Untergreutschach: A round ossuary with frescoes

Frescoes in the late Romanesque round ossuary make Untergreutschach a destination for travellers interested in historic architectural forms and sacred art. In Greutschach, wayside shrines, art at the parish church and the Slomšek Pilgrimage Route provide further specific points of interest. You can therefore plan your trip around different priorities: compare architectural forms, admire church art or learn about the route of a pilgrimage trail.

Round ossuary and wayside shrines

The late Romanesque round ossuary in Untergreutschach contains frescoes. Its circular design and the frescoes offer a concrete introduction to local architectural and art history. The Jagakreuz provides a different architectural reference: it is a late Gothic tabernacle wayside shrine with four square niches. The comparison takes you from a round ossuary to a wayside shrine, and from the late Romanesque period to the late Gothic period, making the cultural focus tangible through two different architectural forms.

The Jagakreuz stands about 300 m east of Greutschach parish church, at a fork in the road. The approximate distance and its position relative to the church help locate it, while the fork provides an additional landmark. For families who enjoy exploring culture through tangible forms, the difference between a tabernacle wayside shrine and a round ossuary can be a good conversation starter.

Crosses and church art

The Kowatschkreuz is an open-sided wayside shrine with a projecting gabled roof, two pillars and a wooden crucifix. It stands south of the village, directly beside the road. At present, it is the final stop during the Corpus Christi procession and the rogation processions. If you would like to plan your trip around these events, check the current schedule in advance, as procession arrangements may change.

The Rappatzkreuz is a chapel shrine with an accessible interior and a gabled roof. It stands on the old connecting path from the farmstead to the valley, which was used until around 1955. This historic connection to a route sets it apart from wayside shrines that stand out for their particular architecture or role in processions.

At Greutschach parish church, a memorial plaque to those who fell in the First World War is attached to a buttress on the southern church wall; a large wooden Baroque Crucifixion group is also located on the south side. The two works bring remembrance and sacred art together at the same church, while remaining clearly distinct in theme and form. The parish church of St Martin and the fortified churchyard of Greutschach are protected as historic monuments under an ordinance. Both are listed in the Federal Monuments Authority Austria’s Carinthia monuments register dated 19 June 2026.

Slomšek Pilgrimage Route and planning

The Slomšek Pilgrimage Route runs from the fortified church or the Hauser inn in Greutschach/Krčanje, initially descending into the Wölfnitz ravine. It then follows the stream uphill along a forest track to Wölfnitz and later to St Leonhard on the Saualpe. If you plan to include the route in your trip, check the current route before setting out.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Untergreutschach, it helps to decide on your preferred focus first: are you interested in architectural forms ranging from the round ossuary to the chapel shrine, art and remembrance at the parish church, or the Slomšek Pilgrimage Route? Each of these interests raises different planning questions. Check which location suits your own route.

Discover more destinations: Trögern, Unterburg Am Klopeiner See, Neuhaus, Seelach, Eberndorf, Völkermarkt, Kleindiex, Miklauzhof.

Go to the main travel overview: Völkermarkt.