Name: Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail — Guided Pilgrimage in Four Stages 2026
Start: 2026-05-14T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-17T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Crescentiakloster und der 90-km-Pilgerweg

Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail

About Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail

Four days, 90 kilometers, four stages: On the Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail, you walk from Kaufbeuren via Ottobeuren and Mindelheim back to Kaufbeuren — in the footsteps of Saint Crescentia Höß, the only Allgäu saint. In 2026, the Crescentia Monastery, together with Kaufbeuren Tourism, is organizing a four-part guided pilgrimage tour from May 14th to 17th: daily departure early from Crescentia Monastery, bus transfer to the start of the stage, pilgrimage with spiritual impulses, return transport in the evening. €25 per stage including bus. Registration required.

Dates 14 May — 17 May 2026

Venue Kaufbeuren (09762)

Prices 25.00€ — 100.00€

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail — edition 2026

The guided pilgrimage on the Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail in 2026 runs from May 14th to 17th. Four days, four stages between 17 and 29 kilometers: Kaufbeuren–Oberegg, Oberegg–Ottobeuren, Ottobeuren–Mindelheim, Mindelheim–Kaufbeuren. Daily departure at 7:30 AM from Crescentia Monastery (7:00 AM on Thursdays and Sundays), bus transfer included. €25 per stage. Registration required via Kaufbeuren Tourist Information.

The 2026 edition was officially announced on April 30, 2026, by Kaufbeuren Tourism and the Crescentia Monastery. The format and prices remain unchanged compared to the previous year: €25 per person per stage including bus transfer, individual stages can be combined, four consecutive days with a new stage each day.

The pilgrimage days take place in all weather conditions — sturdy hiking boots, weather-proof clothing, and sufficient provisions are necessary. Spiritual guidance for the group offers short prayers and impulses during the day, but also allows for periods of silence and individual pilgrimage.

Highlights Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail 2026

Four days of guided pilgrimage on the 90 km circular route, bus transfer included, spiritual guidance, stages between 17 and 29 km, stops include the Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren and the Mindelheim Monastery of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross.

Programme Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail 2026

Thursday, May 14, 2026 — Stage 1: Kaufbeuren → Oberegg (~22 km)

7:00 AM Meet at Crescentia Monastery Kaufbeuren
7:15 AM Pilgrimage blessing in the Kreuzkapelle (Chapel of the Cross)
Bus transfer to the stage start (not required in the early phase, as the stage starts from Kaufbeuren)
Day pilgrimage with breaks, spiritual impulses
Evening — Bus transfer back to Kaufbeuren

Friday, May 15, 2026 — Stage 2: Oberegg → Ottobeuren (~17 km)

7:30 AM Meet at Crescentia Monastery
Bus transfer to Oberegg
Pilgrimage to the Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren — one of Southern Germany's most significant Baroque ensembles
Evening devotion in the Abbey Church (if the Abbey permits)
Bus transfer back to Kaufbeuren

Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Stage 3: Ottobeuren → Mindelheim (~22 km)

7:30 AM Meet at Crescentia Monastery
Bus transfer to Ottobeuren
Pilgrimage through southern Unterallgäu to Mindelheim, with stops including the Fatima Grotto Baisweil
End point at the Mindelheim Monastery of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross
Bus transfer back to Kaufbeuren

Sunday, May 17, 2026 — Stage 4: Mindelheim → Kaufbeuren (~29 km)

7:00 AM Meet at Crescentia Monastery (early departure due to the longest stage)
Bus transfer to Mindelheim
Longest stage with the final destination being Crescentia Monastery Kaufbeuren
Closing Mass at Crescentia Monastery to conclude the four days

Organizers

Crescentia Monastery Kaufbeuren
Kaufbeuren Tourism

Prices Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail 2026

€25 per person per stage including bus transfer. Individual stages can be booked separately, all four can be combined (€100 total). Registration: [email protected] or Tel. 08341 437-190. Free pilgrim passes and route maps available at Kaufbeuren Tourist Information.

Practical information

Practical information — Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail

Getting There

Crescentia Monastery Kaufbeuren, Crescentiagasse, 87600 Kaufbeuren. Kaufbeuren has train connections (Memmingen–Munich line, Kaufbeuren station is a 10-minute walk from the monastery). By car via the A96 (Kaufbeuren exit). Park & Ride at the train station or at the Kaufbeuren underground car park.

Pilgrim Gear

Sturdy footwear, weather-proof clothing, sufficient provisions and water. The pilgrimage tours take place in all weather conditions.

Registration and Costs

€25 per person per stage including bus transfer. Individual stages can be booked separately. Registration via Tourist Information Kaufbeuren: Tel. 08341 437-190 or E-mail [email protected]. Free pilgrim passes and route maps available at the Tourist Information office.

Saint Crescentia of Kaufbeuren

Saint Crescentia Höß (born Anna Höß, 1682–1744) is the only saint from the Allgäu region of the Catholic Church and a central figure of 18th-century South German mysticism. Born in Kaufbeuren in 1682, she entered the Crescentia Monastery there as a Franciscan and later became its abbess. 'Many people from near and far came to seek her advice' — a tradition of spiritual counseling that solidified her reputation far beyond the Allgäu. Pope John Paul II canonized Crescentia on November 25, 2001. Since then, Kaufbeuren has developed into a pilgrimage site of growing supra-regional importance.

The 90-Kilometer Pilgrimage Trail

The Crescentia Pilgrimage Trail is a roughly 90-kilometer circular hiking trail from Kaufbeuren via Ottobeuren and Mindelheim back to Kaufbeuren. It connects stations from the life of Saint Crescentia and 18th-century East Swabian mysticism: the Crescentia Monastery Kaufbeuren (starting point), Gut Bickenried, the Benedictine Abbey of Ottobeuren (one of the most important Baroque ensembles in Southern Germany), the Fatima Grotto Baisweil, the Mindelheim Monastery of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross. The path is divided into four stages.

The Four Stages

Stage 1: Kaufbeuren → Oberegg (~22 km)
Stage 2: Oberegg → Ottobeuren (~17 km)
Stage 3: Ottobeuren → Mindelheim (~22 km)
Stage 4: Mindelheim → Kaufbeuren (~29 km)

Guided Pilgrimage 2026

In 2026, the Crescentia Monastery, together with Kaufbeuren Tourism, is organizing a guided pilgrimage week from May 14th to 17th, during which each stage will be completed by a pilgrimage group on a separate day. This format solves one of the practical problems of classic circular routes: there is no bus connection for stage changes in the morning and evening. The tour starts every morning at the Crescentia Monastery; the bus transfer takes the group to the start of the stage, and in the evening, the bus collects the pilgrims at the stage end and brings them back to Kaufbeuren.

Spiritual Guidance

Spiritual guidance (a sister from the Crescentia Monastery, a priest, or a trained pilgrimage leader) accompanies each day with short impulses, prayers, and periods of silence. Those who prefer to pilgrimage individual stages alone or follow other spiritual paths are also welcome — the guidance is an offer, not a mandatory program.