Maria Lankowitz: Pilgrimage, Culture and Cycling

Maria Lankowitz offers a range of starting points for a stay: pilgrimage and church architecture, cycling tours, seasonal leisure activities and golf. The specific features of each place and route can help you decide what to focus on during your trip.

Pilgrimage, Church Architecture and Local History

Maria Lankowitz is known for rogation processions and pilgrimages. The pilgrimage church of Maria Lankowitz features a Baroque high altar, a miraculous image, a treasury and a Chapel of St Anthony. Its furnishings therefore include several distinct elements that bring the religious character of the place to life.

The pilgrimage church of Maria Heimsuchung was built in its present form between 1678 and 1681. The Castle and Local History Museum offers a different perspective on local history: it is housed in the former late Gothic chapel of Maria Lankowitz Castle. The church and museum thus represent different aspects of Maria Lankowitz’s cultural history—sacred furnishings on the one hand, and a former chapel serving as a museum on the other.

The traditional Lipizzaner descent from the alpine pastures is also part of the town’s events. At the event on 12 September 2026, a blessing of the horses in the castle square was part of the programme. The horse blessing has been organised for more than 20 years.

Cycling Tours and Pilgrim Routes

The Altes Almhaus Tour 182 mountain bike route starts at the pilgrimage church of Maria Lankowitz and climbs steadily into the alpine region of the Stubalpe. The continuous ascent is a defining feature of this tour. The Lipizzaner Tour 747 offers a different focus: it includes a detour to the healing Augustini Spring beside the pilgrimage church and inn. The two cycling routes therefore differ in the route features described: one climbs into the alpine region, while the other includes a detour to the spring.

The pilgrimage church is also a destination on the Bärnbach–Edelschrott stage of the West Styrian Way of St James. On this section, you reach the church after about 30 minutes. This time estimate applies to this stage, so the specific section of the route is the relevant factor when planning your trip. A named pilgrimage route thus complements the local tradition of pilgrimages and rogation processions with a specific route connection.

Summer, Winter and Golf

Leisure activities vary by season. In summer, hiking trails and a bathing lake are among the activities available to visitors in Maria Lankowitz. In winter, the town offers ski runs and cross-country ski trails. If these winter activities are important for your stay, check current conditions before travelling. This seasonal distinction is more useful for planning than assuming the same activities are available all year round.

Another sporting option is the 18-hole course at Erzherzog Johann Golf Club in Maria Lankowitz. Together with the cycling tours, it offers a choice of different activities that do not all require the same travel interests: the routes lead into the alpine region or to the Augustini Spring, while the golf course is a separate activity in the town.

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Voitsberg.