Wallfahrtskirche Maria Schnee, Seckau, Baroque pilgrimage church in Seckau, Austria.
Wallfahrtskirche Maria Schnee is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage church in the Seckau Alps in Styria, Austria, standing at 1,822 metres above sea level and considered the highest pilgrimage church in the Eastern Alps. It was built on the initiative of Seckau provost Paul Auer for alpine herdsmen and dairymen, and was consecrated on 2 July 1660 to Saint Jerome, the patron saint of livestock.
The site was used as a chapel dedicated to Saint Jerome from 1660 onward. After Seckau Abbey was dissolved in 1782, the building received its current dedication to Mary of the Snow.
Pilgrims visit the church to honor the Mother of God, whose statue is carried between the village and the mountain church following an old seasonal custom. This procession remains part of local religious life today.
Reaching the church requires hiking along mountain paths, so sturdy footwear and a reasonable level of fitness are needed. Weather can change quickly at this elevation, so bringing warm and waterproof layers is a good idea.
The church stands at 1,822 metres and is the highest pilgrimage church in the Eastern Alps. From the ridge above it, a marked hiking trail continues to the Seckauer Zinken (2,397 m) and the Geierhaupt (2,417 m), or descends to the Goldlacke and Ingeringsee lakes.
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