Böhmerweg (Bohemian Road to Mariazell)

For centuries, pilgrims from Bohemia and Moravia followed the Böhmerweg - the Bohemian Road - southward through the Waldviertel to reach Mariazell, Austria's national Marian shrine. This historic trade route, known in early documents as the "Behmer-Strass," connected the Czech lands with the alpine pilgrimage center that drew the faithful from across the Habsburg Empire.

📜 History & Significance

Mariazell's connection to Bohemia and Moravia dates to the shrine's earliest expansion. Around 1200, according to tradition, Henry Margrave of Moravia and his wife were healed through the intercession of Our Lady of Mariazell, and in gratitude they financed the first stone church. This Moravian connection established pilgrimage routes from the Czech lands that flourished for eight centuries.

The Counter-Reformation intensified pilgrimage traffic in the 17th century. The route passed through Maria Dreieichen on the Manhartsberg ridge, where a furrier named Matthias Weinberger placed a pietà at a three-stemmed oak in 1656 - deliberately choosing this pilgrim thoroughfare. The shrine that grew there became a stopping point for Bohemian pilgrims on their long journey to the Magna Mater Austriae.

🥾 Route Overview

The Böhmerweg follows the general corridor from the Czech border through Austria's Waldviertel region to Mariazell, approximately 200 km of walking. Unlike the formally waymarked Via Sacra from Vienna, the Böhmerweg followed existing trade roads rather than a single designated path.

The route leads from the Czech border region through the Waldviertel's rolling granite landscape, passing through Horn and Maria Dreieichen before crossing the Danube and climbing into the Styrian Alps toward Mariazell. Sections can be traced through regional hiking networks today.

☩ Key Pilgrimage Sites

Maria Dreieichen - The baroque basilica established in 1656 to serve pilgrims on the Bohemian Road. The twin towers are visible for miles across the Waldviertel. Pilgrims venerate the Sorrowful Mother and visit the healing spring at the Bründlkapelle.

Horn - The nearest town to Maria Dreieichen, where the furrier Weinberger lived. The town served as a staging point for pilgrims.

Mariazell - The ultimate destination, where the Magna Mater Austriae has drawn pilgrims since the 12th century. The Gothic-Baroque basilica houses the miraculous lime-wood Madonna.