Wallfahrtskapelle Etzelsbach, Pilgrimage chapel in Steinbach, Germany
The Wallfahrtskapelle Etzelsbach is a red brick Gothic Revival chapel with grey stone trim on its corners, window frames and door surround. Its front facade has a pointed-arch double wooden door beneath a small statue in a niche, and a steep red tile roof rises to a slender dark spire with a louvered base topped by a cross. A round window and tall narrow windows sit on the right side.
The chapel was built in 1898 by Franciscan Paschalis Gratze and replaced an earlier structure from 1801 that could no longer accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. This new construction was part of a long-term effort to better serve the religious needs of the faithful.
The chapel's name Etzelsbach probably derives from the Old High German word for magpie, agaza. The wooden Pietà from the 16th century stands in the right side aisle; legend says a farmer found it when his horses refused to move. The annual Horse Pilgrimage, held on the second Sunday after the Visitation of Mary, traces back to this story, and horses brought by pilgrims are blessed after the Mass.
Visitors can reach the chapel via marked hiking paths, with parking available in the area. It helps to check local information ahead of your visit about services and events to plan your experience accordingly.
The horse pilgrimage traces back to a legend: a farmer's horses refused to move in a field, and the wooden 16th-century Pietà now in the right aisle was found there. The same story is given as the reason a new chapel was built in 1801.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,154 contributors worldwide.
