Innviertler Jakobsweg von Schalchen-Lengau /4

From Schalchen, first follow the Mattig and then walk along Mattighofner Strasse past the Protestant church directly into the centre of Mattighofen. You reach the young town in the lower part of the town square. A short detour to the Propsteikirche church is recommended before you walk through the town square in a southerly direction, leaving the music school on your left and turning right into the road that leads via Trattmannsberg to Munderfing. From Munderfing, follow the Via Nova pilgrimage route to the last St James' church in Upper Austria, the parish church of Lengau.
Distances from Schalchen to Lengau: 16.5 kmSchalchen - Mattighofen 2 km, Mattighofen - Munderfing 5.5 km, Munderfing - Lengau 9 km, from Lengau onwards to Mattsee 11 km
History:St James the Elder (Spanish: Santiago) belonged to the closest circle of Jesus' disciples. It is said that he travelled as far as Spain on his missionary journeys. He was beheaded in Jerusalem in 44 AD. His tomb is said to have been rediscovered in north-east Spain in the 9th century. The pilgrimage of St James from all parts of Europe began in the 11th century. Santiago de Compostella became the third largest pilgrimage site in Christendom after Rome and Jerusalem.
The pilgrims mostly followed the existing trade routes, which often dated back to Roman times. In the Innviertel region, these roads led along the high terrace of the Inn (Aenus) to Altheim, then either along the Salzach to Salzburg (Juvavum) or through the Mattigtal valley to Straßwalchen. Here the route joined the old Roman road from Salzburg to Wels (Ovilava).
Until the 16th century, it was mainly the monasteries and hospices that provided accommodation for pilgrims. In Passau, a hospice was attached to the monastery of St Nikola, but the monasteries of Vornbach, Suben, Reichersberg and Ranshofen were undoubtedly also available to pilgrims.
On the Way of St James through the Innviertel region from Passau to Salzburg: 140.5 km
The Innviertel Way of St. James connects the two ancient episcopal cities and former episcopal principalities of Salzburg and Passau, and is a continuation of the Way of St. James that leads from Krumau via the upper Mühlviertel to Passau, starting from St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau, which acquired its current Baroque appearance in the 17th century. You will find the statue of St James at the altar of the Nativity of Christ, who sends us on our way with his blessing. The St Nikola monastery near the University on the Inn was once a pilgrims' hostel for pilgrims to St James.
The pilgrimage route initially heads out of town on the Inn cycle path. At the Ingling power station, the path turns into a gravel path that runs along the wooded steep banks of the Inn to Vornbach. This section through the Vornbacher Enge is a unique landscape. The Neuburg castle soon greets you high above the Inn, here you can either cross the new cycle bridge for a short visit to Wernstein or take the steep path up to the castle.
In the former Benedictine monastery of Vornbach, the side chapel of the collegiate church houses the miraculous image of "Maria am Sand", which used to attract many pilgrims.
In Schärding, you cross the old Inn bridge, from where you have a beautiful view of the town. The town develops its unique baroque splendour on the main square. The Way of St James runs along the Via Nova pilgrimage route as far as Suben. In St Florian, the Gothic church stands on Roman foundations. This area was already inhabited in Roman times, as evidenced by numerous finds of guard stations, country houses and resting places. The former Suben monastery was built on Roman walls. There was a Roman fortification here, which was later converted into a castle with the church of St Lambrecht. The monastery did not survive secularisation and later became a penal institution. After crossing the Lindetwald forest to St. Marienkirchen near Schärding with its remarkable Gothic parish church. On the stage to Antiesenhofen, you cross a very old settlement area that was well populated in Roman times. A troop camp was located at the former mouth of the Antiesen. There is also evidence from Roman times in Antiesenhofen. Via Münzsteuer, the oldest parish in the area, you come to the Augustinian monastery of Reichersberg, the only monastery on the lower Inn to survive secularisation. You now leave the high terrace and walk directly down to the Inn, following it to Obernberg, where you climb up again and can visit one of the most beautiful market squares in Austria. You walk back down to the Inn past the small St Nicholas' Church, which used to serve as a place of prayer and devotion for the boatmen and raftsmen. After the power station, the Lower Inn European nature reserve begins, one of the most important natural jewels and bird paradises in Central Europe. You can watch the birds from several vantage points.
Kirchdorf is a Marien pilgrimage church with a baroque high altar. Now you have to walk the 2.5 kilometres to Gimpling on the road, which is not too busy. In Gimpling, you can stop for refreshments at the inn before climbing back up the high terrace. At the Felder estate there is a chapel with a charred Madonna. The small town of Altheim greets you in the hollow, you cross the town square and turn off after the town hall to the church of St Laurenz.
