Karl: Churches, Chapels and Pilgrimage Traditions

Karl lies in the upper Rabnitz Valley. The village’s history is shaped by churches, chapels and religious customs; at the same time, its wooded surroundings offer hikers peace, relaxation and recreation. When choosing a destination, you can consider historical pilgrimage connections and the landscape as different focuses for your trip.

Branch Church and Local History

The branch church in Karl was first mentioned in the 1597 visitation reports from Draßmarkt. It acquired its present form in 1723 and is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The dates mark different stages: 1597 denotes the first mention, while 1723 marks the creation of its present form. The Catholic Branch Church of St. Catherine and the cemetery in Karl are protected as monuments by regulation. The list of the Federal Monuments Authority dated June 19, 2026, which includes both, is expressly non-binding in legal terms.

Chapels, Shrine and Crosses

The Oswald Chapel also brings together several historical dates. A chapel dedicated to Saint Oswald already existed in 1671; it acquired its present form in 1914. Pilgrimages there from surrounding communities were first mentioned in 1723. Karl is also associated with the pilgrimage to Saint Oswald, who is regarded as the patron saint of livestock. Thus, this place brings together religious devotion and a patron’s role connected with rural life.

The Marian shrine in Karl depicts Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of the Mantle, the Enthroned Madonna and Our Lady of Fátima. It was inaugurated in 1992 as the starting point of the Stations of the Cross. Another landmark is the Pope’s Cross: during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Burgenland, 15 wooden crosses served as confession stations in 1988. One of these crosses was brought back to Karl and is known there as the Pope’s Cross. The Chorbühel Cross also acquired its present form, in 1993. The Furtner Chapel was built in 1860. At the Hubertus Chapel, the laying of the foundation stone and the inauguration mark two separate stages: the foundation stone was laid in 2009, and the chapel was inaugurated in 2012.

Pilgrimage and Dates

The religious routes and recurring celebrations offer different points of reference for planning a trip. Since the Pope’s Cross was returned to Karl, a Mass has been held there every year around the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. A 2023 report describes the Stations of the Cross from the Marian shrine to the Pope’s Cross as an annual event and gives the fifth Sunday of Lent as the date for that year. If you would like to plan your trip around this procession, check the date for the relevant year. This makes it easy to distinguish the Mass associated with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross from the Stations of the Cross date reported for 2023.

Wooded Surroundings and Finding a Hotel

Alongside its churches and chapels, Karl’s wooded surroundings are another part of the village’s appeal: they offer hikers peace, relaxation and recreation. When planning your trip, you can weigh the local religious history against a stay focused on hiking. If you are looking for a hotel in Karl, this distinction can help you decide what brings you here: are you mainly interested in chapels and pilgrimage traditions, or in spending time in the wooded surroundings? The village’s history encompasses both individual construction and inauguration dates, and religious routes and recurring traditions.

Discover more destinations: Markt Sankt Martin, Deutschkreutz, Rattersdorf, Ritzing, Frankenau-Unterpullendorf, Neckenmarkt, Horitschon, Draßmarkt.

Back to the regional travel overview: Oberpullendorf.