Neukirchen an der Enknach: Church Art and Trails

Neukirchen an der Enknach combines sacred architectural and art history with marked hiking trails and seasonal winter sports. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can plan according to whether church architecture, route choices or winter activities should be the main focus.

Compare Hiking Trails and Destinations

A route description updated on June 23, 2023 lists four hiking trails in Neukirchen; each starts and ends at the village square. Yellow signs and distance markers identify the trails. The blue-marked Panorama Trail is seven kilometers long and offers views of Neukirchen. One of its attractions is the waterwheel at the Dietzingermühle, also known as the Bäckermühle. The red-marked Sandtal Trail is 8.5 kilometers long and leads to the Jägerkapelle. The Panorama Trail is 1.5 kilometers shorter than the Sandtal Trail. Their destinations also differ: views of Neukirchen and the waterwheel on the Panorama Trail, and the Jägerkapelle on the Sandtal Trail. You can take both length and destination into account when choosing between the two routes.

Other routes connect the village with cycling paths along the Inn or the Mattig; some pass right through the Lachforst. At the village square, the bicycle charging station can charge up to eight batteries at the same time. For cyclists traveling together, this simultaneous capacity is a practical detail for planning.

Church Architecture and Sacred Art

The parish church of the Assumption of Mary was built in 1430 by Burghausen master builder Oswald Bürckel in the Gothic style as a two-aisled church with a stellar rib vault. “Two-aisled” describes the layout of the church interior, while “stellar rib vault” refers to a particular type of vault; the terms therefore describe different features of the building. The church is considered the oldest Marian pilgrimage site in Upper Austria. It is protected under Austrian monument protection law. The Federal Monuments Authority’s entry dated June 23, 2026, also covers the cemetery, boundary wall and entrance complex.

A Gothic statue of “Mary with the Child,” dating from around 1460, can be seen on the right-hand side of the chancel arch, opposite the pulpit. The Sebastian Chapel was built in 1764 in place of an older charnel house; its late Baroque altarpiece depicts the plague saints Sebastian and Rochus. The Neukirchen Nelson organ has a total of 1,128 pipes. The Neukirchen Christmas nativity scene is housed in the All Souls’ Chapel. It comprises around 180 figures, including fully sculpted and dressed figures. The buildings and artworks thus range from the Gothic church and statue to the later chapel with its late Baroque altarpiece.

Mill, Stream and Winter

The Bäckermühle in Dietzing has largely been preserved in its original condition and is now used to generate electricity. The mill thus brings together a preserved historic state and a present-day use.

The Enknach is a stream about 30 kilometers long that flows into the Inn. The Inn also features along cycling routes, with paths connecting the village to routes along the Inn or the Mattig. In winter, a cross-country ski trail adds to the sporting activities available in Neukirchen an der Enknach.

Discover more destinations: Treubach, Friedburg, Lehrsberg, Tarsdorf, Sankt Radegund, Palting, Sankt Veit im Innkreis, Burgkirchen

Return to the main travel overview: Braunau am Inn.