Einsiedelei, Heritage chapel in Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria

The Einsiedelei is a protected stone chapel set into a mountainside in Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria. The small building is closely embedded in the rock face and follows a plain, locally traditional style of construction.

Since about 1560 an image of Saint George was venerated in a rock cave above Lichtenberg Castle. In 1664 Thomas Pichler, a farmer's son from Embach and member of the Franciscan order, obtained permission from the Salzburg archbishopric to settle there as a hermit; he built a small hermitage and converted the cave into a chapel, remaining 35 years. In 1677 the first Mass was celebrated on the mountain with ecclesiastical approval. Emperor Joseph II abolished many such hermitages, but the Saalfelden one was spared.

The name Palfen comes from an overhanging rock or rock dome. On 23 April, St George's Day, a Mass is held at the hermitage, and in summer the hermits sell drinks to visitors. The hermit is chosen by the Saalfelden municipal authorities.

The chapel is reached by a marked hiking trail, so sturdy footwear is recommended before setting out. The walk uphill is moderate and suits visitors who are comfortable on mountain paths.

The hermit is chosen by the Saalfelden municipal authorities, not by a religious order. In 1970 a German visitor attacked the then-hermit Karl Kurz with a firearm after Kurz had described his life on German television. The cave near the hermitage, the Kühloch, is said to have sheltered people as early as the Bronze Age.