Christkindl Pilgrimage Path - In the footsteps of Ferdinand Sertl

The marked pilgrimage path is passable all year round. The circular route is dedicated to Ferdinand Sertl, who suffered from severe epilepsy for years. In the hope of overcoming his disease, Sertl placed a small wax Jesus child in 1695 into the hollow of a spruce tree that stood on the building site of the later pilgrimage church. From then on, he came there every Sunday and performed his devotion and prayers before this "Christkindl." Sertl was healed of his disease, the healing became known, and soon pilgrims came with their concerns to the "Christkindl in the tree" or "To the Christkindl under the sky." In 1697, a small chapel was built around the tree, and the current pilgrimage church was started in 1708.

The high altar shows the original spruce trunk with the wax Jesus child.

First, the path leads from Christkindl to Garsten (walking time approx. 1 hour), where Anselm Angerer was abbot of the then Benedictine monastery, a great supporter of the pilgrimage to Christkindl and generous builder of the church.

Then it goes along the Enns to Steyr to the parish church (walking time approx. 50 min). Here Ferdinand Sertl was choirmaster and caretaker of the city fire station at the top of the tower.

Then it goes back to Christkindl (walking time approx. 30 min). It is the path that Ferdinand Sertl once took to pray alone before the wax Christkindl for healing from epilepsy.

Baroque pilgrimage church Christkindl

Post office Christkindl (end of November - end of December)

The pilgrimage path is marked with white-green signs and is passable all year round