Maria Lanzendorf combines sacred art and cycling with a distinctive historical connection. In the Pilgrimage Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Johann Michael Rottmayr created paintings for the high altar and choir altars, as well as the dome fresco. A decade later, the Calvary became the model for the Calvary in Vienna-Hernals. The “Way of the Brick Barons” cultural cycling route also leads to Maria Lanzendorf. This brings together church art, a historical comparison and a cycling route as distinct reasons to visit.
Church Art and the Calvary
Rottmayr’s paintings were created between 1728 and 1730. They are part of the high altar and choir altars; he also created the dome fresco. His contribution therefore includes several elements of the church’s interior and two types of work: altar paintings and a fresco in the dome. For an art-historical perspective, his contribution cannot be reduced to a single altar painting. Visitors interested in religious art can make this combination of artist, period and different parts of the interior a focus of their stay.
The Calvary in Maria Lanzendorf was created by lay brother Franz Felix Nüring between 1699 and 1701. A decade later, it served as the model for the Calvary in Vienna-Hernals. The historical connection therefore extends beyond the town: the site in Vienna-Hernals was modelled on the Calvary in Maria Lanzendorf.
The two art-related sites date from different periods: Nüring’s Calvary was created between 1699 and 1701, while Rottmayr’s work for the pilgrimage church followed between 1728 and 1730. This chronology makes it easy to distinguish the historical periods of the two sites.
Cycling to Maria Lanzendorf
The “Way of the Brick Barons” cultural cycling route leads to Maria Lanzendorf and is about 25 kilometres long. It is signposted and easy to ride; most of it runs along side roads and farm tracks. This gives you a clear idea of both the approximate distance and the nature of the route for planning your trip. Check the current signage and conditions before setting off.
In the Maria Lanzendorf section, the route passes the historic station of the Aspang Railway. The station is a specific landmark along the local cycling route and adds a historic site to its cultural character.
A July programme for children
The municipality’s annual holiday programme allows children to borrow books free of charge from the Maria Lanzendorf Public Library every July. If you would like to plan your stay around the programme, check the dates for the relevant year in advance. This makes a library visit a specific, July-only activity to include in your plans.
The considerations for planning your trip differ: for the cycling route, the approximate distance and character of the route matter; for the holiday programme, the July dates are key. The art-related sites, meanwhile, can be understood through the artist, the period in which the works were created and the relationship between the two sites.
Discover more destinations: Klosterneuburg, Gerasdorf Bei Wien, Schwadorf, Gramatneusiedl, Tullnerbach-Lawies, Kritzendorf, Irenental, Pressbaum
For the broader travel overview: Wien-Umgebung.
