which side of the village you would like to get to know better can therefore also shape your plans.

Pilgrimage and Church History

The Maria Elend pilgrimage chapel is considered one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in the Pinzgau. Beside the chapel is the Augenbründl spring, where pilgrims wash their eyes. Maria Elend is about a 30-minute walk from Embach. Another, distinct perspective is offered by the mountain biking trail to the Kapeller Alm: it passes directly by the chapel.

Embach parish church also has a long history of construction. The village’s first Romanesque church was built in the 11th century; a new Gothic-style church followed in the 14th century. From 1784 to 1786, the building was enlarged again and redesigned in the Neoclassical style. The original votive image of Maria Elend has also been housed in the parish church ever since. Comparing the two church sites reveals different chapters in Embach’s religious history: the pilgrimage chapel and the architectural development of the parish church.

Hiking and Cycling

Embach’s circular hiking trails range from leisurely full-day tours and challenging alpine pasture routes to demanding summit hikes. The described network therefore encompasses different types of tours and levels of difficulty. If you are planning primarily according to the kind of hike you want to take, you can use this range as a guide without treating full-day tours, alpine pasture routes and summit hikes as equivalent.

Cyclists have two different options to consider: the Tauern Cycle Route runs not far from Embach, while the mountain biking trail to the Kapeller Alm passes directly by Maria Elend. The chapel can therefore be reached both via the walking route described as taking about 30 minutes from Embach and as a point along this mountain biking trail. These details refer to different routes and modes of transport.

Winter Sports in Embach

The ski area in Embach has two ski runs, a drag lift and a beginner lift. The Hörndllift is especially suited to beginners, those returning to skiing and families. For cross-country skiing, the high-altitude trail is a separate option: it runs for ten kilometres through a winter landscape at an elevation of over 1,000 metres and is suitable for beginners and advanced skiers. Its official starting point is in the village centre.

When comparing the winter activities, you can use the options described as a guide: the ski area offers runs and lifts, while the high-altitude trail provides a ten-kilometre cross-country skiing route. The details about route length, elevation and user groups help you assess the cross-country skiing option; they do not replace planning for the specific activity you want to do.

More Experiences

The horse-riding options in Embach include trail rides and riding lessons for beginners and advanced riders. Both trail rides and instruction are mentioned, so if you are interested in riding, you can distinguish between these two types of offering. The Spiritual Centre Embach of the Archdiocese of Salzburg offers, among other things, meditation, fasting, spiritual guidance and personal development.

Crafts and activities to enjoy together are also part of what is on offer: at the Weissacher family’s pottery studio, visitors can create their own small works of art, and seminar farmer Erika Schwab-Röck invites visitors to bake bread together in Embach. The Hoadabauer’s herb garden is freely accessible. The Room of Silence, in a former stable building, is also freely accessible. Both are listed as separate places to visit; the Room of Silence is not part of the Spiritual Centre.

Discover more destinations: Stuhlfelden, Reith, Lenzing, Sankt Martin Bei Lofer, Leogang, Niedernsill, Erlberg, Aufhausen.

Return to the main travel overview: Zell Am See.