Schüsserlbrunn Pilgrimage Church

The Wallfahrtskapelle Schüsserlbrunn stands in the village of Lantsch, part of Breitenau am Hochlantsch in the Steiermark region. It sits at 1,363 metres above sea level on a small man-made terrace at the foot of the Lantschmauern cliffs. The chapel is dedicated to Maria Hilf and belongs to the parish of Sankt Erhard in Breitenau. Nearby, a healing spring flows from a rock face into hand-carved stone bowls. The name Schüsserlbrunn comes from these small ‘schüsseln’, or bowls, that collect the water. The site has drawn pilgrims for centuries, though written records only begin in the 19th century. Local teacher Maria Sametz gathered oral traditions and parish chronicles, suggesting the pilgrimages may date back to the 14th century. A legend tells of a cow that fell from the cliffs yet survived unharmed, leading to the discovery of a Madonna image beside the spring. The spring’s healing power is linked to another tale of a blind boy regaining his sight after washing his eyes with its water. For decades, hermits lived at the site, including Flurl and Maurermichl in the 19th century. Inside the wooden chapel, built in 1882, a two-metre-wide porch leads to the main space with eight wooden benches and a central altar topped by a Madonna image. The ceiling holds a chandelier, and walls display many votive paintings, some older than the chapel itself. Behind the building, a narrow fissure in the rock face drips water onto a flat stone with a 30-centimetre basin and smaller bowls carved into its surface. The surrounding area, part of the Almenland nature park, offers views of the Hochlantsch massif and nearby peaks.