Discover Haslau-Maria Ellend

Haslau-Maria Ellend combines a special pilgrimage tradition with quiet paths along the water and excursions through nature. In Maria Ellend, you can combine religious history, nature observation and physical activity. When choosing a holiday apartment, it is therefore important to consider whether you would prefer to focus your stay on the pilgrimage site, walks along the backwater or cycling tours and paths in the surrounding area.

Nature along the backwater and paths through the Danube-Auen

The Maria Ellend–Haslau–Regelsbrunn hiking trail follows a backwater. Beavers have their feeding grounds along this body of water, while kingfishers fly past. From the banks of Maria Ellend, white-tailed eagles can also be observed as winter visitors. These experiences in nature give the area a peaceful and varied character and offer an appealing contrast to the religious destinations of the pilgrimage site.

The history of the paths also provides practical guidance for planning your day: In the Maria Ellend district, a section of path at Krickldamm was made accessible again, and the traverse there was also renovated. The hiking trail can be reached by taking the REX 7 train to Maria Ellend/Donau station, followed by a 10-minute walk. If you are looking for accommodation for excursions without having to plan car journeys throughout your stay, this specific travel option is a useful point to consider.

Stage 4 of the Römerland Carnuntum Way of St. James from Maria Ellend to Schwechat leads partly through the Danube-Auen National Park. Cyclists can plan the Römerland Carnuntum cycling tour 54; it is signposted in both directions and leads via Margarethner Weg to Maria Ellend and then along Hofstraße to Maria Ellend railway station. This allows you to combine different kinds of days: a walk by the water, a section of the Way of St. James or a signposted cycling tour.

Pilgrimage, history and special places

The Maria Ellend pilgrimage site has a tradition that reaches far back into history. According to a tradition that can be partly documented in historical records, four children are said to have found a statue of the Virgin Mary on the banks of the Danube during the stormy period around the middle of the 15th century. A chapel called “Our Dear Lady in Ellend” was first mentioned in 1466. Since 1929, the Missionaries of the Holy Family have been responsible for the pastoral care of the Maria Ellend parish and have looked after the pilgrimage site.

Several specific sites contribute to the area's religious and cultural character. The mosaic image “Madonna by the Road” was installed on the façade of Maria Ellend pilgrimage church in 1910. The Lourdes grotto was built in 1909 on the opposite side of the road from the pilgrimage church; it was closed temporarily. The mission exhibition provides insight into the worldwide missionary work of the Missionaries of the Holy Family. The pilgrimage park invites visitors to reflection, relaxation and walks in nature.

Dates for planning your trip

Those wishing to plan their trip around a pilgrimage date can take two recurring dates into account. The monthly pilgrimage at the Maria Ellend pilgrimage site takes place on the Sunday following the 13th of each month at 6:00 p.m. The main pilgrimage at the Maria Ellend pilgrimage site takes place on August 15 at 10:00 a.m. This makes it possible to combine the search for a holiday apartment with a stay focused on the area's religious tradition.

For families and other travel groups, Haslau-Maria Ellend therefore offers various ways to spend the day differently without requiring everyone to commit to the same activity. Nature observation along the backwater, a walk in the pilgrimage park, historical insights and a cycling tour each appeal to different preferences.

Other places in the surrounding area

For further trip planning, you can also include Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, Bruck An Der Leitha, Wolfsthal, Petronell-Carnuntum, Rohrau, Höflein Bei Bruck An Der Leitha, Gallbrunn and Prellenkirchen in your search. This allows you to compare different destinations before choosing a holiday apartment and the right focus for your stay.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Bruck An Der Leitha.