Discover Our Lady in the Woods-St. Felix

Our Lady in the Woods-St. Felix offers travelers several specific points of interest: the pilgrimage church with its Gothic structure and Baroque furnishings, trails to Gampen Pass, and natural attractions near St. Felix. When choosing where to stay, the different themes and starting points of the trails are especially helpful. This lets you distinguish between culture, walks, and the cycling route when planning, rather than treating different routes or durations as the same.

Pilgrimage Church and Art

The present three-nave Gothic church of Our Lady in the Woods was consecrated on June 10, 1432. The pilgrimage church contains carved Baroque altars; the high altar displays an image of the Virgin Mary with the Child in a glazed Rococo shrine. The Gothic architectural style, Baroque altars, and Rococo shrine represent different art-historical layers that give the place a distinctive cultural identity.

Our Lady in the Woods is considered one of Tyrol’s oldest pilgrimage sites. The church lies on the historic long-distance route from Merano over Gampen Pass to Milan. The pilgrimage and Stations of the Cross trail leads from Gampen Pass to the church and includes 14 Stations of the Cross, as well as a 15th station in the cemetery.

Distinguishing Trails by Starting Point and Duration

The walking trails can be distinguished primarily by their starting point, destination, and duration. The walk from Our Lady in the Woods to Gampen Pass starts at Widummoos, right by the village center, and takes around 50 minutes. The approximately one-hour AVS Trail No. 9, by contrast, starts at the Klammbrücke car park above St. Felix and leads through forest and open larch meadows to Felixer Weiher. These are two different routes: a walk from the village center in the direction of the pass, and a hike from above St. Felix through forest and meadows to the lake. Trail conditions may vary.

Another route is the Sentiero Dinosauri nature trail from Gampen Pass to Senale. The route takes about one hour. Check conditions and signage on site. Unlike the two walking trails, both Gampen Pass and Senale are named as endpoints here.

Nature Near St. Felix and in Senale

Felixer Weiher is located at an elevation of 1,604 meters near St. Felix. Swimming is permitted in this natural biotope lake; swimming access may be regulated seasonally. Senale offers a different natural attraction: the protected wetland of Widummoos is right next to the church. The lake and wetland are therefore distinct points of interest, while Widummoos is directly associated with the church.

Getting Here and Further Information

Bus route 246 runs from Lana via Gfrill and Gampen Pass to Our Lady in the Woods and St. Felix. Check the current timetable before traveling. For cyclists, Gampenstraße forms a cycling route from Lana over Gampen Pass to Our Lady in the Woods and St. Felix, and onward to Mendel Pass. Road and cycling conditions may vary. The Gampen Bunker, just beyond Gampen Pass, houses mineral and photography exhibitions.

Discover more destinations: Tisens, Marling, Gargazon, St. Martin in Passeier, Riffian, Lana an der Etsch, Algund, Burgstall.

For the regional travel overview: Burggrafenamt.