Pöllauberg: Pilgrimage Church, Views and Hiking Trails

Pöllauberg combines church architecture with themed gardens, viewpoints and marked hiking trails. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between these highlights: the parish and pilgrimage church and the Annakirche above it represent specific architectural and art history, while the hikes are described in terms of different route details and markings. This will help you decide whether culture, views or a hike should shape your stay.

Pilgrimage Church and Annakirche

The parish and pilgrimage church is located at Oberneuberg 1 and is one of the major works of Styrian High Gothic architecture. Just above it, at the highest point of the mountain, stands the Annakirche. It is a small Baroque building dating from around 1730. The high altar in the Annakirche, by contrast, dates from 1644; the image on it depicts “Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child.” It is considered the region’s oldest surviving Early Baroque altar. The two dates refer to different parts: 1644 dates the high altar, while around 1730 dates the small church building. This distinction helps you tell apart the date of the altar and that of the building when viewing them.

Themed Gardens and Views

Ten different, freely accessible themed gardens lie around the pilgrimage church. They offer a distinct garden-focused addition to a visit beyond the churches. The number of gardens and their thematic variety make this area more than a single garden.

A new viewing platform was built northwest of the pilgrimage church in 2009. The “Room with a View” is next to the pilgrimage church and offers a view of the cultural landscape in Pöllauer Tal Nature Park. The location details help with orientation: the platform is northwest of the church, while the “Room with a View” is right beside it. This lets you distinguish between the viewing platform and the named viewpoint overlooking the cultural landscape.

Hikes to Pöllauberg and Masenberg

The Hirschbirnweg towards Pöllauberg is a moderately difficult hike covering 12.6 kilometres with 520 metres of elevation gain. It leads from Pöllau Castle Park to the pilgrimage site of Pöllauberg. The entire route is marked as the Hirschbirnweg Pöllauberg or as Trail 942 from Pöllauberg to Masenberg. The distance, elevation gain and difficulty provide a concrete basis for assessing the scope of this hike.

The Masenberg Loop via Lüßwaldsattel is a separate route. It starts at the nature park arena in Pöllauberg; its red-white-red Trail 942 markings lead to Masenberg. The details answer different planning questions: the length, elevation gain and moderate difficulty help you assess the Hirschbirnweg, while the starting point and trail markings provide orientation for the Masenberg Loop. This lets you match each set of details to the right hike without treating the routes as the same.

Getting There

The nearest SAM stop to the pilgrimage church is HF 5809, the Hauptplatz Pöllauberg bus stop. As transport arrangements may change, check current SAM travel options before setting out.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Fürstenfeld, Karnerviertel, Kleegraben, Loipersdorf Bei Fürstenfeld, Großwilfersdorf, Flattendorf, Burgau, Hartberg

For the overview of the wider region: Hartberg-Fürstenfeld.