Kreuzwegstation Unterlaa

The Kreuzwegstation Unterlaa stands in the southern Vienna district of Favoriten, within the Unterlaa neighbourhood near Scheunenstraße. This late Baroque way chapel, also called a Bildstock or Breitpfeiler, was once the second station of a pilgrimage route leading south from Vienna to Maria Lanzendorf. The structure is protected as a listed monument and marks a quiet spot along what was once a busy route for worshippers.

It was erected in 1774 by the Wiener Bürgerliche Branntweininnung, a guild of distillers, and originally held a painting of Christ on the Mount of Olives. The image showed a rare detail: a streak of lightning flashing from the clouds above, symbolising the moment’s drama. When the pilgrimage path was abandoned, Unterlaa’s local council took responsibility for preserving the chapel. Later, the painting was replaced by a faithful mosaic, while the original artwork now resides in the Favoriten district museum.

Visitors find a small stone pillar topped by a niche that once held the image. The chapel’s modest form contrasts with the powerful scene it once displayed. The surrounding area remains residential, with farm buildings and quiet streets nearby. The lightning motif remains the chapel’s most striking feature, linking a moment of prayer with a sudden flash of nature’s force.