When planning a trip to Wölfnitz, two perspectives stand out: church and local history, and routes with named itineraries and terrain. The parish church of Wölfnitz/Saualpe, St. Leonhard an der Saualpe and the St. Leonhard Cross offer different historical and geographical points of reference. The Marian Pilgrimage Route and the “Around the Saualpe” tour add two distinct route descriptions to this perspective. This lets you decide in advance whether you are more interested in the churches or in a specific route.

The Parish Church of Wölfnitz/Saualpe

The parish church of Wölfnitz/Saualpe stands at an elevation of 1,127 metres and is surrounded by a former defensive wall. It was first mentioned in a document in 1237. The year marks its first written mention; the wall points to an earlier defensive function. The combination of its elevation, documented history and architectural feature makes the parish church a distinctive starting point for exploring Wölfnitz’s cultural history.

St. Leonhard an der Saualpe and the Cross

St. Leonhard an der Saualpe is a branch church of Wölfnitz in the municipality of Griffen. Together with the Mesnerkeusche, it stands at an elevation of 1,224 metres, surrounded by forest on a spur of a southeastern ridge of the Saualpe. The St. Leonhard Cross stands north of the branch church at an elevation of almost 1,300 metres. It is a Late Gothic wayside shrine. A wayside shrine is a small religious monument; the term makes clear that the cross is a different type of monument from the churches. The church affiliation, wooded ridge and distinct cross can thus be considered as separate aspects.

In the past, a procession with blessings of the fields and livestock passed by the St. Leonhard Cross on St. James’s Sunday, around 25 July. This adds a former religious practice to the architectural description of the wayside shrine. For visitors interested in history, the reference to fields and livestock offers a concrete indication of the procession’s purpose.

Comparing the Pilgrimage Route and the Tour

The Marian Pilgrimage Route follows the course of the Wölfnitz stream for just under 3 kilometres before continuing towards Wölfnitz. The route also descends steeply into the Wölfnitzgraben ravine. These are different details to bear in mind: the stream describes a section of just under three kilometres, while the ravine marks a steep descent. If you are interested in the pilgrimage route, you can use these named features as practical points of reference for your planning.

After a steep climb from Untergreutschach, the “Around the Saualpe” tour follows an asphalt road to Wölfnitz. Compared with the Marian Pilgrimage Route, the difference lies in the specific route features mentioned: the former follows a stream and descends steeply into the Wölfnitzgraben ravine, while the latter involves a steep climb and an asphalt road to Wölfnitz. For your trip planning, you can choose the route whose described features best match your interests.

Discover more destinations: Völkermarkt, Diex, Rammersdorf, Klopein, Lind, Eberndorf, Weißeneggerberg, Unterburg am Klopeiner See.

Back to the main travel overview: Völkermarkt.