Wallfahrtskapelle, Catholic pilgrimage chapel in Bad Staffelstein, Germany.
Wallfahrtskapelle St. Adelgundis is a small chapel in Bad Staffelstein built in traditional Bavarian architectural style with carefully crafted details throughout its interior. The building blends simple religious purpose with hand-finished decorative elements.
A chapel on the Staffelberg was first documented in 1419 and destroyed in 1525 during the German Peasants' War. It was rebuilt in 1653–1654 reusing the surviving choir and eastern nave walls, and consecrated on 8 July 1654 by Johann Melchior Söllner, auxiliary bishop of Würzburg. The nave was extended westward in 1755, and a massive tower replaced an older roof turret in 1871.
The chapel is a pilgrimage site tied to Saint Adelgundis, venerated on the Staffelberg possibly since the 8th or 9th century. In the 18th century the faithful climbed the mountain in the pre-Easter period, when Jakob Hess's Holy Sepulchre, completed in 1765, became the main draw. This stage set of wooden boards with three movable figure groups is still set up before Easter.
The chapel is freely accessible and can be visited at any time when religious services are not underway. It is wise to check ahead whether special holidays or ceremonies are scheduled to choose the best time for a visit.
The Heiliges Grab, a stage-like structure of wooden boards with three movable figure groups, was completed in 1765 by Jakob Heß, a hermit on the Staffelberg. It shows the Harrowing of Hell below, Christ's Passion and tomb in the middle, and angels with instruments of the Passion above, and is set up before Easter.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,647 contributors worldwide.