Maria Schmolln: Pilgrimage Church, Monastery Garden and Mountain Bike Arena

Maria Schmolln brings together several distinct themes: sacred architectural history, a show garden, rural everyday culture, scenic views and mountain bike trails. If you are looking for a hotel in Maria Schmolln, these different highlights may influence your choice of destination. The information below explains what distinguishes each theme—from a historic building to a circular route with specified distances and elevation gain.

Pilgrimage Church and Monastery Garden

The Maria Schmolln Pilgrimage Church was built between 1860 and 1863; the Chapel of Grace was added in 1880. These two dates outline the sequence of the building’s history: construction of the church was followed by the addition of the chapel. If you are interested in the town’s religious architectural history, this building offers a tangible historical connection.

The Maria Schmolln Monastery Garden is located in the former Franciscan monastery and is laid out as a show garden. It invites visitors to linger and provides information about herbs and medicinal plants. More than 100 plants can be seen, including medicinal and culinary herbs, roses, various types of mint, berries and poisonous plants; there is also a meditation garden. This gives the garden a different focus from the architectural history of the pilgrimage church: here, the emphasis is on plants and their varied themes.

Rural Everyday Culture at the Sollingerhof Farm Museum

The Sollingerhof Farm Museum offers insights into agricultural work, crafts and everyday culture. It features agricultural equipment, historic means of transport, household items and numerous historic tools. The museum is housed in a newly built Innviertel-style timber barn. The collection provides a tangible introduction to various aspects of rural life, ranging from work and crafts to transport and the household. This makes the museum visit distinct in theme from the church’s architectural history and the garden’s focus on plants.

Mountain Biking in the Kobernaußerwald

The KTM Kobernaußerwald Mountain Bike Arena comprises a total of 80 kilometres of uniformly signposted mountain bike trails. One circular route in the arena is 55.5 kilometres long and is signposted for one-way riding. It runs through the Kobernaußerwald and the municipal areas of Maria Schmolln, Höhnhart, St. Johann am Walde and Treubach; the route has an elevation gain of around 1,400 metres. In the Maria Schmolln and St. Johann am Walde area, the arena offers flowing descents, challenging climbs and technical features.

The route details help distinguish the network from the specific circular route: 80 kilometres refers to the arena as a whole, while 55.5 kilometres refers to the circular route. The elevation gain is an additional detail for that route. If you are planning a cycling trip, check trail conditions before setting off. The descents, climbs and technical features described also give an idea of the varied demands of the trails, without reducing them to a single style of riding.

Trails and Views

The “GEMMA SCHMOLLN SCHAUEN – long trail” offers views of the mountains and across the Kobernaußerwald. The Pilgrim’s Fountain beside the Maria Schmolln Pilgrimage Church is recommended as the starting point for the picture trail. These details help distinguish two different trail themes: the long trail is associated with the views, while the Pilgrim’s Fountain is a recommended landmark for the picture trail. Together with the architectural history, garden, museum and mountain bike trails, these offer several specific highlights to consider when planning your trip, allowing you to choose according to your interests.

Discover more travel destinations: Mauerkirchen, Ach, Auerbach, Gilgenberg Am Weilhart, Lehrsberg, Franking, Aspach, Moosdorf.

For the overview of the wider region: Braunau Am Inn.