Sankt Magdalena im Gschnitztal, Pilgrimage chapel in Gschnitztal, Austria

Sankt Magdalena im Gschnitztal is a small chapel perched on a rocky ledge high above a mountain slope. The structure sits between two valley systems and appears almost like a bird's nest clinging to the steep terrain.

The chapel was first documented in 1307. According to a legend recorded in the Gschnitz parish chronicle in 1766, a nobleman founded it in penance for his sins after a carved image of Saint Magdalene was found at the site; a folk tale names him a knight of Schneeberg who stayed on as a hermit. Pilgrimage flourished and was endowed by the Tyrolean princes, with Empress Maria Theresa donating 1000 gulden a year. Her son Joseph II abolished the pilgrimage in 1787; it revived after his death, and farmers from Ellbögen and Patsch kept up votive processions for a good harvest until 1938.

The name comes from a legend recorded in the Gschnitz parish chronicle in 1766: a nobleman doing penance for his sins wanted a church to Mary Magdalene, and a carved image of the saint was found at the chosen spot; a folk tale names him a knight of Schneeberg who stayed on as a hermit. Farmers from Ellbögen and Patsch held processions here for a good harvest until 1938.

The chapel stands at 1661 m on a rocky spur about 400 m above the Gschnitztal valley floor. It is reached on hiking trails from Gschnitz and Trins, or via a via ferrata from Gschnitz; from Gschnitz a path with 14 Stations of the Cross leads up to it. The former hermitage beside the chapel now serves as a snack station.

Inside the chapel are well-preserved wall paintings from the 13th century that lay hidden under plaster for centuries. The altar displays a modern crucifix from the mid-20th century, creating an interesting contrast with the ancient frescoes.