Pilgramsberg – Pilgrimage, Church and Nature Trail

Pilgramsberg is defined above all by its pilgrimage tradition. It is also home to the pilgrimage church of St. Ursula, a nature trail and the Goldsteig stage S13. This gives you a choice of different interests when planning your trip: religious history and church art, insights into local wildlife and plant life, or a hiking route with named places. These highlights can help you tailor your search for a hotel in Pilgramsberg to what you would like to experience there.

Pilgrimage and History

Pilgramsberg is one of Bavaria’s oldest places of pilgrimage. The hill of Pilgramsberg already served the Celts as a place of worship. After a statue of the Virgin Mary was installed in 1839, the old pilgrimage tradition to Pilgramsberg resumed and has continued to this day. In the wider destination of Rattiszell, the origin of the Marian pilgrimage on Pilgramsberg is associated with Georg Fenzel: in 1839, the devout farmhand placed his statue of the Virgin Mary on the high altar. The Celtic place of worship and the revival of the pilgrimage in 1839 belong to different eras; Pilgramsberg thus connects early religious history with a pilgrimage tradition that continues to this day.

Pilgrimage Church of St. Ursula

The pilgrimage church of “St. Ursula” on Pilgramsberg is a small building from the late 17th century, set in a prominent location. Its expansive views take in the mountain range of the Bavarian Forest and the Danube Valley. In the wider destination of Rattiszell, on clear days the view from Pilgramsberg reaches as far as the Alps. A stained-glass window depicts Saint Ursula, and several late Gothic wooden figures adorn the church. The construction date and the resumption of the pilgrimage are two distinct points in time: the church dates from the late 17th century, while the tradition resumed after the statue of the Virgin Mary was installed in 1839. The views over the landscape and the church’s art-historical details are therefore distinct aspects to appreciate.

Nature and Hiking

The Pilgramsberg nature trail focuses on local wildlife and plant life, with insights offered at eight stations. In the wider destination of Rattiszell, the Pilgramsberg nature trail is about 3 km long. The number of stations and the approximate length answer different planning questions: the stations indicate the trail’s thematic structure, while its length gives you a sense of its overall scope. In the wider destination of Rattiszell, an abandoned quarry lies north of the pilgrimage church of St. Ursula on Pilgramsberg, along the nature trail.

Goldsteig stage S13 runs from Wiesenfelden via Pilgramsberg to Haunkenzell. It offers a different point of reference for planning a tour than the nature trail: on the trail, wildlife and plant life, eight stations and a length of about 3 km provide the points of reference; on stage S13, Pilgramsberg can be placed within the named route between the two other places. This distinguishes a themed nature trail from a stage described by its route.

For the wider travel overview: Rattiszell.