Wieskirche — Pilgrimage Year Steingaden

Wieskirche — Rococo Wonder in the Pfaffenwinkel

The Pilgrimage Church to the Flagellated Saviour on the Meadow, known as "Wieskirche", is considered one of Europe's most beautiful Rococo structures. Built by the Zimmermann brothers, Dominikus and Johann Baptist, between 1745 and 1754, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983. Over a million people visit the Wieskirche every year, both as a pilgrimage site and as an architectural centrepiece of the Pfaffenwinkel region.

Pilgrimage Year — Structure and Programme

• Opening on May 1st: The pilgrimage year traditionally begins in early May with a festive service.
• Wednesday Pilgrimages from May to October: Every Wednesday features a full day of pilgrimage activities — 9 AM confession, 10 AM pilgrimage mass, 11 AM church tour, 11:45 AM organ concert.
• Festival of the Tears of Christ (June 14th): The central festival day of the pilgrimage church commemorates the miracle of tears from the statue of the Flagellated Saviour in 1738.
• Organ Concerts as the Musical Heart: The Wieskirche's organ is a significant instrument; its regular concerts attract an international audience.
• Church Tours: Guided tours explain the theological symbolism of the ceiling frescoes (the "Gate to Paradise"), the architecture, and the iconography of the pilgrimage.

Federal State and Cultural Context

Bavaria, Upper Bavaria administrative region, Weilheim-Schongau district. Steingaden is located on the edge of the Pfaffenwinkel, a Baroque cultural landscape with numerous monasteries and pilgrimage churches between the Lech and Ammer rivers. The Wieskirche is the spiritual and tourist focal point here.