Mariazell Basilica, the shrine of Austria and central Europe
1 hAll agesAll year; the treasury, 1 May to 26 October
Shrine · 1 h · free · every day from 7:30 · treasury May to October
From ViennaTrain to St. Pölten and the Mariazellerbahn, about 3 h
By carAbout 2 h 15
Stay1 or 2 nights
Advent19 November to 20 December 2026
Coming up
Coming up in Mariazell
What to do
What to do in Mariazell
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Mariazellerbahn, from St. Pölten to Mariazell on a narrow-gauge train
2 h 30 · 84 kmAll ages; children aged 6 to 14, half priceDog-friendlyAll year; panoramic carriage and Ötscherbär on weekends from May to 1 November and in Advent
Mountain railway · 84 km · about 2 h 30 · from €22 · panoramic carriage at weekends
From €22
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Bürgeralpe, Mariazell's cable car and the Holzknechtland
3 hAll ages; children aged 4 to 15 with a children's fareDog-friendlyMid-April to 1 November; in winter, skiing from 26 December to 7 March and Lichterzauber
Cable car and mountain park · half a day · return from €30 · April to November and in winter
From €30
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Lichterzauber, the winter light trail on the Bürgeralpe
erLebzelterei Pirker, Mariazell's gingerbread workshop
The Erlaufsee, Mariazell's lake by steam tram or on foot
Mariazell Advent, market and lights in front of the basilica
The Ötschergräben, the "Grand Canyon of Austria", from the Mariazellerbahn
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Mariazell, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Mariazell
All year, because the basilica is open daily. From May to October the Mariazellerbahn panoramic carriage, the Bürgeralpe park and the Ötschergräben are running. Advent, from 19 November to 20 December 2026, is the prettiest time and the busiest. From 2 to 20 November 2026 the train is replaced by buses.
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How you travel
Mariazell your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By train on the Mariazellerbahn
Going to Mariazell by train is half the journey: Westbahn from Vienna to St. Pölten and, from there, the Mariazellerbahn up the Pielach valley and past the Ötscher, about two and a half hours of narrow gauge. Everything in the village is done on foot, and the lake and the gorges are within reach of the train or tram. You don't need a car, but do check the return timetable carefully.
120–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Drei Hasen, on the…
- Getting aroundWestbahn Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling…
- Where to eatBrauhaus Mariazell
- ServicesMariazell station
Where to stay
- Hotel Drei Hasen, on the Wiener Straße
- Hotel Goldene Krone, opposite the basilica
- Montestyria, 200 m from the centre
Getting around
- Westbahn Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling – St. Pölten
- Mariazellerbahn St. Pölten – Mariazell, with a stop at Wienerbruck for the Ötschergräben
- Bürgeralpe cable car from the centre
Where to eat
- Brauhaus Mariazell
- Hotel Goldene Krone restaurant, open on Sunday until 21:00
- Berggasthof Bürgeralpe
Services
- Mariazell station
- St. Pölten main station
By car through the Traisen valley
By car you arrive from Vienna in about two and a quarter hours. It pays off if you want to get around the area: the Erlaufsee, the Gemeindealpe at Mitterbach or the Ötschergräben without watching the train timetable. A good option is to drive to St. Pölten, leave the car in the station car park and take the Mariazellerbahn.
110–190 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayMontestyria, with a parking space…
- Getting aroundA1 to St. Pölten and…
- Where to eatBrauhaus Mariazell
- ServicesSt. Pölten main station
Where to stay
- Montestyria, with a parking space or charging point included
- Hotel Drei Hasen, with parking behind the hotel
- Hotel Goldene Krone, in the centre
Getting around
- A1 to St. Pölten and mountain roads to Mariazell
- P+R at St. Pölten station if you combine car and train
- In winter, winter tyres are compulsory when there is snow
Where to eat
- Brauhaus Mariazell
- Hotel Goldene Krone restaurant
Services
- St. Pölten main station
Fly to Vienna and take the mountain train to Mariazell
Mariazell has no airport nearby: you get there via Vienna-Schwechat (VIE), which has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. From the airport you go to Wien Hauptbahnhof, continue by train on the Westbahn to St. Pölten and there board the Mariazellerbahn. By hire car from the airport allow a little over two hours.
