# Mariazell Austria's great shrine, in the Styrian Alps, reached from St. Pölten on an 84 km narrow-gauge railway. Basilica, cable car and Advent. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/styria/mariazell · Revisado: 2026-11-12 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. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Alps - Cerca: The Rax and Reichenau (a 36.9 km), Semmering (a 41.2 km), Puchberg and the Schneeberg (a 44.4 km), Göttweig Abbey and the Kamptal (a 69.5 km) ## Qué hacer - **Mariazell Basilica, the shrine of Austria and central Europe** (1 h · All ages · Free entry to the basilica): The basilica is the reason Mariazell exists. According to tradition, in 1157 the monk Magnus arrived here with a small carving of the Virgin, and the cell he built grew over the centuries into the most visited shrine in Austria, a goal for pilgrims from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Croatia. Inside you see the Chapel of Grace with the original carving, the Baroque high altar and the side chapels. It opens every day from 7:30, until 19:00 from November to April and until 20:00 from May to October. The treasury, with votive offerings from several centuries, is open from 1 May to 26 October, Tuesday to Sunday. Guided tours are booked on the shrine's website. - **The Mariazellerbahn, from St. Pölten to Mariazell on a narrow-gauge train** (2 h 30 · 84 km · All ages; children aged 6 to 14, half price · Single ticket St. Pölten – Mariazell €22; day ticket €42.90; panoramic carriage €40 each way): The 84 km of narrow-gauge track that climb from St. Pölten up the Pielach valley, cross the Ötscher-Tormäuer nature park and end in Mariazell, already in Styria. It is the classic way to Mariazell and a journey in itself: viaducts, tunnels, the Erlaufklause reservoir and stops such as Laubenbachmühle or Wienerbruck. Every day the modern Himmelstreppe trains run; on weekends from May to early November and in Advent the panoramic carriage, with breakfast on request, and the Ötscherbär with an open carriage are added. From 2 to 20 November 2026 the line closes for works and buses replace it between St. Pölten and Mariazell: check the status on the website before you go. - **Bürgeralpe, Mariazell's cable car and the Holzknechtland** (3 h · All ages; children aged 4 to 15 with a children's fare · Return €30, children aged 4 to 15 €19 (mid-season 2026); forest train €5; dog €6): The Bürgeralpe-Express leaves from the centre of Mariazell, a few minutes from the basilica, and climbs to the Bürgeralpe plateau. Up top you will find the Holzknechtland, a park about the life of the woodcutters with the beaver pond, a viewpoint over the valley and the shrine, the Berggasthof and, in season, a small forest train around two mountain lakes and the Wald8erBahn, an attraction in the forest. In summer it runs from April to 1 November (daily only in school holidays and at the end of October) and in winter it is a small ski resort. The return ticket includes the park and the viewpoint. - **Lichterzauber, the winter light trail on the Bürgeralpe** (1 h 30 · All ages; children aged 6 to 15 with a children's fare, under-6s free · Cable car and entry €34; children aged 6 to 15 €21.50; entry only €16): In the months of Advent and winter the Bürgeralpe becomes, as evening falls, a trail of lights through the snowy forest at 1,270 metres, beside the mountain lake. You go up on the cable car, stroll for about an hour and come down whenever you like. It is open from 16:30 to 19:45: Thursday to Sunday between 19 November and 20 December 2026, daily at Christmas and on Saturdays and Wednesdays until 6 February. Tickets are bought by time slot; at weekends it sells out, but at the valley ticket office tickets are sold right to the end. Combine the lights with the village Advent market. - **erLebzelterei Pirker, Mariazell's gingerbread workshop** (All ages; there is a competition with a prize for children · €7.90 with tasting; children and groups €6.90): Lebkuchen, honey gingerbread, has been Mariazell's souvenir for centuries, and the Pirker family makes it in a workshop 150 metres from the basilica, on the way to the cable car. From a glass walkway you watch the honey dough being kneaded, filled, glazed and the hearts decorated by hand with names and flowers, in more than 80 varieties. The visit needs no booking and ends with a tasting. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 (last entry) from November until Advent; in December, Wednesday to Sunday until 15:00; from May to October, Monday to Saturday. - **The Erlaufsee, Mariazell's lake by steam tram or on foot** (2 h 30 · All ages · Walk free): Mariazell's lake lies north-west of the village, on the border between Styria and Lower Austria, surrounded by forest with the Gemeindealpe behind. You get there by car, on foot along forest paths or, on some days, on the museum steam tram that leaves from Mariazell station; in summer the excursion boat Christina sails on the lake. In summer it is a bathing area; in autumn and winter, a quiet walk along the shore. The tram timetable changes every season: check it on their website. - **Mariazell Advent, market and lights in front of the basilica** (2 h · All ages · Free): From 19 November to 20 December 2026, the centre of Mariazell fills with stalls and lights around the basilica: it is one of the Advent markets with the most tradition in Austria. On those weekends there are extra special trains on the Mariazellerbahn, the