Mariazell
Mariazell
Mariazöö | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 47°46′23″N 15°18′59″E / 47.77306°N 15.31639°E | |
| Country | Austria |
| State | Styria |
| District | Bruck-Mürzzuschlag |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Walter Schweighofer (ÖVP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 414.09 km2 (159.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 868 m (2,848 ft) |
| Population (2018-01-01) | |
• Total | 3,813 |
| • Density | 9.2/km2 (24/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 8630 |
| Area code | 03882 |
| Vehicle registration | BM |
| Website | www.stadt-mariazell.at |
Mariazell (German pronunciation: [ˌmaʁiːaˈtsɛl] ⓘ; Central Bavarian: Mariazöö) is an Austrian city in the southeastern state of Styria. Well known for being a hub of winter sports and a pilgrimage destination, it is located 143 kilometres (89 miles) north of Graz. It is picturesquely situated in the valley of the Salza, amid the north Styrian Alps.
It is a site of pilgrimage for Catholics from Austria and neighboring countries. The object of veneration is an image of the Virgin Mary reputed to work miracles, carved in lime-tree wood. This was brought to the place in 1157, and is now enshrined in a chapel adorned with objects of silver and other costly materials. The large church of which the chapel forms part was erected in 1644 as an expansion of a smaller church built by Louis I, King of Hungary, after a victory over the Ottoman Empire in 1363.