- Getting thereVienna-Schwechat (VIE): ÖBB train to…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the village…
- Where to stayHotel Drei Hasen, on the…
- ServicesSt. Pölten main station
Getting there
- Vienna-Schwechat (VIE): ÖBB train to Wien Hauptbahnhof; the CAT goes by coach to Wien Mitte because of the S-Bahn works until October 2027
- Westbahn from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Wien Meidling to St. Pölten
- Mariazellerbahn from St. Pölten to Mariazell, about two and a half hours; from 2 to 20 November 2026, replacement bus
Getting around
- On foot around the village: basilica, Pirker workshop and cable car within ten minutes
- Hire car at the airport if you want to come back by another route or go up to the Ötschergräben and the Erlaufsee at your own pace
- Steam tram to the Erlaufsee in season
Where to stay
- Hotel Drei Hasen, on the main street, close to everything
- Montestyria, if you want a chalet with a sauna for two nights
Services
- St. Pölten main station
- Mariazell station
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Mariazell for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Mountain train, cable car and a gingerbread workshop
Mariazell works well with children because the journey is already an attraction: the narrow-gauge train, with its open carriage in summer, the cable car that leaves from the centre and the workshop where you see the gingerbread hearts being made. The whole village is covered on foot.
- What works bestThe Mariazellerbahn: the Ötscherbär has…
- Where to stayMontestyria, with two-floor chalets for…
- Where to eatBrauhaus Mariazell, home-style Styrian cooking
- Bear in mindThe Ötschergräben are not for…
What works best
- The Mariazellerbahn: the Ötscherbär has an open carriage on summer weekends; children aged 6 to 14 half price
- The Bürgeralpe: the Holzknechtland and the beaver pond, the forest train and the Wald8erBahn in season; children aged 4 to 15 with a children's fare
- The Lichterzauber in Advent, an hour's light trail in the evening
- The erLebzelterei Pirker, with a competition and tasting
Where to stay
- Montestyria, with two-floor chalets for four and a heated pool
- Hotel Drei Hasen, in the centre
Where to eat
- Brauhaus Mariazell, home-style Styrian cooking
- Berggasthof Bürgeralpe, with a small Schnitzel for children in summer
Bear in mind
- The Ötschergräben are not for small children
- The Pirker workshop is closed on Sundays outside December
- The cable car does not run every day outside summer: check the calendar
What to do as a family
Mariazell Basilica, the shrine of Austria and central Europe
The Mariazellerbahn, from St. Pölten to Mariazell on a narrow-gauge train
Bürgeralpe, Mariazell's cable car and the Holzknechtland
Lichterzauber, the winter light trail on the Bürgeralpe
erLebzelterei Pirker, Mariazell's gingerbread workshop
The Erlaufsee, Mariazell's lake by steam tram or on foot
Mariazell Advent, market and lights in front of the basilica
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're drivingif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Montestyria Chalets & Suiten
Why we like it: Upper-range 4-star chalet hotel on the Kalvarienberg, 200 m from the centre: six chalets with sauna and fireplace, two suites, a heated pool and a jetty on the lake.
Hotel Drei Hasen
Why we like it: Family hotel with 45 rooms on the Wiener Straße, a few steps from the basilica, with a sauna area, a large restaurant and dogs welcome.
Hotel Goldene Krone
Why we like it: Simple hotel on the Grazer Straße, right opposite the basilica, with its own restaurant open all day from Saturday to Wednesday. Welcomes dogs.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Mariazell
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Brauhaus Mariazell
What to order: the Wiener Schnitzel fried in clarified butter with potato salad, or the Steirisches Wurzelfleisch; for dessert, Bröselnudeln.
Wednesday to Sunday · Sunday midday only · on holiday until 18 November 2026
Hotel Goldene Krone Restaurant
What to order: an Austrian dish of the day or a Schnitzel after the visit to the basilica.
Saturday to Wednesday, 11:00 to 21:00 · Thursday and Friday closed
Berggasthof Bürgeralpe
What to order: the pork Wiener Schnitzel with chips, which in summer is included in a combined ticket with the cable car; in winter, something hot before the light trail.
