This shaded pilgrimage route takes us from the Church of Maria Weißenstein (‘Cathedral of the Dolomites’) up to the small chapel of St Leonhard – Einsiedler, which stands in the middle of the forest and is named after the monastery’s founder, the farmer Leonhard Weißensteiner: it was here that the Virgin Mary appeared to him in 1553. The route is suitable for families with young children, but not for people with walking difficulties.

From the A22 Brenner motorway (Neumarkt exit) to Auer, then via Montan and Petersberg on to Maria Weißenstein.

Public transport: Take the train to Neumarkt and from there the bus to Maria Weißenstein.

From the large car park at the Maria Weißenstein pilgrimage site (several reserved spaces for people with disabilities, bus stop), we follow the signposts northwards towards the St. Leonhard Hermitage. A wide, gravel-surfaced forest track (no vehicles allowed, with a barrier) leads us steadily uphill through the sparse coniferous forest. Passing wooden Stations of the Cross along the way, we eventually reach a junction, from where the path climbs steeply up to the small church of St. Leonhard – Einsiedler. The one-way distance is just under 2 km, so the round trip is around 4 km.