Selpritsch brings together several distinct cultural points of interest: the wayside shrine to the Virgin Mary features a distinctive architectural design and a detailed iconographic program, the branch church has a history of renovation, and the Marian pilgrimage route leads to Selpritsch along named paths. For your travel plans, this means you can focus on sacred art and architecture, local church history or a specific stretch of the pilgrimage route.
Wayside Shrine to the Virgin Mary: Architecture and Iconographic Program
The wayside shrine to the Virgin Mary in Selpritsch is a broad-pillar shrine. Its gabled roof is covered with wooden shingles, and a large niche has a red-painted surround. In the niche, the shrine depicts the crowned Virgin Mary holding a scepter and the Christ Child, as well as an IHS monogram of Jesus. The exterior walls feature Saint Anthony the Hermit, Saint Florian and Saint Christopher. The motifs can therefore be distinguished by location: Mary and the monogram are in the niche, while the three figures of saints are on the exterior walls.
Branch Church and Church History
The branch church in Selpritsch was renovated in several stages, both inside and out, during the 1970s and 1980s. During a hiking day organized by the parish association, the group of pilgrims passed the branch church in Selpritsch (St. Andrew); the church greeted them with the ringing of its bells. The two details show different aspects of the place: the church’s renovation and a specific event involving the parish association.
The Marian Pilgrimage Route and Its Stages
The Marian pilgrimage route reaches the village church in Selpritsch via the so-called Augsdorf Forest Path and Selpritscher Straße. The section between Augsdorf and Selpritsch is listed as 3.3 km long. This provides a specific point of reference for that particular stage. From the Marian pilgrimage route, the path continues west from Selpritsch along a meadow and forest path to the Rosegger Landesstraße and then on to the branch church of St. Lambrecht.
The route details can be distinguished by their destinations: the 3.3 km section runs from Augsdorf to the village church in Selpritsch; the westbound continuation leads along a meadow and forest path and the Rosegger Landesstraße to the branch church of St. Lambrecht. The named route features and church destinations help you identify the sections rather than treating them as a single destination.
Another Route Through Selpritsch
The route “Villacher Alpenstraße from Lake Wörthersee” runs through Velden, Selpritsch, Rosegg, Finkenstein, Warmbad-Villach, Möltschach, Villacher Alpenstraße, Villach, Lake Magdalenensee, Zauchen and Wernberg, before returning to Velden. Selpritsch is one stop in a sequence of several places and other named points.
Two different route perspectives are therefore presented: the Marian pilgrimage route describes paths to churches and specific sections, while the route “Villacher Alpenstraße from Lake Wörthersee” places Selpritsch in a sequence of various stops that returns to Velden. The destinations listed help distinguish the local pilgrimage route from this regional route.
Information About the Church Key
The Buschenschenke Jost is listed as the contact point for the key to the branch church in Selpritsch. As it is not open year-round, please check in advance.
Discover more destinations: Oberaichwald, Afritz, Riegersdorf, Paternion, Feistritz An Der Gail, Kerschdorf, Arriach, Landskron
For the regional travel overview: Villach.