Opens with the cable car · during the Lichterzauber, kitchen until 19:15
Nearby
Near Mariazell
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
47.72° N · 15.81° E
The Rax and Reichenau
By carCar-freeBy plane
47.63° N · 15.83° E
Semmering
Car-freeBy carBy plane
47.79° N · 15.91° E
Puchberg and the Schneeberg
Car-freeBy carBy plane
48.37° N · 15.61° E
Göttweig Abbey and the Kamptal
By carCar-freeBy plane
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the state of the train before booking
From 2 to 20 November 2026 there is a bus instead of the train; the rest of the year, the Mariazellerbahn runs daily.
- 2The panoramic carriage, in season only
Weekends from May to 1 November and Friday to Sunday in Advent. Food on board is ordered 24 hours ahead.
- 3On Sundays, eat early
The Brauhaus kitchen closes at 14:00; the Goldene Krone continues until 21:00.
Mariazell in a day from Vienna
It is about three hours each way by train. If you only have one day, the Wachau or the Semmering is a better use of it.
Mariazell is Austria's most important shrine and one of the great ones of central Europe. According to tradition, in 1157 a monk called Magnus left a carved statue of the Virgin here, and around his cell grew a Styrian mountain village that has lived off pilgrims for centuries. For anyone flying to Vienna from Spain it is not a day trip but a one- or two-night getaway: the journey on the Mariazellerbahn, an 84 km narrow-gauge train that climbs from St. Pölten through valleys and gorges, is half the appeal.
How to get there from Vienna
By train, take the Westbahn from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Wien Meidling to St. Pölten. All fast trains stop there and do not depend on the central stretch of the S-Bahn, closed until the end of October 2027. From the same station leaves the Mariazellerbahn, which takes about two and a half hours to Mariazell. The modern Himmelstreppe trains run daily; at weekends from May to early November and in Advent there is also a panoramic carriage. Note: from 2 to 20 November 2026 the line is closed for works and replaced by buses between St. Pölten and Mariazell. By car it is about two and a quarter hours from Vienna; a good idea is to leave it in the car park at St. Pölten station and take the train up.
What to do in two days
The first day is the village. The basilica is open every day from 7:30, with the Chapel of Grace and, from May to October, the votive-offerings treasury. 150 metres away, at the erLebzelterei Pirker, you can watch the honey gingerbread that is Mariazell's classic souvenir being made. In the afternoon go up the Bürgeralpe on the cable car that leaves from the centre: lumberjack park, viewpoint and, in winter, the Lichterzauber light walk. The second day, the Erlaufsee, the woodland lake on the border with Lower Austria, or, from May to October, the Ötschergräben, the gorge they call Austria's Grand Canyon, starting next to the Wienerbruck stop.
Advent
From 19 November to 20 December 2026 the centre fills with the Advent market, one of the most traditional in the country. Those weeks there is a panoramic carriage from Friday to Sunday, a steam tram to the lake and lights on the Bürgeralpe. It is the best time and also the busiest: book your hotel in advance and, if you can, avoid Saturdays.
Where to eat and sleep
On the main street, the Brauhaus Mariazell serves Styrian cooking and Schnitzel fried in clarified butter; on Sundays it is open only at midday. Opposite the basilica, the Goldene Krone restaurant serves non-stop from 11:00 to 21:00 Saturday to Wednesday. To sleep, the Hotel Drei Hasen is the family house with saunas and dogs welcome, the Goldene Krone the simple option opposite the shrine and Montestyria the treat: chalets with their own sauna, a heated pool and a jetty on the lake.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you get from Vienna to Mariazell?
By train from Wien Hauptbahnhof or Meidling to St. Pölten and there the Mariazellerbahn, about two and a half hours more. By car, about two and a quarter hours.
Does the train run in November 2026?
From 2 to 20 November it is replaced by buses between St. Pölten and Mariazell because of works. From the 21st the train returns, with an Advent panoramic carriage.
How much does the Mariazellerbahn cost?
A single ticket from St. Pölten to Mariazell costs €22, the day ticket €42.90 and the panoramic carriage €40 per journey; children aged 6 to 14, half price.
Do you pay to enter the basilica?
No. The basilica is open every day from 7:30; the treasury only from May to October.
When is the Advent market?
From 19 November to 20 December 2026.
Can you go with a dog?
Yes: the train admits dogs on a lead and muzzled, the Bürgeralpe with its own ticket, and the Hotel Drei Hasen accepts them in rooms and restaurant.