Mariazell

An excursion to Mariazell—famed for its pilgrimage church and gingerbread—is an adventure, thanks to the winding road that brings you to this Alpine region of northern Styria. The town has been a place of pilgrimage since 1157, when the Benedictines established a priory here. After Louis I, king of Hungary, attributed his victory over the Turks in 1377 to the intervention of its Virgin, Mariazell's reputation for miracles began to spread. As a year-round resort, Mariazell offers a wide panoply of sports and recreation; in winter there's a good ski school for beginners and young people.