Deutsch Griffen: Sacred History and Routes into the Nock Mountains

Deutsch Griffen combines sacred history with hiking and pilgrimage experiences. The parish church, historic buildings, a forest educational trail and routes from the valley floor into the Nock Mountains give the village a variety of facets. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can use the desired combination of culture, activity and quiet discoveries as a benchmark for planning your trip.

Fortified Church and Historic Traces

The fortified church of St. James the Elder dates from the 12th century. It rises on a mountain spur projecting into the Griffen Valley, shaping the historic appearance of Deutsch Griffen. Its history is also connected with the events of 1476 and 1478: The population expanded the parish church as a place of refuge when the Turks camped outside Deutsch Griffen.

The parish possesses a valuable single-nave Lenten cloth from the late 18th century depicting the Lamentation of Christ. To the northeast of the parish church stands the Early Gothic charnel house dedicated to St. Oswald. The cemetery also contains a mission cross designed as an Arma Christi cross, or Passion cross, bearing the instruments of Christ’s Passion. It was probably erected on the occasion of the first popular mission in 1860.

Access is important when planning a visit to the church: The church is locked, and the key is available at Gasthof Moserwirt. The covered staircase leading up to the parish church has 178 steps; exactly 178 steps lead down from the parish church into the village. The historic villagescape also includes the listed parish barn with its traditional log construction and the lime kiln protected as a historic monument.

Hiking, Pilgrimage and Discovery

Hikes in Deutsch Griffen lead from the valley floor up into the Nock Mountains, including to Lattersteig, Wintertaler Nock and Eisenhut. The Mill Circular Trail begins in the historic centre. A forest educational trail invites visitors to explore the natural environment in their own way. Those looking for a quieter, spiritually themed route can visit the Jakobi Brünnlein, which many consider a place of power.

The Hemma Pilgrimage Route runs through the municipality on its approximately 800-kilometre journey to Gurk Cathedral. The section from Hochrindl to Deutsch Griffen is approximately 7.5 km long and has an elevation difference of around 700 m. This information helps you assess the pilgrimage route in line with your planned focus, without equating it with the shorter discoveries in the village.

The procession on the Monday of Rogation Days is also part of the local tradition. It leads from the parish church to the Kerschbaumer Cross and back to the village; the procession concludes with a devotion in the church. The Kerschbaumer Cross originally stood above the farmhouse on the old connecting route to Hochrindl, the Rauscheggerweg, at the Rauscheggen-Bach fork.

Choose Deutsch Griffen as Your Base

If you would like to combine churches, historic details and routes, Deutsch Griffen offers a correspondingly varied approach to travel. When choosing accommodation, you can consider whether the parish church and historic village centre, the Mill Circular Trail or the longer routes towards the Nock Mountains should be the focus. The Deutsch-Griffen Local History Museum complements the history of the village with prepared work tools from the collection. The Hubertus Chapel has an interior open to visitors with a mural depicting the legend of St. Hubertus.

Other destinations you can consider when planning your trip include Metnitz, Passering, Flattnitz, Liebenfels, Kraig, Sankt Veit An Der Glan, Sadin and Eberstein.

To the higher-level travel overview: Sankt Veit An Der Glan.