The area around Altheim was already inhabited in Roman times, as indicated by numerous archaeological finds and the church's patron saint, St. Laurentius. The tuff and brick church is a masterpiece of late Gothic church construction with beautiful paintings. A fragment of a painting of St James can be seen behind the high altar. However, most of the church furnishings date from the Baroque period or the 18th century.
Behind the church, you walk along the meadow path towards Diepolding past a beautiful field cross. In Diepolding, turn left after the village chapel towards the village of Stern. Here again, you turn sharp right at the bend in the road, cross the village of Lüfeneck and enter the Gaugshammer forest, which you will not leave until Rossbach. The Hofinger Chapel, which is dedicated to St Laurentius, invites you to take a short break halfway along the route. You reach a tarmac path, which later joins a road that leads directly into the centre of Rossbach. Here you will find the first church dedicated to St James. To the right of the side altar is the imposing statue of St. Rochis, while the ceiling frescoes in the otherwise simple church depict events from the life of St. James.The churches of St. James in Rossbach, Höhnhart, Schalchen and Lengau date back to around 1000 AD. Emperor Henry II commissioned the diocese of Bamberg, which he had founded, to establish several parishes in the Kobernaußerwald. The patron saint of the diocese is St James, and we leave the village in the direction of Höhnhart, where we meet the Via Nova again in the forest, which we follow to Maria Schmolln. The first church building of "Hohnhartskirchen" is documented from the 13th century, the picture on the high altar shows St James, to the right of the high altar is the statue of St Roch with the plague mark on his thigh. Some sequences from the life of the saint can be admired on the ceiling frescoes.
From Höhnhart, we follow the Via Nova again to Maria Schmolln, undoubtedly the most important Marian pilgrimage site in the Innviertel region alongside Schardenberg. From the pilgrimage church, we continue along the Via Nova trail down to Unterminthal. After crossing the road to Schalchen, you come to a crossroads. Now follow the signposts for the Way of St James and after the hamlet of Perneck you enter the forest, which you follow to Schalchen. At a crossroads, a forest path on the left leads approx. 150 metres to Kindsbründl, a spring that is said to have healing powers for women who wish to have children. Back on the main path, you reach the Auffang district through beautiful mixed forest and continue into the centre of Schalchen, which has one of the most beautiful Jakobskirchen churches in Austria. The newly renovated church impresses with its late baroque stucco ceiling depicting over 20 pictures from the life of St James. The high altarpiece shows the apostle at the tomb of Mary, looking upwards towards her coronation. In a small side chapel is the well-known group of figures by Thomas Schwanthaler, showing the beheading of St Barbara, and the church is particularly impressive in its overall impression, everything is well organised and proportioned.
From Schalchen you first follow the Mattig and then walk along Mattighofner Strasse past the Protestant church directly into the centre of Mattighofen. You reach the young town in the lower part of the town square. A short detour to the Propsteikirche church is recommended before you walk through the town square in a southerly direction, leaving the music school on your left and turning right into the road that leads via Trattmannsberg to Munderfing. From Munderfing, follow the Via Nova pilgrimage route to the last St James' church in Upper Austria, the parish church of Lengau.
Passau - Neuburg 9.0 km, Neuburg - Schärding 7.0 km, Schärding - Suben 6.0 km, Suben - St. Marienkirchen 5.0 km, St. Marienkirchen - Antiesenhofen 9.0 km, Antiesenhofen - Reichersberg 4.0 km, Reichersberg - Obernberg 3.0 km Obernberg - Kirchdorf 5.0 km, Kirchdorf - Altheim 6.0 km, Altheim - Roßbach 9.0 km, Roßbach - Höhnhart 6.0 km, Höhnhart - Maria Schmolln 6.0 km, Maria Schmolln - Schalchen 7,5 km, Schalchen - Mattighofen 2.0 km, Mattighofen - Munderfing 5.5 km, Munderfing - Lengau 9.0 km, Lengau - Mattsee 11.0 km, Mattsee - Obertrum 5.0 km, Obertrum - Seekirchen 7.5 km, Seekirchen - Eugendorf 3.5 km, Eugendorf - Hallwang 3.5 km, Hallwang - Salzburg (centre) 11 km in total: 140.5 km
General informationVerein zur Förderungen der Jakobswege in OÖTel. 0664/4081529Mail: ferdinand.reindl@jakobswege-A.euwww.jakobswege-A.eu
Information about accommodation for pilgrimsVIA NOVA Association - Seekirchen office, Tel. 06216/6868Town council Altheim, Tel 07723/42255Municipal council Schalchen, Tel. 07742/2555Tourism association Mattighofen, Tel. 07742/3445Tourism department of the archdiocese Salzburg, Tel. 0662/8047/2064