steam tram runs again and the Bürgeralpe opens its light trail. It is the best time for a two-night getaway, but also the busiest: book accommodation in good time. - **The Ötschergräben, the "Grand Canyon of Austria", from the Mariazellerbahn** (5 h · Adults and fit teenagers; mountain footwear): The gorges of the Ötscherbach, in the Ötscher-Tormäuer nature park, are the area's great walking excursion: walkways, stairs and waterfalls beneath rock walls. You start at the Ötscher-Basis in Wienerbruck, next to the Mariazellerbahn stop, where you pay the park entry. They are closed in winter, from November to late April. It is a full-day route: plan it around the return train timetable and bring food and water. ## Dónde comer - **Brauhaus Mariazell** (Restaurant, Mariazell, €€). Qué pedir: the Wiener Schnitzel fried in clarified butter with potato salad, or the Steirisches Wurzelfleisch; for dessert, Bröselnudeln. - **Hotel Goldene Krone Restaurant** (Restaurant, Mariazell, €€). Qué pedir: an Austrian dish of the day or a Schnitzel after the visit to the basilica. - **Berggasthof Bürgeralpe** (Restaurant, Mariazell, €€). Qué pedir: 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. ## Car-free: 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 120–200 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Montestyria Chalets & Suiten** (Small hotel): The house Montestyria is a hotel of wooden chalets on the slope of the Kalvarienberg, above Mariazell, with the basilica in view and the centre 200 metres away. It has an upper-range 4 stars and one key from the Michelin guide. There are six chalets and two junior suites in the main house, designed for anyone looking for quiet: a reception with concierge, but without the bustle of a large hotel. The chalets Each premium chalet has two floors: a suite bedroom, a gallery that serves as a second bedroom or a lounge with television, a living-dining room with a panoramic view, a wood stove and equipped kitchen, a private sauna, two bathrooms and two covered terraces. Breakfast is served to you in the chalet. Guests have an outdoor pool heated all year, their own 75 m² jetty on the Erlaufsee and electric bikes for hire. Premium chalets cost from €135 per person per night, for two to four people, with breakfast. The practicalities Each chalet includes a parking space or a charging point. If you arrive on the Mariazellerbahn, the station is in the same village. For dinner, the Brauhaus Mariazell, run by the same owners, is on the main street. Animals are not allowed. - **Hotel Drei Hasen** (Hotel): The house A long-established family hotel on the Wiener Straße, the street that runs down from the basilica, with a painted façade and a large wooden Gaststube. It has 45 rooms in three categories and a restaurant for about 280 people, well used to pilgrim groups. Rooms and sauna Simple, well-kept rooms, some under the eaves. After a day on the Bürgeralpe or in the Ötschergräben the sauna area is welcome: bio sauna, Finnish sauna, steam bath and a relaxation room with tea. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the building. The practicalities Park behind the hotel; there is an electric charging point 150 metres away. Hotel and restaurant accept dogs. In November 2026 it is closed for holidays until the 18th and opens again on the 19th, when Advent begins. - **Hotel Goldene Krone** (Small hotel): The house A small hotel in an old house on the Grazer Straße, right opposite the basilica: you step out of the door and you are on the square. The rooms are simple and central, designed for pilgrims, cyclists, motorcyclists and anyone coming for a night. The practicalities Booking is made directly with the house, by phone or email; the website publishes neither prices nor the number of rooms. Downstairs is the restaurant, open Saturday to Wednesday from 11:00 to 21:00. The house advertises holidays with dogs: ask about the conditions when booking. ### Servicios - **Mariazell station (Mariazellerbahn)**: Terminus of the Mariazellerbahn from St. Pölten · departure of the museum tram to the Erlaufsee · replacement bus from 2 to 20 November 2026 - **St. Pölten main station (Vienna – Mariazellerbahn connection)**: Where you change from the Vienna train to the Mariazellerbahn · Westbahn trains from Wien Hauptbahnhof and Wien Meidling · P+R car park ## By car: 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 110–190 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Montestyria Chalets & Suiten** (Small hotel): The house Montestyria is a hotel of wooden chalets on the slope of the Kalvarienberg, above Mariazell, with the basilica in view and the centre 200 metres away. It has an upper-range 4 stars and one key from the Michelin guide. There are six chalets and two junior suites in the main house, designed for anyone looking for quiet: a reception with concierge, but without the bustle of a large hotel. The chalets Each premium chalet has two floors: a suite bedroom, a gallery that serves as a second bedroom or a lounge with television, a living-dining room with a panoramic view, a wood stove and equipped kitchen, a private sauna, two bathrooms and two covered terraces. Breakfast is served to you in the chalet. Guests have an outdoor pool heated all year, their own 75 m² jetty on the Erlaufsee and electric bikes for hire. Premium chalets cost from €135 per person per night, for two to four people, with breakfast. The practicalities Each chalet includes a parking space or a charging point. If you arrive on the Mariazellerbahn, the station is in the same village. For dinner, the Brauhaus Mariazell, run by the same owners, is on the main street. Animals are not allowed. - **Hotel Drei Hasen** (Hotel): The house A long-established family hotel on the Wiener Straße, the street that runs down from the basilica, with a painted façade and a large wooden Gaststube. It has 45 rooms in three categories and a restaurant for about 280 people, well used to pilgrim groups. Rooms and sauna Simple, well-kept rooms, some under the eaves. After a day on the Bürgeralpe or in the Ötschergräben the sauna area is welcome: bio sauna, Finnish sauna, steam bath and a relaxation room with tea. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the building. The practicalities Park behind the hotel; there is an electric charging point 150 metres away. Hotel and restaurant accept dogs. In November 2026 it is closed for holidays until the 18th and opens again on the 19th, when Advent begins. - **Hotel Goldene Krone** (Small hotel): The house A small hotel in an old house on the Grazer Straße, right opposite the basilica: you step out of the door and you are on the square. The rooms are simple and central, designed for pilgrims, cyclists, motorcyclists and anyone coming for a night. The practicalities Booking is made directly with the house, by phone or email; the website publishes neither prices nor the number of rooms. Downstairs is the restaurant, open Saturday to Wednesday from 11:00 to 21:00. The house advertises holidays with dogs: ask about the conditions when booking. ### Servicios - **St. Pölten main station (Vienna – Mariazellerbahn connection)**: Where you change from the Vienna train to the Mariazellerbahn · Westbahn trains from Wien Hauptbahnhof and Wien Meidling · P+R car park ## By plane: 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. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Montestyria Chalets & Suiten** (Small hotel): The house Montestyria is a hotel of wooden chalets on the slope of the Kalvarienberg, above Mariazell, with the basilica in view and the centre 200 metres away. It has an upper-range 4 stars and one key from the Michelin guide. There are six chalets and two junior suites in the main house, designed for anyone looking for quiet: a reception with concierge, but without the bustle of a large hotel. The chalets Each premium chalet has two floors: a suite bedroom, a gallery that serves as a second bedroom or a lounge with television, a living-dining room with a panoramic view, a wood stove and equipped kitchen, a private sauna, two bathrooms and two covered terraces. Breakfast is served to you in the chalet. Guests have an outdoor pool heated all year, their own 75 m² jetty on the Erlaufsee and electric bikes for hire. Premium chalets cost from €135 per person per night, for two to four people, with breakfast. The practicalities Each chalet includes a parking space or a charging point. If you arrive on the Mariazellerbahn, the station is in the same village. For dinner, the Brauhaus Mariazell, run by the same owners, is on the main street. Animals are not allowed. - **Hotel Drei Hasen** (Hotel): The house A long-established family hotel on the Wiener Straße, the street that runs down from the basilica, with a painted façade and a large wooden Gaststube. It has 45 rooms in three categories and a restaurant for about 280 people, well used to pilgrim groups. Rooms and sauna Simple, well-kept rooms, some under the eaves. After a day on the Bürgeralpe or in the Ötschergräben the sauna area is welcome: bio sauna, Finnish sauna, steam bath and a relaxation room with tea. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the building. The practicalities Park behind the hotel; there is an electric charging point 150 metres away. Hotel and restaurant accept dogs. In November 2026 it is closed for holidays until the 18th and opens again on the 19th, when Advent begins. - **Hotel Goldene Krone** (Small hotel): The house A small hotel in an old house on the Grazer Straße, right opposite the basilica: you step out of the door and you are on the square. The rooms are simple and central, designed for pilgrims, cyclists, motorcyclists and anyone coming for a night. The practicalities Booking is made directly with the house, by phone or email; the website publishes neither prices nor the number of rooms. Downstairs is the restaurant, open Saturday to Wednesday from 11:00 to 21:00. The house advertises holidays with dogs: ask about the conditions when booking. ### Servicios - **Mariazell station (Mariazellerbahn)**: Terminus of the Mariazellerbahn from St. Pölten · departure of the museum tram to the Erlaufsee · replacement bus from 2 to 20 November 2026 - **St. Pölten main station (Vienna – Mariazellerbahn connection)**: Where you change from the Vienna train to the Mariazellerbahn · Westbahn trains from Wien Hauptbahnhof and Wien Meidling · P+R car park ## As a family: 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 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 ### Qué hacer 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 ## Consejos ### Check 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. ### The 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. ### On Sundays, eat early The Brauhaus kitchen closes at 14:00; the Goldene Krone continues until 21:00. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### 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.