The Gnadenkapelle at the heart of the Mariazell Basilica houses the Gnadenmutter, a small 12th-century lime wood statue of the Virgin Mary that became one of Central Europe’s most important pilgrimage objects. Emperor Charles VI rebuilt the chapel in 1690 after crediting a Habsburg military victory to the Madonna’s protection; his daughter Maria Theresia made repeated pilgrimages here. The chapel draws approximately one million visitors per year. Free entry. In the center of Mariazell, reachable by the narrow-gauge Mariazellerbahn from St. Polten. The votive image gallery around the interior shows centuries of thanksgiving offerings that are worth reading slowly.
chapel in Mariazell
Gnadenkapelle
The Gnadenkapelle at the center of the Mariazell Basilica is the Chapel of Grace, built around a small lime wood statue of the Virgin Mary placed on a rock by a Benedictine monk in 1157 according to tradition.
- Type
- chapel
- Destination
- Mariazell
- Cost
- Free to visit
- Founded
- 12th century
- Era
- Romanesque
- Address
- Kardinal-Tisserant-Platz 1, 8630 Mariazell, 8630 Mariazell
- Coordinates
- 47.8451, 16.5123
- Official website
- Visit website