Pilgrimage church

Last updated May 10, 2025

A pilgrimage church (German : Wallfahrtskirche) is a church to which pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims.

Pilgrimage churches are often located by the graves of saints, or hold portraits to which miraculous properties are ascribed or saintly relics that are safeguarded by the church for their veneration. Such relics may include the bones, books or pieces of clothing of the saints, occasionally also fragments of the cross of Jesus, pieces of the crown of thorns, the nails with which he was fixed to the cross and other similar objects. Pilgrimage churches were also built at places where miracles took place.

List of Roman Catholic pilgrimage churches

Churches are listed in alphabetical order of the sites in or near where they are located.

Austria

Mariatrost Basilica in Graz MariatrosterKirche2.jpg — Mariatrost Basilica in Graz

Ardning, Styria: Pilgrimage Church of Frauenberg (Wallfahrtskirche Frauenberg an der Enns)
Bad Leonfelden, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Schutz am Bründl (Katholische Kirche Maria Schutz)
Berg bei Rohrbach, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Trost (Wallfahrtskirche Maria Trost)
Bergheim near Salzburg: Maria Plain
Christkindl, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Christkindl (Wallfahrtskirche Christkindl)
Fernitz, Styria: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Trost (Wallfahrtskirche Maria Trost Fernitz)
Gaflenz, Upper Austria: St. Sebald am Heiligenstein
Graz, Styria: Mariagrüner Kirche, Graz
Graz, Styria: Mariatrost Basilica
Gurk, Carinthia: Gurk Cathedral (grave of Saint Hemma of Gurk)
Gutenstein, Lower Austria: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Wallfahrtskirche Hilfreiche Jungfrau Maria auf dem Mariahilfberg)
Heiligengrab, Bleiburg, Carinthia
Horn, Lower Austria: Maria Dreieichen
Kaltenberg, Upper Austria
Kaltenbrunn, Tyrol
Linz, Upper Austria: Pöstlingberg
Maria Dornach (Mitteldorf), Großkirchheim, Carinthia
Maria Gail, Villach
Maria Hilf ob Guttaring, Carinthia
Maria Laach am Jauerling, Lower Austria
Maria Loreto, Saint Andrew i. L., Carinthia
Maria Rain, Carinthia
St Mary's Church, Maria Saal, Carinthia
Maria Schmolln, Upper Austria
Pilgrimage Church of Maria Schnee (Maria Luggau), Lesachtal, Carinthia
Maria Schnee (at about ten places in Austria and several places in Germany and neighbouring countries)
Mariastein, Tyrol
Maria Taferl (most important pilgrimage site in Lower Austria)
Maria Waitschach, Guttaring, Carinthia
Mariazell, Styria – which in 2003–2005 was the venue for the Central European Catholics Day
Molln, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Frauenstein
Pottenstein: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Trost im Elend
Poysdorf, Lower Austria: Maria Bründl
Saalfelden, Salzburg: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Kirchenthal
Sankt Jakob im Rosental, Carinthia: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Elend
St. Wolfgang, Upper Austria
Pilgrimage Church of St. Wolfgang ob Grades, Metnitz, Carinthia
Schollach, Lower Austria: Maria Steinparz
Seggauberg, Styria: Pilgrimage Church on the Frauenberg near Leibnitz
Sonntagberg, Lower Austria
Our Dear Lady, Hochfeistritz, Eberstein, Carinthia
Zistersdorf, Lower Austria: Maria Moos (oldest spring shrine in Lower Austria)
Sanctuary of the Christkindl Church, Steyr [ de ]

Brazil

Aparecida: great Marian sanctuary

Croatia

Trsat, Dalmatia, Croatia: Pilgrimage Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat, Cathedral of St Vitus

Rechberg near Schwäbisch Gmünd: St. Maria on the Hohenrechberg
Regensburg: Alten Kapelle or Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady Regensburg (Kollegiatstift unserer Lieben Frau zur alten Kapelle) in Regensburg in Bavaria
Remagen: Apollinaris Church
Rengersbrunn: Statue of the Mother of God
Reuth bei Erbendorf: Pilgrimage Church of St Mary of the Assumption in the village of Premenreuth
Rieste (Lower Saxony): pilgrimage church of St. John the Baptist on the Lage, pilgrimage to the Lage Cross
Rohr: Braunau in Rohr Abbey dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mariä Himmelfahrt) in Niederbayern in Bavaria
Rütschenhausen: Pilgrimage Church of Maria von der Tann
Rückers, county of Fulda: Roman Catholic Church of St Mary of the Assumption
Saint Salvator (Rauenzell, Bavaria) formerly the oldest pilgrimage of the Diocese of Eichstätt
Saint Bartholomew's: by the Königssee lake in Berchtesgaden Land
Sandizell: St. Peter Church or Asamkirche Sandizell in Schrobenhausen in Bavaria
Schmidmuehlen: Pilgrimage church of the Heiligen Dreifaltigkeit auf dem Kreuzberg
Schönstatt (Vallendar): the Schoenstatt Shrine is an ancient shrine of the Schoenstatt Movement
Schongau: pilgrimage church of St Mary of the Assumption
Schwäbisch Gmünd: pilgrimage church of St. Salvator
Schwandorf: Pilgrimage Church of Our Dear Lady of Kreuzberg
Scheßlitz: pilgrimage church of Gügel
Spaichingen: pilgrimage church on the Dreifaltigkeitsberg
Spabrücken: pilgrimage church of the Black Madonna of Soon
Bad Staffelstein: Pilgrimage Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
Steingaden: Steingaden Abbey in Bavaria, Germany
Steinhausen: Steinhausen pilgrimage church [ de ]
Sulzbach-Rosenberg (Upper Palatinate): Pilgrimage Church of Annaberg
Swisttal-Buschhoven: Marian pilgrimage site with the "Rosa Mystica"
Todtmoos (Black Forest): pilgrimage church of Our Dear Lady of Todtmoos

