Wallfahrtskirche Maria Rast

Maria Rast is a pilgrimage church perched 150 metres above Zell am Ziller in the Zillertal Alps. It stands in the former gold-mining district of Hainzenberg, reached by the Gerlospass road and a woodland path lined with fourteen Stations of the Cross. A small grotto built by miners in 1870 marks the route, and beside the church the first schoolhouse of Hainzenberg still stands. The surrounding landscape is protected as part of the conservation area around the church. The church replaced an earlier wooden chapel in 1738, its present form completed by 1756. The high altar in rococo style, installed in 1748, holds a venerated statue of the Virgin and Child flanked by statues of Saints John Nepomuk, Erasmus and eight angels. Side altars honour Saint Joseph and Saint Notburga, while the five stained-glass windows depict scenes from the life of Mary. The ceiling painting of 1741 shows four key moments in her story, and the fourteen Stations of the Cross line the walls. Visitors follow the quiet forest path from Zell am Ziller, passing the miners’ grotto and the old schoolhouse before arriving at the churchyard. Inside, the rococo altar dominates the space, its gilded carvings catching the light from the painted windows. The smaller shrines and statues of local saints add to the calm atmosphere, while the organ built by Johann Pirchner in 1977 provides music for services. Beyond the churchyard the protected meadows and alpine slopes stretch out, offering peaceful views over the valley.