Tuntenhausen: Papal Basilica St Mary of the Assumption
Uhldingen-Mühlhofen: Pilgrimage Church of Birnau
Unterkochen: Marian pilgrimage church of Unterkochen

Velbert-Neviges: Maria, Königin des Friedens (Mary, Queen of Peace)
Vierzehnheiligen: Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
Vilgertshofen: pilgrimage church of the Dolorous Mother of God
Volkach: pilgrimage church of Kirchberg, Maria im Weingarten
Waghäusel: Marian pilgrimage church
Waldsassen: Holy Trinity Church
Walldürn: Pilgrimage Church of the Holy Blood (Blood miracle of Walldürn)
Weihenlinden: pilgrimage church of the Holy Trinity
Weiler in den Bergen (near Schwäbisch Gmünd): St. Bernhard's on the Bernhardusberg hill
Weingarten: Weingarten Abbey or St. Martin’s Abbey is a Benedictine monastery on the Martinsberg near Ravensburg at Baden-Württemberg
Weltenburg: Weltenburg Abbey near Kelheim in Bavaria
Wemding: pilgrimage church of Maria Brünnlein
Werl: Pilgrimage Basilica, dedicated to the Visitation
- Old Pilgrimage Church, dedicated to Mary
Wieskirche: Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Saviour on the Wies in Steingaden in Bavaria designed by the brothers Johann Baptist and Domenikus Zimmermann
Willich-Neersen: Little Jerusalem Church
Bad Wilsnack: St. Nicholas' and the Holy Blood of Wilsnack
Würzburg: pilgrimage church of the Visitation of Mary Käppele
Xanten: pilgrimage church of St. St Mary of the Assumption
Zell am Harmersbach: Pilgrimage Church of Maria zu den Ketten in the village of Unterharmersbach
Zwiefalten: Pilgrimage Church of the Minster of Our Dear Lady

Gibraltar

Shrine of Our Lady of Europe

Great Britain

Walsingham: Anglican and Roman Catholic shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

Holy Land

Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity
Jerusalem: Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Jericho: Mount of Temptation
Nazareth: Basilica of the Annunciation
Sea of Galilee: Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter (also known as the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes)
Mount Carmel: Stella Maris Monastery (also known as the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Ireland

Knock: Marian pilgrimage chapel of Our Lady Queen of Ireland
Station Island, Lough Derg: St. Patrick’s Basilica

Italy

Amalfi: relics of saint Andrew
Assisi: papal basilica of saint Francis
Badia, South Tyrol: Holy Cross Church
Benevento: relics of saint Bartholomew the Apostle
Loreto, Marche: Basilica della Santa Casa with Black Madonna
Manoppello: Volto Santo (Holy Face), i.e. shroud of Jesus or Veil of Veronica
Monte Cassino: the first monastery of Benedictine monks
Ortona: the relics of saint Thomas the Apostle
Padova: sanctuary of saint Anthony
Pompei: Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei
Re, Piedmont: Madonna del Sangue in the Valle Vigezzo (Vigezzotal)
Vatican: Saint Peter's tomb, Holy Lance, grave of John Paul II and many others
papal basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome: icon of Salus Populi Romani
papal basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme: part of True Cross with Titulus Crucis and Holy Nails
papal basilica San Giovanni in Laterano: Scala Santa (stairs from the palace of Pilate)
basilica minor Santa Prassede: pillar upon which Jesus was flogged
Salerno: relics of saint Matthew
Savona: Nostra Signora di Misericordia
Tirano: Madonna di Tirano
Torino: Shroud of Turin in the cathedral
Varese: Madonna del Monte
Venice: relics of saint Mark
Vicenza: Madonna del Monte Berico
Viterbo: Madonna della Quercia

Lebanon

Our Lady of Lebanon (Harissa, Keserwan District)
Monastery of Qozhaya (Wadi Qozhaya, Zgharta District)
Monastery of Saint Maron (Annaya, Byblos District) - Sanctuary of Saint Charbel
Monastery of Saint Joseph (Jrabta, Batroun District) - Sanctuary of Saint Rafqa
Monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina (Kfifan, Batroun District) - Sanctuary of Saint Nimatullah
Qana Al Jaleel (Qana, Tyre District), where it is believed that Jesus Christ performed His first miracle, transforming water into wine at the Marriage at Cana.